5 Elements of The Gospel

God’s Demand

How good do you have to be to get into heaven?

good or perfect?

The problem is that most people believe you have to be good to get to heaven.

“If God is good and heaven is a good place, then it must be a place for good people.”

This logic is not too far off. this more correct. “If God is perfect, and heaven is a perfect place, then it must be a place for perfect people.”

The truth of the bible is that in order to live in God's presence forever you must be absolutely perfect - just as he is perfect.

It is not goodness that God requires; it is perfection.

Psalm 5:4 “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.”

Habakkuk 1:13a “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look[approvingly] at wrong.

Revelation 21:27 “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

2 Peter 3:13 “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

1. Absolute perfection is required for entrance into heaven.

often times in gospel presentations we center around 1) You are a sinner 2) because you are a sinner, you can not save yourself.

Now this is typically effective if you are witnessing to a person that wants to know what the bible says on the subject.

Overcoming these two issues may often slow down the conversation with an unbeliever. Sinner can be a confusing term.

Someone defined a soul winner likes this: “A soul-winner is one who specializes in making the gospel understandable to the lost.”

Often, we bog down because we cant make it clear enough for a unbeliever to know what Christ has done for them, and what they have to do to have eternal life.

This approach places emphasis on God, who and what He is. The following is an example of the “God-first” approach.

You know, Jimmy, when I was younger I used to think that only good little boys would go to heaven and all bad little boys would go to hell. imagine my surprise when I discovered in my late teens that it isn’t goodness that god demands, it’s perfection. In fact, we have to be as perfect as He is to qualify for heaven. Now, if there’s one thing I’m sure about myself it is that I am not perfect. How about you? Would you say you’re perfect? “No.” Do you know anyone who is perfect? “No.” Neither do I.

Analysis:

If this one truth is fully grasped by the unbeliever it becomes great leverage, enabling him to understand the gospel far more easily than would normally be so.

Objective:

As you are speaking about the gospel. You cover the point of perfection being necessary to live in God’s presence forever, and Jimmy agrees with you that no one is perfect. Later in the conversation, when you get around to discussing whether Jimmy is qualified for heaven, he may want to mention all his good deeds. At that point all you’ve got to do is remind Jimmy that, “We’ve already agreed, haven’t we, that none of us is perfect; and that the Bible teaches we’ve got to be perfect to enter heaven?”

This also sets the table for later, when you cover the fact that salvation is a gift which cannot be earned. Jimmy may question that. Then again you refer back to the agreed upon truth “Since it is perfection that God demands, none of us qualify for eternal life or salvation. We cannot merit it or earn it by our goodness. If it wasn’t a gift from Him. We wouldn’t be able to get it any other way.

“You are a Sinner” versus “You must be Perfect”

“You are a sinner” for the unsaved it carries various conceptions ranging from not being all you should be, to being a horrible, vile, despicable, morally corrupt person.

This can create a philosophical discussion

many will argue that they are sinner

You may even be thinking “But they are sinners. They are not just imperfect. They willfully sin.”

while this may be true.

The vast majority of people will agree that they are not perfect

The real question is: “What keeps unsaved people from qualifying for salvation—sins commited, or not having God’s perfection?

2 Corinthians 5:19 “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting [imputing, charging, reckoning] their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

If God was not charging the transgressions of the world to the world, then to whom were the world’s transgressions charged? To Christ!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So, no one goes to hell on account of the sins they commit, because the full payment for all the sin of all people and for all time has already been paid.

Romans 6:10 “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

We will come back to man’s sinfulness later.

The real issue we are dealing with is not the sin question but the Son question. What will you do with Christ? People go to hell for one reason only—not having the righteousness of God imputed [credited] to them, which is only accomplished when the ungodly person places his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Condemnation before God, is not due to the sins one commits but rather to the failure to place one’s faith in the Sin Bearer, the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth is the foundational basis for the true gospel of God’s grace.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In Christ alone we receive God’s righteousness, the very thing which enables us to be in His presence.

The negative obstacle to salvation, the sin question, was already taken out of the way when Christ “died for our sins.”

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”

Having God’s righteousness credited to our account is taken care of when we trust in Christ, apart from works.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It is upon that single act of faith in Christ alone that imputes His righteousness to the believer.

We qualify for heaven based upon a by-faith righteousness [perfection] which is granted us, rather than by a by-works righteousness [goodness] of our own making.

Romans 4:5 “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,”

God only justifies one kind of person; the one who believes in Christ. It is not our works; it is through faith alalone. Why Faith?

These verses tell us the believer recieves through faith: God’s very own righteousness. It oesn’t get any better than that.

Once you have believed in Christ as your Savior. You hve been justified (declared righteous) by God. As far as eternal standing with him is concerned, there is no room for improement.

Still, there are those who insist that water baptism is essential for salvation; or that you must walk a church aisle to be saved; or give up certain sinful habits; or live a life of total obedience; or make impressive promises to God.

The moment you trust in Christ to save, you are made “the righteousness of God in Him.”

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

A story told about D.L. Moody. It is said that he was on a trolley headed to preach. The trolley was packed so he was forced to stand. While riding a passenger spotted him and decided to mock him. The passenger louy asked “Tell me, Mr. Moody, how far is it from Chicago to heaven?” Moody answered back, “just one step: ‘believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.’ Will you take that step?” The man backed away. Moody stepped forward. “Just one step, sir, from Chicago to heaven. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you take that step?” The man became so flustered, he got off the trolley a the net step. Moody got off behind him, and has the man hurried away, Moody cupped his mouth wth his two hands and yelled, “One step from Chicago to heaven. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you take that step?” He then got on the next trolley and continued to the service. At the conclusion of his message that evening, Moody recounted the incident and reminded the audience that there is only one step from Chicago to heaven. When he invited those who were trusting Christ that night to come forward for prayer, encouragement, and literature. Among them...the passenger that had asked the question on the trolley.

Only one step, one condition. Upon the one act of faith in Christ as one’s Savior— and only upon that condition— the believer is declared righteous before a holy God. What a savior! What a complete salvation.

Philippians 3:8–9 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

The key to having “the righteousness of God” as my own? Being found in Christ.

It does not say, being found in the right church, or being found in baptismal waters, or being found in good behaviors.

Being “found in Christ” is it.

You are placed “in Him” the moment you receive the righteousness which is by faith in Christ

Romans 9:30–33 “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.””

Once again we see that what is required for entrance into heaven: God’s righteousness; Received through faith in Christ, apart from our own goodness.

Conclusion:

There are only two kinds of righteousness:

Man’s by-works righteousness which cannot save

God’s offer of a by-faith righteousness, which is the only kind that saves

Virtually everyone you witness to will be attempting to reach God or please Him by their own efforts and works

Our responsibility is to share with the God’s amazing, wonderful, over the top news (the gospel): His very own righteousness given to them as a gift when they place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is altogether righteos and became sin for them thay they might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 10:1–4 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

When sincere people want to please God they do the normal logical thing: they perform good deeds of one kind or another.

They don’t need criticism. they need to be educated from God’s word.

This is what Israel did: they tried to impress God with their good deeds.

Diligently “seeking to establish their own righteousness” vs. “not submitting themselves to God’s righteousness”

The Gentiles not trying to be righteousness, received righteousness by faith.

All men the world over, and throughout history, have been guilty of approaching God on the basis of their performance.

Ignorance is the culprit. Too often unsaved men don’t know any better.

Luke 23:34a “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

1 Corinthians 2:7–8 ESV

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

How shall they know? How will the unsaved world become aware of the true gospel of Christ in which “the righteousness of God is revealed”

We who have received Christ must learn the gospel thoroughly and then take it to the world of people that are lost in their ignorance.

Ponder:

-What are some mistaken ideas you may have had in the past as to how to qualify for heaven?

-Where do you think some of these ideas originated?

Church tradition and doctrine

Some preaching you have heard

Sunday school classes

-Why do you think someone with whom you share the gospel might say, “I’ve never heard that before.”

Have they really never heard it?

They heard it but didn’t understand it.

-What can you do to assure that those who hear the gospel from your lips will know they have indeed heard it?