The Gospel is simply believe in Jesus or go to Hell!

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Churinga

Active member
Nov 12, 2018
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#1
The Gospel is Simply 'Believe in Jesus or Go To Hell'.
Many Christians explain the Gospel as 'believe in Jesus or go to hell', without any further explanation other than Jesus died for your sins. While, according to the Bible, hell as most Christians visualize it, does not exist, this abbreviated Gospel is a terrible over-simplification of the issue, which causes endless confusion and some very bad feelings. Perhaps, if Christians would take a little time to do their homework and a little more explaining, the message might actually make more sense to more people.
To begin with, diametrically opposed to most modern methods of preaching the Gospel, the message should begin with the wrath of God. The bad news has to come before the good news. Telling someone that they can be saved is completely ridiculous if they neither know they are lost, nor what it is they need to be saved from. Telling someone that there is a pardon available is an absolute waste of time, if the person does not know they are already condemned.
There are two points that non-believers also need to understand....
Either the vast majority of people deny that God exists at all, or deny that the God of the Bible is the Sovereign God of the universe. This in spite of the fact that there is ample evidence for both. Instead, they follow other false gods and spiritual paths that are based on unsubstantiated claims made by mere people, or they come up with ridiculous and far fetched theories for the universe and everything in it. Most people have had a long time to figure it out, but continue to willfully deny God of His rightful place. Therefore, why in the world should He allow them into His kingdom. Especially since, these people would have exactly the same nature as they did in this world. Which brings us to the second factor...
If the kingdom of heaven is going to be populated by people who are just as sinful there as they are here, it would mean that the kingdom would soon deteriorate into the same mess we now face. Instead, the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who have chosen to be part of it and, by doing so, have been 'born again, adopted as "sons" by God and given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, which enables them to fight temptation in the here and now. Again, the point is they have chosen to live as God's children. And, as God's children, they will live in His coming kingdom.
Oh, and by the way, the "ask Jesus into your heart" is another confusing, non-Biblical expression that needs to be completely scrapped.
 

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#2
Gospel means "good news"...........so it is good news for some and not so good news for others.
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
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Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
#4
Instead, the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who have chosen to be part of it and, by doing so, have been 'born again, adopted as "sons" by God and given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, which enables them to fight temptation in the here and now. Again, the point is they have chosen to live as God's children. And, as God's children, they will live in His coming kingdom.
Well, that is kind of opposite of what scripture says. I am not a calvinist but I do believe in predestination, but like most: I don't fully know how it works. First off, mankind is evil.

Gen. 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Rom. 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Next up, it is God that chooses us, and not we Him.

John. 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

Then, and only then, can we choose to serve God. And our evil will stay with us until we are resurrected and immortal. Predestination doesn't negate our choice and it doesn't make us better than any other sinner. Just chosen. :cool:
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,772
3,679
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#5
To begin with, diametrically opposed to most modern methods of preaching the Gospel, the message should begin with the wrath of God. The bad news has to come before the good news.
Not necessarily so. Look how Jesus treated the situation.

To those who came needy, broken, repentant etc., He treated with kindness revealing God's grace and mercy, but to those who came challenging His Personhood, truth and authority He warned them of the wrath to come, announcing 'woes' on them and even calling them vipers etc.

Here is a sampling of the NON PC Jesus...

Matthew 23:13-16,23-27,29 NASBS
[13] "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [14] [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.] [15] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. [16] "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'

[23] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! [25] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. [26] You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. [27] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. [29] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

Matthew 23:32-33 NASBS
[32] Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. [33] You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
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#6
Either the vast majority of people deny that God exists at all, or deny that the God of the Bible is the Sovereign God of the universe.


This in spite of the fact that there is ample evidence for both.
If there was ample evidence then everyone who was presented this evidence would believe yes?

Would this mean that salvation is salvation by evidence rather than faith?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,241
30,355
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#7
If there was ample evidence then everyone who was presented this evidence would believe yes?

Would this mean that salvation is salvation by evidence rather than faith?
Of course there is evidence. We place our faith in that evidence.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,241
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#9
Read the Bible. It is full of evidence. Do you deny it? The heavens declare the glory of God. Only non-believers deny the evidence. There is also personal empirical experience that counts as evidence. All born again believers should be able to attest to such. We have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. What more do you want? Proof? Well, that is something entirely different, isn't it? Proof is for maths and alcohol :cool:
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
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#10
Read the Bible. It is full of evidence. Do you deny it? The heavens declare the glory of God. Only non-believers deny the evidence. There is also personal empirical experience that counts as evidence. All born again believers should be able to attest to such. We have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. What more do you want? Proof? Well, that is something entirely different, isn't it? Proof is for maths and alcohol :cool:
Reading the bible is not evidence - it's a book taken on faith.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,241
30,355
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#11
Reading the bible is not evidence - it's a book taken on faith.
I did not say reading the Bible was evidence. I said the Bible is full of evidence. (Via testimonials + eye witness accounts + history.)
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
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#12
Still not evidence - belief and faith is not evidence - a Muslim or a Buddhist etc. could claim the same.
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
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#13
Lee Strobel's "Case for..." series try to attempt to well, er, present evidence for - they ain't bad from an apologetic stance.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,241
30,355
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#14
Still not evidence - belief and faith is not evidence - a Muslim or a Buddhist etc. could claim the same.
Psssh. Of course it is evidence. Eye witness testimonies count as evidence. Written historical accounts are among evidence. AND personal empirical experiences count as evidence (for us who believe). AND we place our faith in evidence, not fairly tales and vain imaginings.

Plus, I did not say belief and faith are evidence. Please stop
making up things to respond to while ignoring what I actually say.
 

TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
4,062
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Australia
#15
I believe in an intelligent faith, a faith based on presumption is like believing in Aliens and Superman or Santa Claus, but Faith that is based on intelligent beliefs is worth following.
Nature, Prophesy and the working of God in my heart is not undeniable proof but it is enough for me. If someone wants to deny God there will always be hocks to hang their doubts on. God will not force us to believe but He gives us allot reasons to believe.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#16
Telling someone that they can be saved is completely ridiculous if they neither know they are lost, nor what it is they need to be saved from.
Correct. The Gospel must be presented properly, and that frequently does not happen.

Paul begins the Gospel of God like this: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18)

So the Bad News must precede the Good News.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
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#17
Yes well Jesus had John the Baptist go before him and witness, and he wss baptising people for remission of sins. Why were they being baptised in water, for repentence. They knew rhey were dirty and needed to be made clean.
Its repent and believe, not believe and repent.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,472
6,726
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#18
Yes well Jesus had John the Baptist go before him and witness, and he wss baptising people for remission of sins. Why were they being baptised in water, for repentence. They knew rhey were dirty and needed to be made clean.
Its repent and believe, not believe and repent.
It may be in the order as you say, I will not dispute that.

For me, God gave me to believe first and then I epented. It is that when my heart was broken, I prayed and fasted, praying to "You Are Who You Are,". I fell into a deep sleep and He gave me something to understand.

It was the following day when I was musing over just how evil the world and mankind is, when bang! I realized, "Hey, I am a man, part of that evil, You are It." God's Holy Spirit entered into me and everything turned to light.

He then led me to His Only Begotten Son by His Spirit.

Did you know it is written, that no man comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. Did you know it is written that no man comes to Jesus Christ unless the Father draws him to Him?? He is so perfect and good, amen.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#19
The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16). To “believe” the gospel is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation.

The gospel is a message of grace to be received through faith. The gospel is not a set of rituals to perform, a code of laws to be obeyed or a check list of good works to accomplish as a prerequisite for salvation.

2 Corinthians 4:3 - But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which BELIEVE NOT, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
 

preacher4truth

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2016
9,171
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#20
If there was ample evidence then everyone who was presented this evidence would believe yes?

Would this mean that salvation is salvation by evidence rather than faith?
You're conflating belief in the mere existence of God (Romans 1:18-20) with saving faith (1 Peter 1:22-25).