"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." – 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 MEV
The Gospel of Christ is the very power of God that saves men from His holy wrath against our sins. When given in full, it sets people free from captivity to sin and death, breaks people free from a pointless and purposeless life, and allows for a powerful Christian life that exhibits the authority and likeness of Christ.
However, many Christians have watered the Gospel down, reducing it to merely a message of escape from condemnation without repenting from sin, a message of affirmation as a son or daughter of God without obedience to the Father, a message of comfort without denying one's self to pursue His will, or a message of forgiveness without realising how much we have offended a holy and righteous God.
True enough, while God and the message of the Gospel do not change, how the latter is communicated by many today lacks the power that it actually possesses. Sadly, this lack causes many people to have the wrong belief that they "believe in God" but don't actually believe Christ.
I Believe – Do I?
Many Christians today make the wrong assumption that they're saved simply because they are loved by God. While it's true that salvation is made available through God's loving act of giving up His one and only Son for our sakes, we need to realise that we have a part to play in that: Receiving His gift of salvation in Christ means turning away from sin and coming under the Lordship of Christ. We do that by faith.
The Cross of Christ is God's power to those who are being saved. As such, we must not water it down. Only the full power of the Gospel can save us, and watered-down crosses will never do.
Here are some ways we water the Gospel down:
1. When We Remove the Terrifying Danger of God's Impending Wrath Against Our Sin
Friends, God sent His Son to save us while we were still sinners. Our sin deserved God's wrath – and what a wrath it is! If we keep on focusing only on God's love and fail to balance it with God's righteous anger against our sin, we will dilute the very reason why Christ had to die on the cross.
Our situation was so terribly dire that it took God's own Son to save us. And what a terrible way to save us: through a painful death He did not deserve. And yes, what a wonderful way to justify us – by rising from the grave.
2. When We Make Accepting Christ More Powerful Than the Act of Repentance
Have you heard of people leading others into a "sinner's prayer," and then stopping at that? Don't get me wrong: I prayed that prayer, too. But merely "accepting" Christ as Saviour without dying to ourselves and repenting from our sins won't cut it. Repentance is the fruit of our salvation, and a changed life is proof of that repentance.
When we are made to "accept" Christ without us understanding the terrible price Christ had to pay for our sakes, we take His suffering for granted.
3. When We Try to Replace the Simplicity of the Gospel With Useless Eloquence
Many nowadays try to explain the Gospel using many words that don't actually reveal how dreadful it is to be under the law of sin, how terribly great the cost that Christ paid for our redemption, and how immensely great the amount of gratefulness we should have for God's grace and mercy for us.
"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19).
I've heard many try to communicate the Gospel in politically-correct and ear-tickling ways, fatally failing to communicate its tremendous power, and failing to set people free.
"Although if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than the one we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I say now again: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than the one you have received, let him be accursed." – Galatians 1:8-9
