We can all agree that much is wrong in the world around us. Whether in our families, among our loved ones, in the workplace, or in our nation and government, we see the heartbreaking effects of a fallen world. Famine, abortion, murder, child abuse, rape, disease, and moral decay run rampant… The root cause of it all is nothing but sin.
As Christians living in the midst of this brokenness, we should certainly do good wherever we can. We must care for the poor, the needy, the orphan, and the widow (Proverbs 19:17; James 1:27). Yet there is something far more important we are called to do: We are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
While acts of mercy are good and necessary, only one message can change the human heart at its root. In the gospel, “the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:17). It is the grace of God that brings salvation, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age” (Titus 2:11-13).
We must preach Christ now as if life depends on it. Every believer should have a holy eagerness to proclaim the good news of salvation and a burning passion to see sinners transformed by the power of God.
Sadly, many Christians today believe that preaching the gospel is only for pastors, evangelists, or full-time missionaries who travel to foreign lands. Others are simply ashamed of the gospel because they fear men. This ought not to be. Proclaiming the gospel is a glorious privilege given to every Christian — one with eternal consequences or reward. So, it is with joy that we should declare the beauty of Christ and the wisdom of God displayed in the cross (Psalm 40:9; 96:2).
From Foolishness to Life
Let me ask you a few honest questions, dear brother or sister:
To those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness. But what about you who have been saved? Has the gospel become ordinary or boring to you? It should not be! Since you came to know Christ, or rather, were known by Him, have you not experienced the gospel as the power and wisdom of God for salvation? (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Are you not still amazed by it? Does it not fill you with joy that Christ is in you, you are in Him, and He is God’s? Has He not become your greatest treasure, your Pearl of Great Price?
There was once a time when we could not understand or love the gospel. But now that we have been made new, “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have seen the beauty of Christ, we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8; 1 Peter 2:7; Philippians 3:8). This is exactly what we should long to see happen in the lives of those around us: a true miracle of transformation from darkness to light, from blindness to sight, and from death to life. We must joyfully call others to come, to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Salvation is a sovereign work of God, and He has chosen to bring it about through the preaching of His gospel. But how shall they hear it if we do not tell them (Rom. 10:14)? This, dear brethren, is our high calling: to speak the life-giving message of Christ crucified and risen.
A Command
Preaching the gospel is not a suggestion, it is a clear command from our Lord Jesus Christ. He has commissioned every one of us to “go and make disciples,” preaching the gospel to all people. This is an authoritative charge we dare not take lightly.
The same solemn words Paul wrote to Timothy, though in different levels, apply to every Christian:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead… Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
This is a charge made before God and the coming Judge! How can we treat it casually? The Great Commission is not given only to a few missionaries or pastors. It is given to all of us for our neighbors, coworkers, friends, the stranger on the bus, and the person we meet in the marketplace. How many opportunities have we missed? I confess with regret that I have failed and missed some opportunities…
The Exclusive Gospel
Again, does the condition of the world grieve you? Does it burden you that people are enslaved to sin and headed for hell? Does it trouble you that the name of God is blasphemed daily? Then preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!
This is the call of every Christian. It must be the dominant message of the church. It does not take twenty people on a mission trip to reach the lost. It takes every believer who has been captured by the glory of God, His mercy, and His grace in saving sinners — all to the praise of His beloved Son.
The Puritan Richard Baxter powerfully reminded us:
“The greatest work that we have to do is to win souls… and this is the work that Christ has committed to us.”
There is no substitute for the gospel. Not our good deeds, kindness, morality, psychology, friendship, or any social cause… as helpful as some of these may be. The exclusive, unchanging message of Christ crucified and risen is what we are called to proclaim. There is no other gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). While Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, “we preach Christ crucified… the power of God and the wisdom of God” to those who are called (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).
Let us therefore go, and be faithful in this great task. Soli Deo Gloria!
