Should I Not Preach Jesus?

Ephesians 3:7-13 ESV

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” 

Yes, the apostle Paul was made a minister of the gospel of Christ according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given to him by the working of God’s power, but not to him and to him alone. All of us who now believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are to be ministers of the gospel of Christ.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

And we are all to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in taking the truth of the gospel of our salvation to the people of the world, but not in word only, but in practice, by how we live our lives to the honor and glory of God. And all of Christ’s disciples are to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, teaching them to obey the Lord’s commandments under the New Covenant. And all of us are to be the Lord’s witnesses wherever we go. And we are to open blinded eyes, turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

So, what was the gospel that Paul preached? He definitely taught that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to many people in his resurrected body, including to his 11 disciples, before he ascended back to heaven. But he also included Jesus’ appearance to him on the road to Damascus when Paul was then converted to faith in Jesus Christ, which was when he was called of Jesus to be one of his apostles in taking the message of the gospel, not only to Jews, but also to the Gentiles.

And Paul taught that by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So, we are not to let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it ends in death, but if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God.

And he also taught that we are no longer to live like the ungodly who are hardened of heart and who have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But we are to put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

And he taught that we are to walk by the Spirit, and we will not gratify the sinful cravings of the flesh. And then he listed for us all sorts of sins, including sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, fits of anger, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. And he warned us that those who do (are doing, practicing) such things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven, of God. And so all that he taught we are also to teach, but in context, and we are also to teach what Jesus taught and what the other apostles taught regarding our salvation and eternal life. See the following Scriptures:

[1 Co 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; Gal 5:16-24; Rom 8:1-14,24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Rom 1:18-32; Titus 2:11-14; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:10]

Should I Not Preach Jesus 

An Original Work / July 4, 2013

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.

I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.

I make myself a slave to ev’ryone

To win their hearts to Christ.

All this I do for my Lord Jesus,

And for the sake of His Name;

Do it for the sake of His gospel,

So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;

Written down for us as examples

To keep us from setting our hearts 

On evil as did those of old.

Do not worship other gods of man;

Do not give your hearts to them;

Not partake in immorality.

Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are

Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.

God has given his word to warn us, 

So through faith we will not fall.

No temptation has o’ertaken you

Except what is commonplace.

God is faithful to not let you be

Tempted past what you can bear.

He gives the way of escape. 

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