Speaking the True Gospel

This is a continuation of the lesson from Acts 26:12-20 in the devotion titled, “Turning from Darkness to Light.” Paul was under arrest and was serving time in prison for his testimony for Jesus Christ and for his testimony of his salvation from sin, i.e. for the sake of the gospel message. And now he was standing before King Agrippa giving his own defense for why he did what he did, and for his belief in Jesus Christ, whom God had raised from the dead.

Paul spoke these words to King Agrippa:

“For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 

And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” (Acts 26:21-29 ESV)

For what reason did the Jews seize Paul in the temple and try to kill him? Because he declared to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, “that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” Again, this is the essence of the gospel of our salvation. For Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died so that we would no longer walk in sin but now in obedience to our Lord.

And a day is coming soon when preaching the full gospel message of our salvation, as Paul did (in context), will now become a crime. It is already largely being rejected by the majority of those professing faith in Jesus Christ here in America. For they have been indoctrinated with lies coming from Scriptures taught out of context and made to say what they do not say if taught in the appropriate context. And so they have this notion that a profession of faith in Jesus secures them heaven regardless of how they live.

The predominant gospel message being taught in America today bypasses the need to turn from our sins (to forsake our sins, to die to sin) and to walk in obedience to our Lord, as required of God for genuine salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. And some (or many) of us who are teaching the necessity of biblical repentance, and of walks of obedience to our Lord, are already being ostracized, rejected, ignored, and fought against by those who have embraced an altered version of what Jesus taught us.

But from what I read in the news, and from what I have observed of the times in which we now live, I don’t believe it will be long before it will be a crime to teach the truth of what Jesus and his NT apostles taught. For we are headed in the direction of that rule of the Beast and of a one-world religion and a one world totalitarian regime, where those of us who hold to the truth of the gospel will be persecuted and martyred for our walks of faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel message.

But just like with Paul, we have the help that comes from God to endure unjust suffering for the sake of the gospel. We endure being hated and ostracized and thought crazy and called “legalists” and teachers of “works salvation.” We have the help from God to keep going, and to keep sharing the truth of the gospel, and to keep teaching what the Scriptures teach us with regard to what it means to believe in Jesus, i.e. to be one of his disciples (followers). And we do this because we love God and people.

It is not unusual nor unlikely that someone who takes the Lord seriously, and who takes his calling upon his life to heart, and so obeys the Lord in what to say to the people, and when, and where, and how much, that he or she might be referred to as “crazy” or “out of your mind.” For it is not normal in American culture today to have the dedication of Paul and the other apostles and of the prophets before them, and of Christ himself, to the teaching of the Word of God for the salvation of human souls from their bondage to sin.

And it is not unusual nor unlikely for someone with such dedication to be faced with much opposition and criticism and to be falsely accused of what he or she did not do or say. It happened to Jesus! And he said that if we follow him that it will happen to us, too, if we are doing and saying the kinds of things he did and said when he lived upon the earth. And we should expect to be opposed and made fun of and rejected, and that not all who hear what we share will respond in faith. But we still hold out hope.

And so we pray earnestly for the salvation of human lives from hell.

[John 8:31-32; John 10:27-30; John 14:15,21,23-24; John 15:1-11; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14,24; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Peter 1:5-11; Hebrews 3:6-15; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15,24-25; 1 John 3:4-10,24; 1 John 4:19-20]

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263