Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel, which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand. 1 Corinthians 15:1
The river had risen more than a foot overnight, and its muddy waters swirled and gushed along, carrying away the effects of the heavy rainstorm of the day before. Despite the frightening flood, a man stood in the river, partway across, making repairs to a cable that crossed the river at that point. He had rubber waders on, and the water came up to his knees. Despite the swift current, he had no trouble standing in it. I asked another man on the shore how the cable repairman was standing so easily, with water only to his knees. He informed me that, at the place where the man stood was a concrete platform, so he was well above the muddy river bed and only partly in the swift current. That concrete platform reminds me of the Gospel: it’s the foundation for everything in a Christian’s life.
We understand the importance of the Gospel, in bringing us into our eternal relationship with God. The Gospel was essential to our becoming Christians. But it is also essential to our victorious life as Christians. Our knowledge of, appreciation of, involvement in, and commitment to the Gospel are all key indicators of how we are doing in our spiritual life.
Our ability to witness can be very impaired if our understanding of the Gospel is fuzzy. That is, if we have a difficult time explaining the fundamentals of the message (man’s ruin, God’s remedy, man’s responsibility). We also need to have a deep appreciation for the value of the Gospel in terms of it being the most crucial message anyone can hear. Our involvement in the Gospel is also crucial: there is no work so rewarding or fulfilling as participating in whatever ways we can to spread the Gospel message. The avenues for participation are broad, from praying specifically for sinners and for Gospel meetings to handing out invitations or even preaching the message. The Gospel field has room for all the workers who can show up. As for our commitment to the Gospel, nothing else in this world has such potential for eternal rewards as this. A deep commitment to whatever we can do in supporting and helping with the Gospel is the hallmark of a faithful and devoted servant of the Lord Jesus.
In a world that is a flooding river of ideas, fads, and passing fancies, how good to know that we can stand on the firm platform of the Gospel, and amount to something worthwhile for eternity! -Jim MacIntosh