What is the Gospel?
How do I obey the Gospel according to the Bible?
Peter preached: "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
1.
To identify with the death of Jesus the Bible talks about repentance (death
to sin). Paul said I die daily. Jesus said Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish. We too should repent unto the Lord as a living sacrifice.
Scripture references:
Acts 2:38; Mark 6:12; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30
2.
We are buried with Christ through baptism. Just as the Jewish nation was baptized
unto Moses through the Red Sea and Noah and his family were saved by water,
the like figure where baptism also saves us. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. No man has ever been good enough to earn his salvation. That
is why we need God's grace. God's grace was a plan of escape. When we believe
and act in faith to his plan we do what he asks us. When we are baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus, we are applying his righteous blood over our life.
Baptism is the circumcision made without hands. It is impossible for man to
do this but when God performs the Spiritual circumcision, our sins are remitted.
Scripture references:
Rom. 6:1-7, 8:2; Col. 2:12; Acts 2:38; John 3:5; Acts 8:16; Acts 19:5; Acts
4:12;
3.
Just as the Spirit of God raised up Jesus from the dead and was resurrected,
God will also raise us up from the dead when we are filled with the Holy Ghost.
For if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. We must be born
of the water and of the spirit said Jesus in John 3.
Scripture references:
Rom. 6:5; Acts 2:38; John 11:25; Acts 4:2; 1 Cor. 15:21; Phl. 3:10; 1 Pet. 3:21;
Rev. 20:6
Compare to: "Accept Jesus as your personal
Lord and Savior"
Scripture references: ?
(there is no scripture reference for this.) In the book of Acts you will never
see the Apostles saying, "Just accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior"
or "say the sinner's prayer" or "baptism is an outward sign of
an inward grace." All are unscriptural and interpretations of man.
Paul gave us a warning:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert (change) the gospel of Christ. But though we,
or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now
again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9
Preach the Original
We can be safe if we make sure we are preaching and receiving the exact gospel the Apostles preached. Where did they preach this gospel? In the book of Acts. Peter preached the gospel message on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). Phillip preached to the Samaritans (Acts 8). Peter preached to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Paul even preached the same gospel that all of the Apostles preached (Acts 19).
Let's listen to Paul when he said that we should all speak the same thing. The best way to do that is to preach the verbatim words of the Apostles, the originals.
