The Gospel is the good news of God’s sovereign saving work in your Life
Last week I was saying that to explain the Gospel we must first understand Man’s (Mankind) need of salvation
Last week we learnt that the first humans, Adam and Eve, were created by God, made in His own image, made for fellowship with God, made sinless in ‘nature’, and made to live forever
(Genesis 1 & 2)
We also learnt that Adam and Even sinned against God and as a consequence they were banished from God’s presence to struggle in life and eventually die (Genesis 3)
Adam and Eve became the subjects of God’s punishment
Because we are related biologically and spiritually to Adam and Eve we too have become the subjects of God’s punishment
Ephesians 2: 3 ‘By our very nature we were subject to God’s punishment’
If ‘Man’ (Mankind) is not set free from his sinful ‘nature’ he will be condemned to Hell
2 Thessalonians 1: 9 ‘They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power.’
When Sin entered the human ‘Race’ it profoundly changed the ‘nature’ of Man (Mankind) from what God originally intended it to be
1/ Man’s (Mankind) mind became darkened by sin
When you share the Gospel with a non-Christian friend have you ever wondered why they find it so difficult to understand what you are saying?
They will say things like: ‘No, I don’t understand what you are saying’
The reason they don’t understand is because their mind is darkened by sin
Ephesians 4:18 ‘Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him’.
Example: Jesus talking to Nicodemus John 3: 1-11
John 3: 1-3 Jesus talks to Nicodemus about the Kingdom of God
John 3: 4 ‘What do you mean’?
John 3: 9 ‘How are these things possible’?
John 3: 10-11 Nicodemus mind was darkened by sin and could not believe in Jesus
2/ Man’s (Mankind) will became enslaved by sin
When you share the Gospel with a non-Christian friend have you ever wondered why they resist what you are saying?
They will say things like: ‘No, I don’t believe you’
The reason they resist what you are saying is because their will is enslaved to sin
Apostle Paul said this about the enslaved will:
Romans 7: 14-15 ‘I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate’
Example: Jesus talking to Jewish religious leaders
Luke 22: 67-68 ‘they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” He replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer”’.
The Jewish religious Leader’s will was enslaved by sin, and they refused to believe in Jesus
3/ Man’s (Mankind) emotions are set upon the pleasures of sin
When you share the Gospel with a non-Christian friend have you ever wondered why they choose the temporary pleasures of this World, which will eventually lead them to Hell, over the eternal blessings of God, which will eventually lead them to Heaven?
They will say things like: ‘No, this is my life and I will live it how I want’
The reason they dismiss what you are saying is because their emotions are set on the pleasures of sin
2 Timothy 3:4 ‘They…love pleasure rather than God’.
Example: Jesus talking to the rich young ruler
Luke 18: 18-23
Luke 18: 22-23
The rich young ruler’s emotions were set on the pleasures of sin and he chose not to believe in Jesus
In conclusion:
Wouldn’t you think that those people who had face to face encounters with Jesus would understand what He said, accept what He said, and choose to follow Him
The truth is: they couldn’t understand Him, they wouldn’t accept what He said, and they didn’t choose to follow Him, because their ‘nature’ was profoundly changed by sin
Nicodemus, the Jewish Religious Leaders and the Rich Young Ruler all had a face to face encounter with Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, through Whom God created everything (Colossians 1: 15-16), and yet they could not, would not, and chose not to believe in Him (at that time) and be saved!
How can that be possible?
‘Man’s’ (Mankind) ‘nature’ is spiritually dead in sin
Ephesians 2: 1
Man’s only hope of salvation is God’s sovereign saving work
Ephesians 2: 5 ‘It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved’!
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