Christianity's Biggest Problem

Any Christian, worth their salt, can look at the state of Christianity today and see numerous problems. We see doctrinal compromise that has allowed sin into the fold, like is the case with the acceptance of homosexuality in many churches. And we can't deny all the false religions and false teachings that hide under the banner of Christianity. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons call themselves, and are accepted as, Christians despite the unbiblical beliefs they promote. And we also see error like the prosperity gospel misleading thousands into financial and spiritual chaos. But the biggest problem in Christianity is the that so many believers don't know the Gospel! On a Christian chat room, an individual asked, "What is the gospel message actually about? What's it[s] prime focus?" A simple question. But, some of the answers were disappointing, to say the least. Here are a few:

"God first loved us, and we should respond completely in Love to him."

"The gospel message is as simple as ABC... Admit, Believe, Confess."

"Not very many people realize that's it's not, in and of itself, simply about the death and resurrection of Messiah, though, this seems to be the only part of it that new believers are told about."

"The gospel message is to believe and trust in God through His Son Jesus Christ. We are to allow God to rule in our live and not be our own masters." (sic)

"Not once during His earthly ministry did He preach the death/resurrection, but He constantly preached the Good News of the Kingdom."

Now these are not all bad, but they are very superficial and vanilla. And some are just plain wrong. Jesus didn't preach His death and resurrection? What Bible is this person reading? It is this type of error that permeates the Body of Christ. None of these answers capture the totality of the Gospel. And because they don't, they open the door for all sorts of interpretations to arise as to what the truth really is.

The Gospel

"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

The prime focus of the Gospel is the restoration of the life of God to mankind. When God created Adam, He breathed His life into Him and Adam became a living being.

"...but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17

However, God warned Adam that if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die. When Adam sinned, he didn't die physically. We know that because he lived 930 years. Adam died spiritually by God removing His life from within Him.

"When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth." Genesis 5:3

Adam was created in the image of God. However, mankind, you and me, were born in the image of Adam. We have been born into this world in spiritually dead to God, without His life indwelling us.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

God, in His love, desired to once again indwell mankind. However, before He could do that, He had to deal with the sin that caused that life to leave Adam. Jesus, being born spiritually alive, is the only man ever born who had a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. Now, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God can now offer His life to mankind as a free gift to all who accept Christ by faith.

"He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:12

And because of the eternal consequences of the cross, there is now no sin that will cause that life to leave. That is why it is called an eternal life. A life that will carry a believer through this life and on into eternity.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5:8-10

The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness, life.

If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we know what it is we have accepted? If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we know what it is we have been saved from? If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we know what it is we proclaim to the lost? If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we discern the difference between the truth and the lie? If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we explain why Jesus is the way, the truth and the life? If we don't understand the Gospel, how do we defend Jesus Christ as being the only way to the Father in heaven? If we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we know what the Christian life is all about and who lives it? And, if we don't understand the fullness of the Gospel, how do we know we are saved at all?

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3

The Gospel is simple. Unfortunately, the fact that so many Christians do not know it is behind why they cannot answer a simple question about what it is. They end up defining it through their own religious and life experience instead of from the scripture. Therefore, they end up complicating the Gospel. The next time you open the scriptures, attend church or engage in Bible study, ask yourself if you understand the Gospel message and its primary focus. Your life as a Christian and, perhaps, your eternity depend on your ability to do so.