In our first hour today, we looked at Isaiah chapter 53. What an awesome chapter. Explaining the sacrificial, substitutionary, saving, satisfying work of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. During this hour, we complement that by looking primarily at 1 Corinthians 15, and I'm calling this the only gospel that saves. In doing so, we're going to be looking at the crucial importance of the gospel, followed by the context of the gospel, and then the contact with the gospel that transpired there at Corinth, and the content of the gospel that Paul then preaches, and the confirming evidence of the gospel that he lays out for us, and then the correct response to the gospel. But before we go to 1 Corinthians 15, I'd like for you to open your Bibles with me to the book of Romans chapter 1. as we're going to look at some verses to begin with in various places, and then we'll hunker down there in 1 Corinthians 15. Now, do you know what an ADR is? It's an adverse drug reaction. Do you know there are literally thousands of people every year in American hospitals who die because some sincere doctor prescribed a drug that some sincere nurse gave a sincere patient who sincerely took it and it was the wrong medication. They reacted and they died. You say, well, how many? Literally thousands of people die that way. in a place where they thought was going to do them something good ended up being something tragic. And I say that because today people gathered all over the world, all over Warner Robins. They went to churches because they thought it would, in a sense, do something good for them. They heard messages. They perhaps heard a lot of good music and various other kinds of things. And all of that's fine and dandy in one sense, but the question that remains is, did they hear the gospel? Or did they hear something garbled, something gutted, something contrary to what the Bible says is the plan of salvation? And you see, just like that adverse drug reaction, imagine for a moment they sincerely believe what the pastor said, but what if he got it wrong? What if it's not what the Bible says? And now they're thinking they're going to heaven, but they've actually taken the wrong solution. And I say that because that's why the gospel is so important. First of all, number one is the gospel is God's good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. And we see this in Romans chapter one as your turn there. And look with me at verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Why? For it is the power of God to what? Salvation. Salvation from hell. Salvation to heaven for everyone who what? Believes. for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it, the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. You see, the gospel is so important because it is the only message of salvation through Christ. And by the way, the word euangelion, translated gospel, means good news. Turn with me next to 1 Corinthians chapter four. 1 Corinthians chapter 4. For not only is the gospel the God's good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, but secondly, the gospel is the means by which a lost sinner is born again. You see, the Bible is very clear. If you're born once, you die twice. If you're born twice, you only die once, maybe, in light of the rapture of the church. But how are people born again? Jesus said, you must be born again. And in 1 Corinthians 4.15, we see that same term used by Paul when he says to these Corinthians, for though you might have 10,000 instructors or tutors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, those who birthed you. For in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel." And the word begotten means to be born again. God used the Apostle Paul and his preaching, as we'll see in chapter 15, as the means by which these people were birthed into the family of God. They were spiritually born again, but it was by proclaiming what? The gospel. The gospel. Turn with me next to 2 Thessalonians 1. 2 Thessalonians 1. For the gospel is God's good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. That should be important enough. But number two, it's also the means by which a lost sinner is born again. And in addition to that, number three, it is the basis of God's judgment of you. One day, when you stand before God, the criteria will be first and foremost the gospel. In Romans 2, Paul says that the secrets of men will be judged one day according to my gospel. In 2 Thessalonians 1, we read in verse 6, in flaming fire, the Lord Jesus is going to return, taking vengeance, on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And by the way, the word obey in this context means to believe it. That's how you obey the gospel. But notice, what's the result when you don't obey? Well, one, you don't know God, and number two, verse nine, these shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. You see, this is the basis upon which, first and foremost, God will judge someone, have you believed the gospel or not? So you can see, once again, how important it is. Go with me, if you would, now to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5. This message is so important. that the Lord Jesus Christ, in Mark 16, 15, told the apostles, yea, his disciples, go into all the world and do what? Preach the gospel. To who? To every creature, to every person. You see, first and foremost, it's not feed the hungry. First and foremost, it's not start a pro-life movement. First and foremost, it's not this, that, or the other thing. And I'm not saying there's not a place for these things. My point is, let's keep the main thing the main thing. Go into all the world and what? Preach the gospel. And that's why in 2 Corinthians 5, we pick it up in verse 18. Paul says, now all things are of or from God who has reconciled us, guilty, hopeless, helpless sinners, to himself, how? Through Jesus Christ. And he's given us the ministry of reconciliation. He now wants to use us so that others could get reconciled to God. Verse 19, that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed or entrusted to us the word, the message of reconciliation. He's given us a mission. He's given us a ministry. He's given us a message. That message is the gospel. Verse 20, now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, representing him on foreign turf as our citizenship is now in heaven. As though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For he, God, made him Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Dear friends, this is the message God wants you to proclaim, wants me to proclaim, if we know Christ as Savior. And that's why it's so important. If God wants us and he's entrusted to us this ministry and message, do we not want to make sure we've got it right? Do we want to not make sure that we're faithful in presenting it to others? A fifth reason why It's so important to understand and be clear on the gospel is the gospel. It's so important that God pronounces a curse upon any message that changes it. So go with me, if you would, to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. Now, like the Corinthians, Paul was using the Lord. in Antioch of Pisidia in Southern Galatia and such. In order to preach the gospel, the Lord used him there. And after these people had been saved, some false teachers, some legalizers slipped in and said, you believe in Jesus Christ, that's fine. But you also have to keep the law, either for salvation or security or for sanctification. And the book of Galatians is written to show that the law cannot justify the sinner nor sanctify the saint. It's all by grace. So he says in verse six, I marvel, in junior high language, I'm blown away. That you are turning away You are turning, turn quote, so soon. It's only been a matter of like three years who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. Different than what Paul taught, which is not another of the same kind, because if you add one work to grace, it's no longer grace. But there are some who trouble you. and want to pervert, twist the gospel of Christ. But even if we, Paul speaking on behalf of himself and the apostles and his team, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we preached to you back in Acts 13 and 14, let him be accursed. As we said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you receive, let him be accursed. Now the word accursed is the idea of anathema, anathematized. Now some have misunderstood this to say, let him go to hell. That's not what he's saying. Though if one doesn't believe the gospel, that's where they will ultimately go. The word accursed speaks of a divine censure. on the message and ministry of those who preach a message that's different than the gospel of grace that Paul preached and that these Galatians had believed. And it's kind of interesting he uses those terms because remember, they were hearing you need to keep the law. Remember what the law said, obey and you will be blessed, disobey and you will be cursed. And he uses that same terminology. The people who are cursed, are those who aren't preaching the gospel message, per se. Don't you tamper with that gospel. Don't you change that gospel. Don't you add to that. Don't you take away from that gospel. You preach it the same way. It's delivered in the Bible and let's get it right. And I know that there are those who by virtue of poor, weak to wrong teaching at times have a garbled gospel and they don't mean intentionally anything bad. But when they hear it clearly, you embrace it, you hold fast to it, and you don't give up ground. You be faithful. A sixth reason why it's so important is the gospel is under satanic attack. If you go to 2 Corinthians with me for a moment, chapter 4, you will see that there is a spiritual battle raging. Now, I know as we look at our government and our country and the moral decline and abyss that it's moving toward, there's a lot of things to alarm you, but I can tell you this, there's a bigger fish in the pond here. It's a spiritual battle going on, first and foremost, about the gospel. We read in verse 3, Paul writes, but even if our gospel is veiled, it's veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age. That's Satan. He's blinded people who do not believe. That's always the issue. It's to believe. lest the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. So what should we do? For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your bondservants, for Jesus' sake. So keep in mind, when you're preaching the gospel, many times you're preaching to people who are blind. And you know something I've found over the years? Blind people don't see well. Have you noticed? They don't see well. And that's why when you share the gospel with them, sometimes they say, you mean to tell me that all I have to do is believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again and trust in him alone and I can go to heaven? I have never heard that before. You mean, that just sounds too simple. Now what's blinded them, in many cases, is religious confusion. But you see, not only are the unsaved impacted by a wrong gospel, you as a believer can be corrupted by a wrong gospel. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 with me. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. You see, Paul was jealous over these Corinthians. He had led them to Christ. He wanted them to grow. He wanted them to serve the Lord. He wanted their lives to count. And he knew that that required they would stay faithful to the message of the gospel. And he says in verse three, but I fear, I am deeply concerned, lest somehow, and Satan uses somehow, as the serpent, namely Satan, deceived Eve by his craftiness. So your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. And that's what happens. You see, if Satan can't blind you, he wants to corrupt your mind from the message of grace. He wants you to get in some legalistic tangent of some kind or go off on some licentious bent of some kind. He wants to corrupt your thinking. And that's why he says in verse four, for if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit, which you have not received, or a different gospel, which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it." And that is not good. So how does Satan do this? Look at verse 13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it's no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose ends will be according to their works." Do you think if Satan walked through the door today, he would look like a guy who's had way too much time in the Georgian sun? and have a couple horns and a pitchfork? I mean, that's not going to deceive anyone. No, he's going to come in suave. He's going to come in with charisma. He's going to come in appealing to you. He'll stroke your flesh. He'll tell you how great you are, how the world would be worse if you weren't around. And who knows what else he would tell you? Because he loves to puff up your pride. while he then seeks to get you to embrace something contrary to the word of God. Another gospel. And so we see this is all so very important to God and should be all so very important to us. That leads us to a seventh reason why and what difference does it make. Number seven, the gospel needs to be held fast as it has great ramifications in the believer's ongoing spiritual growth, service, and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Now, you think about this. Romans 6 talks about our position in Christ. What does he talk about? We've been crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, risen with Christ. We're a new creation in Christ. What does he do? He goes right back to the gospel. In Ephesians 5, when he's talking about marriage, what does he say? Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. He goes right back to the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 11, when you celebrate the Lord's Supper, do this in remembrance of me, what do the elements picture? The person and work of Jesus Christ, the gospel. And even as we think of the future, Remember, Paul wrote, I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those that have no hope. For if we believe that, Jesus died and rose again. He goes right back to the gospel. Even those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. You see, we never want to get far from the gospel. We always, whatever we're teaching, we want to go through the cross to get there. We always want to stay in the shadow of the cross. Otherwise, we will develop an independent mentality that will be difficult and detrimental to us. You see, even as we think of all these things relative to our spiritual growth, keep in mind, the basis is the cross and the resurrection of Christ. That's how we're justified, and that is the foundation by which we are sanctified. And one day, it's the guarantee why we'll be glorified. And in the meantime, God wants us to fellowship with him and allow our lives to count for him. But we cannot afford to move away from the gospel. And I say that because the context of the gospel and then, again, the contact of the gospel and, again, the content of the gospel is so very important. You see, the gospel is going to talk about Christ died for our what? Sins. I mean, it assumes you know something about the problem of sin. And you've heard me say many times that, again, what is the context? Well, first of all, God is creator and we are created, and one day we'll give an account to him. The invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power in Godhead, so that we are without excuse. And you know, God has put eternity in our heart. We know that death doesn't end it all, and as a result, one day we will stand before our creator and give an account. In addition to that, that's not good unless we're saved. Why is that? Because God is holy and we are sinners and we're unable to save ourselves. You know, the attribute of God that is mentioned three times in a row in the Old Testament and three times in a row in the book of Revelation is holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. That's the only attribute of God that's repeated three times. Now some think it's in reference to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Could be. But one thing is clear, God is holy. He is morally perfect. He is separated from his creation. He is without sin. And that's who we're dealing with. And remember, heaven is a place that is holy without sin. The problem is, we've got a sin problem. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And the penalty for sin is death. And we cannot save ourselves, as all our righteousness is our filthy rag. And that's why, in the context of the gospel, we're reminded that there is a hell we deserve to spend eternity in, separated from God. And there's a heaven that we don't deserve, but God offers eternal life to us by his grace. Remember, Jesus Christ taught the narrow way and the broad way. Few find the first, many land in the second. And the outcomes are dramatically different. You see, there is truly a hell. In fact, the number one person that talked about hell in the Bible was the Lord Jesus Christ. He talked about it more than any other person. Why? Because he came to seek and to save that which is lost. Because God is not willing any should perish. He wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He doesn't want one soul to go to hell. I don't agree with the Calvinistic view that God is to simply predicted or pre- or foreordained this person to go to heaven, this person, this person, and in essence say the rest of you, you're going to hell. I think he's not willing any should perish. And that he's chosen to save those who choose to trust in his son. And his son has died for all sin, for all time, for all people. And the offer is now made to whosoever will may come. But it's all by his grace because we don't deserve any of it. This is the context of the gospel. This is what someone has to understand. Otherwise, you don't see your need to be saved. And need is imperative. We have that need, but people are blind to it. They're kind of like, I'm okay, you're okay. My chances are as good as the next guy. And if only I can get my good to outweigh my bad at the last round, maybe the scales will tip in my favor. And as a result, maybe God will show favor towards me and slip me into heaven, maybe through the back door. Do you know, there is no such thing. Jesus Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And that's why, again, as you look at this diagram here, you see clearly presented the fact that there is a problem called sin. You see, God is holy. Heaven is holy. The law that God gave is holy, just, and good. The problem is we can't keep it because we are sinners. And therefore, there's this barrier of sin that has separated God from man. And thus, don't ever say, God, give me what I deserve. Because if he held you to your word, he'd have to send you to hell. Because you don't deserve to go to heaven, and neither do I. And that is the context of the gospel and why we need to be saved. Now, this leads us now to the contact of the gospel, and go with me to 1 Corinthians 15 now. 1 Corinthians 15. You see, the Bible's clear that faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. But how shall they hear without a proclaimer? You can't believe something you don't know. You have to have exposure to this. There has to be a point of contact. And that was true with these Corinthians. God used the apostle Paul primarily to preach the gospel and for them to be saved. We read about that in verse 1. What do we read? Moreover, brethren, I declare to you what? The gospel. That's why I've said before that this is the most definitive passage in the Bible regarding the gospel, because Paul told you, I declare to you the gospel. OK. And then he'll explain in verses 3 and 4 what it is. Now notice the responses. Number one, which I preach to you. You can't believe something you don't know. And notice the word preach is in the past. Number two, which also you received in the past. The word received there means you welcomed it and you embraced it. You believed it. Thirdly, in which you stand. It's in the perfect tense, which means you stand on this truth and you've continued to stand. You have not been adversely affected so far by the false teaching that is infiltrating your church. And fourthly, by which also you are saved, present tense. Now this is interesting as there's some differences of opinion how to interpret this, but I think the best way to understand that is by which that gospel you are presently being saved from the power of sin in your life. Because it's not past, it's present tense. So what was the issue? By which also you are saved, present tense, talking about second tense salvation. If, first class condition, if and I assume you hold fast that word, the gospel which I preached to you in the past, unless you believed in the past in vain. Now it's funny because a lot of times people look at the word in vain. And they say, well, they didn't really believe. That's not what it says. It says they believed. In fact, he couldn't have said it any better. It's an aorist active indicative of, it should say, pastuo. And pastuo means to rely on or to trust it. He's stating, you believed it. The question is this. One, is the message true? And number two, are you going to keep holding fast to it so it can have this ongoing sanctifying effect in your life? The word in vain can mean without just reason or failing its purpose. It could mean either. Now, why does he say that? Because in verse 12, he's going to tell us, now, if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say there's no resurrection of the dead? You see, there was Greek philosophy that was seeping into their thinking, which, by the way, happens in our day all the time. The media is constantly bombarding us with lies, and unless you have a biblical filter on, you get impacted, you get defiled, whether you realize it or not. There was someone saying, well, I don't believe in a future resurrection. Paul was saying, well, if that's true, then is there no bodily resurrection? If there's no bodily resurrection, does that mean Christ didn't die and be raised from the dead bodily? And if he didn't, then we don't have a gospel, and you don't have a savior, and you don't have salvation. That's his whole point. And he will, in verses 12 through 23, affirm the fact that if Christ wasn't raised from the dead, then this would be true, and this would be true, and this would be true, and this would be true, and this would be true. But then if you notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 20, he says, now let me tell you the truth. But now Christ is risen from the dead. Da da da da da. And so we see here, there was a point of contact. And this goes back again to what I was sharing earlier, how God wants to use us in rubbing elbows with people in the sphere of influence that we have to share the gospel with others. So now this is all working its way finally to the content of the gospel. So what exactly is the gospel? Let's get it right. Verse three reminds us. For I delivered to you, first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Now, as we look at the gospel, first of all, I want you to notice that it was authoritatively delivered by Paul without apology. The word for I delivered to you is speaking of the fact that he just, he didn't kind of shortchange it. He didn't say, oh, by the way, this is a good idea. He didn't say, you know, lately I've been thinking, no, no, no, no. He was preaching a message that God gave him. He preached it without apology. He preached it dogmatically. He preached it in no uncertain terms. Why was he so dogmatic? Galatians 1 verses 11 and 12. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it by man, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. And Christ revealed the gospel to me, and therefore I am sharing it with you exactly as I know it to be. In addition, we see that the gospel of salvation was of primary importance. Verse 3, for I delivered to you first of all that which I also received. Now, as believers, we have to pick our battles in the sense of, let's major on the majors. You know, if you get a chance to talk to someone about a conversation, some kind of question, are you going to talk to them about the politics of the day, or are you going to give them the gospel? I mean, let's say you persuade them politically. So what? They go to hell a conservative now. And what value is that? It's not. Now, I have very strong political convictions in light of a biblical worldview. But that's not what I'm emphasizing, and that's not what I'm primarily preaching. I'm preaching the gospel. That's what people need. Because you know what? When I got saved at 18, I was way on the left sphere of political things. I grew up on the Iron Range of Minnesota. There hadn't been a Republican that had been voted in for decades. And I got saved because someone gave me the message I needed to hear. And that's what we need to remember. It's of primary importance. You say, okay, you keep building up to it. What is it? Well, number three, the gospel of salvation centers in a specific person who is Jesus Christ. For I delivered to you, first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. If you've noticed closely today, I haven't said one word about you needing Grace & Truth Bible Church. Because that isn't the issue. What you need is a Savior. And His name is called here Christ. That is the Greek form for the Hebrew word for Messiah. Now why is this significant? For two reasons. Number one, because of who Jesus Christ is. Who is he? He's God who became a man. And you better keep that straight because there's a lot of religious beliefs out there who get it wrong. And here is a sampling of them mentioned there on the board. And you see, when it really comes down to it, I think C.S. Lewis was right when he said, you really only have three options. Number one, he is a liar because he claimed to be God in human flesh. Two, he is a lunatic because who would ever claim to be God unless you were deluded deceived and loony, or number three, he is the Lord and he is who he said he is. And so it's very important that we are clear on who Jesus Christ is. He's the one mediator between God and man. He is the only way of salvation. And secondly, this is significant because of why he came. Why did Jesus Christ come? Well, the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. That's why it's important. You know, if you're drowning and you want someone to save you, you want somebody who has some swimming lessons. You want somebody who's trained to be able to do this. Otherwise, what happens is everyone drowns. Well, you know, there's only one person qualified to be your Savior. He was born outside of the slave market of sin. He's the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, we see that the gospel centers in a specific work, namely that Christ died and that he rose again. A specific work that Christ died and he rose again. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried, that's proof that he died, and he rose again the third day. Now notice his death and resurrection are both attached to the phrase according to the scriptures. Now, why is this significant that he died? Because it's through his sacrificial death, the penalty for sin was paid. The penalty for sin is death. And the good news is that Christ paid that penalty. And secondly, because through his bodily resurrection, he conquered sin and death and can now offer eternal life to you and me. A dead savior in a tomb cannot help you. you needed a living one. And that's why I love this picture drawn years ago about history's graveyard. If you look here closely, here lies Muhammad, here lies Confucius, here lies so-and-so, so-and-so, Christ to whom he is not here, he is risen. Amen and amen. Number five, the gospel of salvation centers not only a specific person and a specific work, but thirdly, in a specific accomplishment, namely that Christ died for our sins. And I've said this many times, but let me repeat it. For our sins is only attached to his death. He was not buried for our sins. He was not raised for our sins. It's only attached to his death, because when he died, he paid the sin penalty completely. And thus, Christ's death was a substitutionary sacrifice. He died for, on behalf of, in the place of our sins, which we just saw in Isaiah 53. You see, Jesus suffered God's wrath in your place. Remember, the lambs that were slain died in the place of the guilty sinner, and so did the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world. The other significance is that because Christ's death was a completed sacrifice for our sins, it's only attached to his death. Again, remember he cried out, it is finished. Means it was paid in full. That means you can't even tip the waiter. That means there is not one thing you could ever do to pay for your sins more than they've already been paid for. Because he got the job done when he died on that cross. as Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, but he washed it white as snow. Galatians 2.21, I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died for nothing. You see, the top graph here is what I thought before I was saved, and it's like what many people think today. That Christ did his 90%, you just gotta do your 10. But since I never know how I'm doing on my 10, I never know for sure I'm going to heaven, because even if I think I'm doing well, that's only my perception of it, maybe not reality. And secondly, even if what I'm doing is, I think I'm doing well today, what about tomorrow? And by the way, do you know how, do you know how Righteous you'd have to be in your walk in order to do that 10% 100% obedient 100% of the time and it ain't gonna happen And that's why The message of grace is so good because Christ did 100% of the work in order for us to be paid, or in order for us to be saved. And you see, that's why in verses three through 11, he now gives three lines of confirming evidence to support this gospel message. Proof number one, the gospel fulfilled the scriptures. Isn't that what we just read about in verses three and four? Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. You say, well, what scriptures? Well, regarding his death, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12, 10, Daniel 9, 24 through 27, Genesis 3, 15. are five passages you could go to to support that it predicted that Christ would come and die for our sins. And when it comes to his resurrection, you've got Psalm 22, 19 through 24, Isaiah 53, 10, which we looked at last hour. You've got also Psalm 16, verses eight through 11, and that arrow should be in the middle because it points to Acts chapter two, where Peter actually uses Psalm 16 to support the resurrection of Christ. from the dead. You see, this isn't some Uncle Remus fairy tale that someone thought up. This is according to the scriptures. And thus the Bible bears witness to its divine inspiration through its fulfilled prophecies like no other holy book of any religion. You know, when you look at the holy books of other religions, guess what? They don't prophesy. Why not? Because then they would be proven to be wrong. But the Bible repeatedly prophesies. And in Christ's first coming, some 100 plus prophecies were fulfilled, though there is over 200 yet to be fulfilled. So again, this gospel is according to the scriptures. Proof number two, it's historically verifiable. Historically verifiable. You say, what do you mean? He not only rose from the dead, but verse 5, what does it say? That he was seen by Cephas. Who's that? Peter. He saw the resurrected Jesus Christ. Then he was seen by the 12. They're called the 12 because one of them was missing, but that was their name, the 12. Because Thomas was not there, he would see the resurrected Christ later. Verse six, after that, he was seen, notice it again, by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained to the present, when Paul was writing this, but some have fallen asleep, some have died in Christ. After that, he was seen by James. Then he was seen by all the apostles, Thomas included. The last of all, he was seen by me also as by one born out of due time. So there's 500 plus individuals who could have come to the witness stand and say, I saw Jesus Christ after he rose from the dead. Wow. I can tell you this, a lot of people have reached a verdict with a whole lot less evidence than that. And remember, some of them are pretty incredible, like Peter. The very guy who denied the Lord three times is the guy who ends up dying for Christ because he saw the resurrected Christ. And getting up on the day of Pentecost, not that long after, and preaching with boldness after he had denied the Savior three times. And then again, Jesus even rebuked them for their hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen. These are not your group of people who would normally say, they're going to be used of me to turn the world upside down. But they were. You know why? Because they saw the resurrected Christ and even Thomas, who then upon seeing says, my Lord and my God. It's kind of interesting, including Paul is mentioned there. But these witnesses of the resurrected Christ were so impacted by seeing the resurrected Christ that they were never the same preaching the gospel in many countries with many of them eventually even giving their lives in martyrdom for the testimony of Jesus Christ. If church history is correct, you can see where many of them went and where they ended up dying. Not for a myth. but for a Savior who had died for them and rose again. The third proof that Paul raises here is that the gospel is personally transforming. You say, can you give me an example? Yes, me. That's what Paul would say. He transformed Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor of Christianity, into the great defender of the faith, the Apostle Paul. Remember, he was there when Stephen was stoned to death, agreeing with the decision. And then when he gets saved on the Damascus Road, he preaches Christ, and by the time he's done, they were going to kill him. And he's let down over a wall. to escape imminent death for now preaching a message about Jesus as the Christ that previously he had totally denied. And the Lord eventually used that very Paul to go preach the gospel in multiple missionary journeys and to plant churches. And when you would ask Paul about it, you know what he would say? But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Three times in that verse, what does he say? Grace, grace, grace. It's all because of God. It's all because of Jesus Christ. And his undeserved blessing toward me because of what Christ did when he died for my sins and rose again. And that's why the testimony of Paul emphasizes the grace of God. Not only in salvation, that's the starting point, but then in spiritual growth after you've been born again. And then service even for the Savior, which is what God desires in all of our lives, per se. but it's all based on the gospel. You see again, as you've seen this multiple times recently, you're saved by grace through faith in Christ apart from your works. Then God now wants you to grow in grace and learn to walk by faith enabled by the Holy Spirit to do good works, not to get saved, but because you've been saved in order to honor the Lord with your life. Now, all of this leads us to our last segment. the correct response to the gospel. Now you'd say, it's so simple, how many times do you have to mention? I can tell you, all you have to do is go pick up a gospel tract at the average church, pull it out, turn it to the back and read the punchline, and 95% of the time it's wrong. And even today, how many people in pulpits or on the radio said a lot of true things, maybe even mentioned Christ died for your sins, and he rose again, how do you miss that today, right? And then they will tell you something now you need to do in order to be saved instead of the fact that you need to trust in the one who did it for you. Big difference. That's why, how does it end? Verse 11. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you what? You believed. It's just that simple. So you believed what? The gospel. You believed what? That Jesus Christ is God who became a man, died for my sins, and rose again to save a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. T'was grace that taught my heart to fear. T'was grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. It's just so simple. And yet we are hearing so many confusing messages in our day, even in evangelicalism, even by those who claim to believe the Bible. And that's why we've got to get it right. Because again, as the Lord said, enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. Why only a few? Because there's only one way. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, the only Savior God ever provided. And that's why, even as we think of that, Romans 4, 4 and 5, now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt, but to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Notice, this is the normal approach to God. If you just get with the program, get baptized, catechized, and confirmed, you just do this, do this, do that, and do this, and do that, that you are going to be rewarded one day. Salvation, dear friends, is not a reward. It's a gift. paid for by Christ in full, offered by God in love, received through faith in Him alone. It's this one. And by the way, according to this verse, to him who does not work but believes means believing is not a work. Everything else is. That's why Paul said, for by grace you've been saved through faith, and that's not of yourself. It's the gift of God. Not of works. What's not a work? Faith is not a work. Your salvation is not by works. Grace is undeserved, unworked for favor. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. And that's why as we think of that barrier of sin that separated God from man, none of those works can possibly break down that barrier. That's why God sent his only son to provide salvation for us. And that's why 1 John 5.13 says, Could it be any simpler? I don't think so. It's just that simple. Yet, what do we see in our day? Over and over again, you may hear faith in Christ, I thought you had to believe in Jesus Christ. That was one of seven things you had to do. Because I didn't understand it was finished. Oops. So just think of this. Without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness of sins. In baptism, is there any shedding of blood? No. Well, there's no forgiveness. In church rituals, is there any shedding of blood? No. Well, there's no forgiveness. In asking God to save you, is there any shedding of blood? No. Well, there's no forgiveness. In changing your life, is there any shedding of blood? No. Well, there's no forgiveness. Asking him to save? No. No. Turning from sin? No. No. Confess your sins? No. No. That's probably a good idea. When someone says, should I do this? Just say, no, no. Okay? Confess Christ? No, no. Mutes can get saved. Commit your life? No, no. Give your life to Him? No, no. Make Him Lord of your life? No, no. Keep promises to God? No, no. Is there any shedding of blood when it comes to Christ's death on the cross? Yes, yes. That's my answer. I need to put my faith in Jesus Christ, because only through his substitutionary death and resurrection from the grave, there is forgiveness of sins. And that's why we read in Acts 10.43, to him, Jesus Christ, all the prophets witnessed, that through his name, whoever, what? Believes in who? Him will receive remission of sins. Could it be any clearer? Personally, if it is, I'm not sure how to make it clear. It's just that simple, isn't it? Do you like the gospel? Is it not good news? Let's not only love it, let's keep it clear. Let's hold fast to it. And by God's grace as believers, let's live in light of it. And let us impact how we live our lives from day to day. And let us share it with the unsaved. You know why? Because blind people don't see well. And it's the very message the Holy Spirit uses to open people's eyes to the truth, so they can make an intelligent decision to now put their faith in Jesus Christ, as they say in El Salvador, solamente. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for your wonderful Word. This is such good news. This is so needed. There are so many people that are blinded, or even believers who are corrupted in their minds when it comes to this issue. Thank you that it's so clear on the pages of scriptures, and yet, to whatever degree we've understood, it's not because we're so smart, because we're not. It's because you're so gracious and the Holy Spirit is so faithful in fulfilling his ministry. But may indeed we hold fast to the message of the gospel and may we have a genuine love and a burden for those that are lost because we haven't forgotten the pit from which we've been dug. We haven't forgotten we were lost and someone shared this message with us. And blind people don't see well. And Satan does not want people to get saved. And if they get saved, he does not want them to grow. He doesn't want them to serve Jesus. He doesn't want them to be faithful witnesses to the lost. He wants to distract them, detour them, deceive them. Oh, may we indeed. be Spirit-led students of the Scriptures, that we could be growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and forever.