By: Scott Adkins, Sling ‘n Stone Ministry
Carter County Times
We Christians often tell sinners, “Jesus loves you.” But when we do, we present them a Gospel that cannot save. Why? Because those three words, by themselves, fail to present the Gospel Jesus Himself preached: “[R]epent ye, and believe the Gospel.” (Mark 1:15). “Jesus loves you” presents a Gospel other than the one Jesus commands that we preach: “[R]epentance and remission of sins should be preached in [My] Name[.]” (Luke 24:47). Nor does “Jesus loves you,” absent repentance, present the Gospel the Apostles preached.
Remember Peter’s first Gospel sermon. (Acts 2:14-40). Before he invited sinners to “call[] on the name of Lord [and] be saved,” (Acts 2:21), Peter warned them to flee from God’s wrath in “that great and notable day of the Lord to come.” (Acts 2:20). Peter reminded sinners that “by wicked hands” they “crucified and [killed],” the Lord Jesus. (Acts 2:23, 36). Then, he declared the Gospel’s confirming truth: “[t]his Jesus, God raised [from the dead].” (Acts 2:31). In so doing, Peter preached the Gospel Jesus commanded him to preach – and it worked!
Acts 2:37: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter… what shall we do?” Peter answered: “Repent,” (Acts 2:38), and “[s]ave yourselves from this untoward generation.” (Acts 2:40). Result? “About three thousand souls” were saved. (Acts 2:41). Peter’s first full Gospel sermon presented no one-off. He soon preached another, declaring: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out[.]” (Acts 3:19). And again, it worked! (Acts 4:4): “[M]any which heard the word believed, and the number… was about five thousand.”
God’s Word leaves no doubt: If we are to rescue sinners “out of the fire,” (Jude 23), we must present the Gospel Jesus and the Apostles preached, and that Gospel calls sinners to repentance. What is repentance? Luke 18:13’s publican shows us: He “smote his breast, saying ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” Jesus said, “this man went down to his house justified.” (Luke 18:14).
If we fail to present the Gospel Jesus and the Apostles preached, we give sinners no reason to care that Jesus loves them, much less to repent. If we give sinners no reason to repent as did Luke 18:13’s publican, we sentence them to the same fiery torments Luke 16:23’s rich man still suffers. And woe unto us if we fail to preach the Gospel Jesus and the Apostles preached. Why? Because [i]f any man preach any other Gospel… let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9).
Merely telling sinners “Jesus loves you” without also telling them they must repent, and why, only hardens them to the Gospel. The only Gospel that works on sinners is the one Jesus preached – one that called them to repentance. And that is the Gospel we must preach today, if we are to rescue sinners from their certain and eternal doom.
