"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" 1 Corinthians 9:16
I am of the persuasion that we who know and believe THE GOSPEL must preach it every time we have an opportunity to stand behind the pulpit or the lecturn. We must do more than simply say and repeat the word "gospel." We must define it in light of God's testimony. Without defining it, we cannot say we have preached it. The Gospel concerns Christ, His glorious Person as Godman/Mediator, and His effectual, atoning work to establish a righteousness that enables God to be both just and Justifier and entitles sinners to the whole inheritance of eternal life and final glory. The Gospel is God's promise to save sinners and give them this whole inheritance based on the righteousness of Christ freely imputed and received by faith. The Gospel exposes and excludes all that men and women naturally value as making the difference between Heaven and Hell. We must preach the Gospel!
Not all preachers agree with this. Some say, "If the Gospel is in the text, I will preach it. If it is not in the text, I will not preach it." The error of such thinking can be proven by the fact that every text of Scripture is written in light of the Gospel. There are many subjects and issues in the Bible we must preach, but all of them are revealed in the light of God's promise to save sinners based on the righteousness of Christ. If we remove this light from our preaching, then there is no distinction from the rest of the religious world. The salt will have lost its savor!
It is true that Christians need to study the whole Bible, not just selected verses. But the Gospel is the key that opens our understanding and sheds light on the Word of God. It brings it to life so that we may understand its precepts and practice its commandments in a way that is pleasing to God and honoring to our Lord and Savior. Christians need instruction and encouragement in many areas, but any instructions and encouragements that come without the Gospel are meaningly in kingdom of God. For example
A. FAITH – Faith is believing God's testimony, but saving faith begins with believing God's testimony in the Gospel Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Thess. 2:13-14. Apart from the Gospel, faith falls short of justifying faith. It becomes faith in a counterfeit even faith in faith itself. We need to know that true, genuine saving faith is accompanied by works, and that any claims of faith not accompanied by works is a dead faith James 2:14ff. But how can I know what this means and that it is not teaching salvation by works? Only by the Gospel!
B. REPENTANCE – True Godly repentance begins when we see that all our efforts to attain or maintain any part of salvation, all our efforts to be entitled to any part of the inheritance by our works, was no more than dead works, fruit unto death, evil deeds. The only way we could see this is by the Gospel. Apart from the Gospel all repentance is legal repentance! We need instruction in Godly sorrow over sin 2 Cor. 7:9-10. This Godly sorrow can only be seen in light of the great salvation God has given us in and by His Son.
C. GODLY LOVE – Godly love is enlightened love enlightened by the Gospel. In fact, it is love that no unbeliever has. Only believers have it in any degree because this love respects first and foremost the honor of God's redemptive character. Where do we find God's redemptive glory revealed? In the Gospel. And the main way we know we have this love in any degree is that this love causes to speak peace to our brethren in the faith as we desire their fellowship and support and not speak peace to unbelievers as we desire their salvation. Love with the Gospel is not Godly love that evidences salvation.
D. JUDGMENT – Without the Gospel, all judgment concerning saved and lost, concerning spiritual matters, is self-righteous judgment based on ignorance and speculation. Christians learn to set their priorities in life in light of the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 2.
E. OBEDIENCE AND GOOD WORKS – John 3:21; Matt. 5:13-16; Eph. 2:10; Heb. 10:17-24. All acceptable obedience and good works are motivated by the absolute certainty of salvation and final glory, of our being fully entitled to the whole inheritance of eternal life, of our being completely qualified and fit for Heaven, all based on the righteousness of Christ. Without the Gospel, all attempts at obedience and works are no more than dead works, fruit unto death.
F. ASSURANCE – All Godly assurance is assurance and peace within based on the righteousness of Christ Heb. 3:6,14; 13:9. Any assurance based on anything else is presumption.
G. WORSHIP AND PRAYER – All true worship, acceptable to God, is recognizing, attributing unto Him, all His attributes, His glory, that identifies Him and distinguishes Him from idols. The Gospel is the only message that reveals all this A JUST GOD AND A SAVIOR. Without the Gospel, all worship is no more than idolatry. The Gospel identifies and distinguishes the true Christ from all counterfeits Phil. 3:3. Prayer is coming to this God based on the merits of Christ. Heb. 4:14-16.
Without the Gospel, the Scriptures are veiled and locked as far as any real, saving understanding is concerned. So we must be careful and persistent to preach and define the Gospel no matter what the subject from the Bible. This is the light of truth whereby Christ calls His sheep into the fold, and this is the light by which they persevere in the walk of faith and by which they live obediently unto the Lord "The just shall live by faith."