The Gospel of Grace – Our Message
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” (Mark 16:15)
Jesus did not command His disciples to go out and preach “everything written in the Bible” to all creation in the Great Commission. He said, “preach the gospel.”
The Apostle Paul calls the gospel the gospel of grace. The gospel is thus the message of God’s grace. This is what we, as believers, have been commissioned by God to proclaim to all creation. And to do so, we can and should use all the Scriptures included in the Bible.
The Message of Grace – A Mystery That Can Only Be Understood Through Divine Revelation
Paul emphasizes that the gospel is a mystery that was previously hidden but has now—through Jesus’ death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost—been revealed.
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” (Col. 1:25-26)
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:6-10)
To come to know the mystery of the gospel, personified in Jesus Christ, divine revelation is needed.
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Matt. 11:25-27)
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Matt.16:13-17)
As stated: the mystery of the gospel of God’s grace can only be understood through divine revelation—through God Himself revealing the message to us through His Spirit. If we rely solely on human wisdom and intellectual knowledge, we will inevitably reduce Christianity to just another religion among many.
Are You Preaching Grace or a Christian Mixed Religion?
Many preachers have their favorite or specialized topics in the Bible that they focus on. One feels called to teach about Israel and the end times. Another feels called to teach about “biblical economics,” i.e., how we can achieve financial prosperity based on principles from the Bible. I am not opposed to topic-focused Bible teaching. But what I am opposed to is when topics are preached without the teaching being grounded in the gospel of grace. It is possible to preach about Israel and the end times and base the teaching on the revelation of God’s grace and the new covenant. The same applies to teaching about “biblical economics.” But few preachers do this. Like Simon Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, we want to build tabernacles for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus at the same time—equating the law and the prophets with Jesus and the message of the gospel—instead of heeding the Father’s command:
“…This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5)
In the new covenant, we are to hold fast only to God’s beloved Son—Jesus—and His teaching, in which God delights.
A well-known evangelist with great revelation of God’s grace has stated that he would rather see one preacher proclaiming the gospel of grace than ten thousand others preaching a Christian mixed religion. Are you one of those who preach the gospel of grace?
When the True Gospel Is Preached, There Is Always a Risk of Misunderstanding
When we preach the gospel of grace as it truly is, the message can easily be misunderstood. The question that—directly or indirectly—always arises is: If God’s grace is so great, does that not mean it is okay to sin?
This is something Paul had to wrestle with, and he addressed such reasoning several times in the Book of Romans.
“And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.” (Rom. 3:8)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Rom. 6:1-2)
“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Rom. 6:15)
The fact that Paul preached the gospel of grace so radically that the message risked being misunderstood did not lead him to modify his message. He understood that as soon as one “balances the message” by mixing grace with the law, the gospel is stripped of its transformative power.
“A little leaven [i.e. legalism, author’s note] leavens the whole lump.” (Gal. 5:9)
What happens when you hear “the gospel” preached in your church? Was the message preached in such a way that the question arose whether the preacher meant it is okay to sin? Does the preacher, or you as a member/listener, often have to clarify to others that the message should not be interpreted as saying it is okay to sin because we now live under God’s grace?
If there has never been a risk that the message could be misunderstood, it is highly unlikely that the true gospel has been preached.
