Daily devotion – The Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Good News!
Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
From the very beginning of his Gospel, Mark is a witness to the “Good News about Jesus the Messiah.”
The word GOSPEL means good news. To the Romans of Mark’s time ‘gospel’ meant joyful news about the emperor.
The Good News about Jesus Christ is that God’s Son has come into the world and died for our sins. It is the good news that our sins can be forgiven, that we can belong to the family of God and one day go to live with God in Heaven. It is also the announcement of victory over sin, death and hell!
Now that we each know all this why is it so difficult, so it seems, for us to share the gospel – the good news – with our family, friends and even strangers?
I was asked a while back by someone this question, “Does everyone have to share the gospel with other people?” It was asked with a background of emotion that reflected that we should not have to do this. To be forced or obliged to do this.
My response to that person was along these lines – “If you have something wonderful happen in your life, you’re getting married, the birth of a child or anything wonderful that was happening to you that brought you great joy, would you want tell some one else about that?”
Somewhere along the line through a painful Church experience or such, for a person to think that sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation, was an obligation that we must perform, was a sad indictment on one’s relationship with Christ and most likely revealing the person has had a religious experience but is not born again.
I am sure when something wonderful has happened in your life you beat a fast path to sharing that good news with someone you know. To tell them of the wonderful event or reward, or news you have just personally experienced.
Many people in Churches today struggle with sharing the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, why?
Could it be that they have not really been born again, that they have not had all their sins forgiven and erased by Christ’s death in their place?
A second reason people do not share the Gospel as good news for others to hear is that Satan has spooked them that if they do. Telling them that if they do, their friends or family will laugh at them, leave them or think they are silly.
But in the same breath, if you are about to have a child, get married, buy your first home, win a race, achieve your academic goal finally, been given a gift you were not expecting, Satan does not inhibit you one iota, does he?
You have no trouble texting, ringing, e-mailing, telling others the good news!
It’s time for the Church, for Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour, to be like Mark and with joyful abandonment tell everybody we know about the good news of Jesus Christ – the Gospel.
For it is the most exciting and wonderful news this world, and you and I will ever hear!