We have defined the gospel as “the good news” of the Christian faith. It is not “a” good news among many but “the” good news. If the gospel is so defined, that brings a second important question even before we explain what the gospel is truly about: What are we saved from? Was there some kind of danger or a troubling situation at hand? Was there an actual bad news threatening us at all? Yes!
There surely was and still is: God the almighty, is the one chasing the sinner before whom he stands guilty and condemned.
God’s Judgement
To know what salvation is about we have to understand the attributes of God that is His Holy Justice. The bible teaches us that God’s attributes are in perfect harmony within the Godhead. Which means the holiness of God, his goodness, his love, his mercy as well as his justice and holy will, demands that he judges the guilty and not leave him unpunished. If it was not so, we would have to guess if God is a good God; as the scriptures say He is. Even though God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23), Warnings about God’s judgement are all over the bible.
In the book of the psalms the psalmist says: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people”.
“God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts“. (Psalm 50: 3-4, Psalm 7:11-13). “For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness (Psalm 96:13).
The prophet Ezekiel also warns us: “A sword is sharpened and also polished, Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth?“ (Ezek. 21:9-10).
God’s wrath
Often times we think the fact that there is so much evil around us, God never gets angry with the wicked; But it’s the opposite: the fact that we have been given over to depravity, is a sure sign of God’s judgement and wrath upon the world.
From Paul the apostle we read:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened “. (…)
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves; who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Rom 1: 18-25).
Luke wrote: “God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained…”(Acts 17:31).
The Lord Jesus Christ himself said: “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell ; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:5).
And know this my friend: “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31)
With all this in mind, what is salvation about? It’s about being saved from God Himself as a righteous judge. We are in enmity with Him, We stand guilty before his Law and under His Holy wrath Which all mankind deserve. For the consequence of sin is physical and eternal death (Romans 6:23). That is why we need a merciful savior; for we cannot face God ourselves and live.No compromise
No compromise!
Now, I have been rebuked a couple times and told that i should not mention the words judgement and hell when i preach the gospel and the matter of salvation. Because “It’s not loving to tell someone about hell and damnation”. But instead i should preach God as a loving, good, and a ready to bless kind of God.
Dear Christians, How can we call the gospel good news if we hide the bad news about God’s displeasure and judgement against sinners? Are we marketers tickling the ears with attractive words in order to sell some kind of products…? Are we afraid to tell the world about the coming judgement while Christ himself preached about hell more than anything and anyone else?
We are commanded to call the world to repent and the flee from the wrath to come. We are called to be faithful in the proclamation of the gospel: the word of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, we as Christians may also stand in great danger for watering down the truth, and made doll the blades, in order to make ourselves sound good and attractive to the dying world around us. All this because we are ashamed of the full proclamation the word of The Lord Jesus Christ. Again: how can we call the gospel good news if one does not see what he is saved from?
