The Gospel According to Jesus

1. The Gospel Demands More Than Intellectual Assent

Shallow preaching that does not grapple with the terrible fact of man's sinfulness and guilt, calling on "all men everywhere to repent," results in shallow conversions; and so we have myriads of glib-tongued professors today who give no evidence of regeneration whatever.

Intellectual belief is insufficient. The gospel requires more than merely agreeing with facts about Jesus Christ. It demands a deep understanding of one's sinfulness and a genuine turning from sin to God. Many modern evangelistic approaches focus on getting people to make a decision or pray a prayer, without addressing the true nature of sin and the need for repentance.

Genuine conversion involves transformation. True faith in Christ results in a changed life, not just a change of mind. It affects a person's thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. The Bible consistently portrays salvation as a radical reorientation of one's entire being towards God.

• Signs of shallow conversions:
  • Professing faith without evidence of life change
  • Continuing in habitual sin without remorse
  • Lack of desire for spiritual growth and obedience

2. True Salvation Produces a Transformed Life

Every Christian is a disciple.

Discipleship is not optional. The idea that one can accept Jesus as Savior without submitting to Him as Lord is foreign to Scripture. All true believers are disciples, called to follow and obey Christ. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 commands the church to make disciples, not just converts.

Evidence of salvation. Genuine faith inevitably produces good works and a changed life. While salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, that faith is never alone in the life of a true believer. The book of James emphasizes that faith without works is dead.

• Characteristics of true disciples:
  • Growing obedience to Christ's commands
  • Increasing love for God and others
  • Desire to learn and apply God's Word
  • Willingness to deny self and follow Jesus

3. Repentance is Essential to Genuine Faith

Repentance is not merely shame or sorrow for sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse. It is a redirection of the human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness instead.

Repentance defined. Biblical repentance involves a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior. It's not just feeling bad about sin, but actively turning away from it and toward God. This involves recognizing one's sinfulness, feeling genuine sorrow for offending God, and making a determined effort to live differently.

Inseparable from faith. True saving faith always includes repentance. The two are complementary aspects of the same spiritual reality. Jesus consistently called people to "repent and believe" (Mark 1:15). A faith that does not include repentance is not biblical faith.

• Elements of genuine repentance:
  • Recognition of sin
  • Remorse for offending God
  • Renunciation of sinful practices
  • Resolve to pursue righteousness

4. Jesus' Lordship is Central to the Gospel Message

To say that Jesus is Lord is first of all to acknowledge that He is almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Lordship is not optional. Accepting Jesus as Savior while rejecting His lordship is impossible. The gospel presents Jesus as both Lord and Savior, and these cannot be separated. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord means submitting to His authority in all areas of life.

Implications of Christ's lordship. Recognizing Jesus as Lord has profound implications for how we live. It means surrendering our will to His, obeying His commands, and living for His glory rather than our own desires. This is not works-righteousness, but the natural outworking of genuine faith.

• Aspects of Christ's lordship:
  • Supreme authority over all creation
  • Right to command obedience from His followers
  • Final judge of all humanity
  • Source of all truth and wisdom

5. The Cost of Discipleship is High but Necessary

If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Counting the cost. Jesus never hid the demands of discipleship. He consistently taught that following Him would be costly, requiring self-denial and a willingness to suffer. This message contrasts sharply with many contemporary presentations of the gospel that emphasize only its benefits.

Daily surrender. Taking up one's cross is not a one-time decision but a daily commitment. It involves continually choosing to follow Christ, even when it's difficult or unpopular. This ongoing surrender is evidence of genuine faith.

• What it means to take up one's cross:
  • Prioritizing Christ above all else
  • Willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel
  • Dying to selfish desires and ambitions
  • Living for God's purposes rather than personal comfort

6. Good Works are the Fruit, Not the Root, of Salvation

Salvation is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). That truth is the biblical watershed for all we teach. But it means nothing if we begin with a misunderstanding of grace or a faulty definition of faith.

Grace-driven effort. While good works do not earn salvation, they are the inevitable result of genuine faith. True grace doesn't just forgive sin; it transforms the sinner. This transformation manifests itself in a life characterized by good works and increasing holiness.

Faith that works. Biblical faith is not mere intellectual assent to facts about Jesus. It is a trust that leads to obedience. James teaches that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Good works don't save us, but they do provide evidence that our faith is real.

• Relationship between faith and works:
  • Works are the fruit of faith, not its root
  • Genuine faith always produces good works
  • Absence of good works suggests absence of saving faith
  • Works are how we "work out" our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13)

7. Perseverance in Faith is Evidence of True Conversion

Those who endure to the end will be saved.

Enduring faith. True believers will persevere in their faith to the end. This doesn't mean they will be perfect or never struggle, but that the overall trajectory of their lives will be one of growing faithfulness to Christ. Those who completely abandon the faith demonstrate that they were never truly converted.

God's preserving power. The believer's perseverance is ultimately due to God's preserving grace. He keeps His own and ensures that true faith will endure. This gives assurance to believers while also motivating them to "make their calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

• Signs of persevering faith:
  • Ongoing repentance and faith
  • Growth in holiness over time
  • Endurance through trials and persecution
  • Increasing love for God and His people

8. The Gospel According to Jesus Aligns with Apostolic Teaching

The gospel according to Jesus is the gospel according to His apostles.

Continuity of teaching. The message Jesus preached is the same message the apostles taught and wrote about in their letters. There is no contradiction between Jesus' emphasis on repentance and faith and Paul's teaching on justification by faith alone. Both stress the transformative nature of true salvation.

Apostolic affirmation. The writings of Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude all confirm the lordship of Christ and the necessity of a faith that produces obedience. They consistently teach that true believers will be characterized by good works and growing holiness.

• Key apostolic teachings that align with Jesus:
  • Salvation by grace through faith
  • Necessity of repentance
  • Lordship of Christ
  • Transformative nature of genuine faith
  • Perseverance of true believers

9. Historic Christianity Affirms Lordship Salvation

To say that Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge that He is almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Consistent testimony. Throughout church history, from the early church fathers to the Reformers to modern evangelical leaders, the consistent teaching has been that true faith results in a transformed life characterized by obedience to Christ. The idea that one can accept Jesus as Savior without submitting to Him as Lord is a recent innovation.

Reformed tradition. The Reformers, while emphasizing justification by faith alone, also insisted that saving faith inevitably produces good works. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others taught that while works do not save us, they are the necessary fruit of genuine faith.

• Historical affirmations of lordship salvation:
  • Early church fathers (e.g., Ignatius, Clement)
  • Medieval theologians (e.g., Augustine)
  • Reformers (e.g., Luther, Calvin)
  • Puritan writers
  • Modern evangelical leaders

Last updated: September 13, 2024