The Gospel: Love
it! Live it! Share it! Defend it!
The gospel message is one that must be shared with
others. There must be a
communication of the content to people so that will know what God has done in
Christ Jesus and what response is required of them. The Philippian congregation was new to life in Christ but
they were eager to “participate in the
gospel” with Paul (Philippians 1.5).
They sent Epaphroditus with a financial gift to help support the
ministry of Paul in bringing the gospel message to others. This gift-giving was something they had
done on more than one occasion (Philippians 4.16). The gospel was not something to be enjoyed for themselves
alone. The gospel was meant to be
shared with others. Coming to
Christ meant entering into relationship with God through Jesus and entering into Jesus’ mission for the
nations.
Not everyone is called to be an evangelist in the sense of
going out and preaching to crowds.
We are, however, all called to be ready “to give an account for the hope that is in us” (1 Peter 3.15). Paul tells the believers in Colossae to
be ready to respond appropriately to non-believers:
Conduct yourselves with wisdom
toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned
with salt, so that you will know how you respond to each person. –Colossians 4.5-6
Jesus looked on the crowds he ministered to with great
compassion. On one occasion he
looked and saw a crowd approaching and said these words to his disciples:
Behold, I say to you, lift up
your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages
and is gathering fruit for eternal life…
--John 4.35-36
Let us “lift up our eyes” and see the people around us—family,
friends, and strangers—who need the life-giving message of God’s grace in Jesus
Christ. Let us ask our Father for
the eyes of Jesus that we too may have compassion on the people around us. May our hearts be moved with gospel
grace as we share the gospel.
The Gospel: Share It!
