It is difficult for me to post an excerpt here. You need to read the entire essay. However, the following two points that Neil made stood out to me:
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
V. 16 is powerful. In light of eternity, why should we be ashamed of the Gospel? The world hates the Gospel, because it convicts them of sin. The Gospel is for everyone. There is no other path besides Jesus.
This shows that if the gospel being presented to you doesn't make you squirm regarding conviction of sin, then perhaps you are not following the true gospel.
God's grace cannot be bestowed upon us unless we are first convicted within our hearts of our rebellion and sin. If you think I am incorrect in this (your decision, of course), then I would encourage you to read "Beware the Crossless Gospel."
Neil writes:
God has revealed himself to us in his creation. He takes it very seriously when people mock that and completely ignore him. Deep down even atheists know their is a God, but they “suppress the truth by their wickedness.”
Theologian R.C Sproul said, “Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself.”
Those who would condone sin, and refuse to confess and repent of them are, unfortunately, guilty of "suppressing the truth by their wickedness," (or, some Bible versions say, "of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.")
God is love, however, he is also holy and righteous. We can't leave out the fact that His perfect character means that He will not tolerate sin. He is the Supreme Judge of the universe. If He didn't judge sin, then we could not say that He is Holy and Righteous.
But God does judge sin. This is why Christians everywhere need to spread the true gospel of Christ. Not any made-up, secular version that man conceives in his/her own mind.
One day, all will face Jesus Christ in eternity. Whether you spend eternity with him in heaven or separated from him forever depends on your response to the true gospel message.
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3 comments:
Thanks, Christine. Romans 1 is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It answers so many questions.
I'm always somewhat baffled at how people can live in sin, and still claim to be right with God, the only thing I can figure is what it is says in Romans, about the reprobate mind. Because it is only than, does living in Sin, seem to be ok, because you no longer have to acknowledge the truth of God's word.
Dear Robert...I don't want to seem rude, but you should know that you are living in sin. I am sure that you would consider sin anything that separates us from God? Right. Well the fact that you are in a physical body and not in the presence of Jesus means...you are in sin. As you baffle the fact that others live in sin please remember the parable of the two sons. While the younger brother squandered his inheritance and was obviously outwardly sinful, he still enjoyed the warm embrace of his father and a feast upon his return. The older brother who was good and noble, working all his days and increasing his father’s fortune, rejected his father, his brother, and a great feast. Be weary of the older brother for he missed the blessings of his father.
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