The Real Gospel
The Real Gospel
Romans 1:16-17
Intro: Have you ever heard the gospel? A better question is, “Have you ever seen the gospel, or have you ever experienced the gospel?
Here is a radical truth that would get you kicked out of most churches: Sin is not an issue with God! The Lord isn’t waiting for us to ask Him to forgive us of our sins. The sins of the entire world—past, present, and future—have already been forgiven. Even a man like Adolf Hitler had grace extended to him! Jesus loved Hitler and paid for his sins just as He did for yours and mine. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11).
God has already done His part; it is now up to you to receive the truth by faith and make it a reality in your life. Amen!
John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
In John 16:8-9, Jesus said,
“And when Holy Spirit is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me.” John 16:8-9
The church often misinterprets this scripture and preaches that the Holy Spirit is here to convict you of all your sins. He is here to convict you of the single sin of not receiving Jesus as your Savior. The only conviction is that of believing in Jesus Christ.
—the only sin that is going to send people to hell is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
King David had a revelation of God before his time. Ill. Example: Psalm 95 he refers to people in his day and ours: “Today if you will hear His voice do not harden your hearts like Israel did in the wilderness when they tested God.” When they had trouble like lack of water they would say, “Is God among us or not?”
In this Psalm David wrote God’s response. Therefore, I swore in My wrath, “They shall not enter into My rest.” Psalm 95:11
Note God had wrath. What was His wrath about? The wrath of God was because of their unbelief about God!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
Gospel means good news. It is the power of God for salvation!
Salvation = soteria = deliverance, preservation, healing, safety, etc.
What makes the gospel the power of God? See the next verse.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ Romans 1:17
The gospel is powerful because it reveals the righteousness of God or God’s way for a man to become right with Him! Once you believe and receive that Jesus died in your place then the power of the gospel is activated in your life! Faith activates the grace of the gospel.
Yet to all who received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God . . . John 1:12
This power to become a son of God is grace. Grace is the power of God and the power of God is grace.
G –God’s
R – Riches
A – At
C – Christ’s
E – Expense
Think of it this way—grace is what God does; faith is what we do. It takes both working together to receive salvation.
You don’t break free from sin by focusing on how bad sin is. You focus Him and come to Him.
Come boldly to the throne of grace that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:16
If you try to live the Xn life while being sin conscious you will live in fear and uncertainty and eventually drop out of church and avoid God. But if you get established in the true gospel of righteousness then you will become unshakeable and bold about coming to God in time of need.
Ill. I see many get baptized and then the devil tempts them more than ever to distract them. If they are not established in the gospel they start to stay away from church because they gave in to temptation. The very place they need to run to for help is the place they feel guilty and condemned. This is the devil’s deception and his attacks on them. They are vulnerable because they are not established in the gospel.
A life established in the gospel that reveals the righteousness of God will be one that is unshakeable when the enemy attacks. Through Isaiah God spoke to Israel that was flip flopping with God. God wants this for you now.
In righteousness you SHALL BE established . . . Isa. 54:14
What does it mean to get established in God’s righteousness?
Jesus said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUNESS . . .
THERE ARE ONLY 2 KINDS OF RIGHTEOUNESS:
SELF RIGHTEOUNESS – leads to strife and works and death.
GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS – is a gift - Jesus.
YOU are living in one or the other this very moment. If you are living in self righteousness or self dependence in any area of your life you will notice you are worried there, fearful there, strife there, no joy, no life.
Speaking of unsaved Israel God says,
For being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3
Ignorant = without knowledge – they don’t know what you know. There will be people you are around this week who don’t know about God’s righteousness and the power of the gospel. You need to invite them to a church where they will hear the truth.
If they are not established in God’s righteousness, then they either become hard hearted and deny there is a God or:
- Look to religion for answers and get deceived into religious works is what make you right with God.
- Look to performance and behavior and good deeds as righteousness.
Neither of these are God’s righteousness.
Notice what Isaiah said will happen when one day you become established in righteousness.
In righteousness you shall be established. . . indeed they will surely assail you fiercely. . . No weapon formed against you shall prosper. . . This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS FROM ME, SAYS THE LORD.” Isa. 54:14-17
When you are established in the righteousness YOU WILL BE ATTACKED BUT YOU WILL NOT BE OVECOME BY THE ENEMY. Are you established in God’s righteousness because you know the truth of the gospel? “The just or righteous shall live by faith.”
- ILL. Enemy attacks and you slip into sin. “What about your sin?” Now that you know you have the gift of no condemnation and the gift of righteousness, how will this change the way you respond to condemnation and discouragement that come when you fail? Yes, I have sinned but I am still the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and my performance does not change that! In fact, thanks for reminding me I am going the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to break this habit.
The gospel can be explained by one verse of scripture:
“He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21
We are made righteous by Jesus – grace – God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.
For if by (Adam’s) trespass death reigned through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness REIGN in life through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
Many start out saved and then slip back into works and strife to make things happen.
“Remember from whence you have fallen and repent and return to the first works” Rev. 2:5
ill. The Galatian Xn fell from grace by slipping back under law and works. Paul spends 4 chapters correcting them about grace before he ever mentions the fruit of the Spirit in chapter 5.
Concl: Your life is either manifesting fruit of the Spirit or works of the flesh.
The gospel is all about the grace of God. I can’t but He can. I couldn’t but He did.
Unfortunately, many people are hearing a message of law or works instead of the good news of the gospel. How did you respond the first time you really heard the good news of the gospel?
- Don’t you think God wants to use you to tell them what you discovered? At the very least He wants to use you to invite someone to a church where they will hear the true gospel.
- Will you commit to invite 5 people this week by simply giving them one of these cards? Not will you do it for your church, not will you do it for me, but will you do it for Jesus’s sake? Do you think He will help you? You owe the world around you – the gospel.