Preface: Guarding the Truth of the Gospel

 The church's responsibility is to guard the truth! In turn God have also entrusted the elders who are undershepherds in preserving the message of the gospel. The reason for such is that there is an array of false teachings that are circulating throughout the church today by which contemporary evangelicals have in fact followed suit. Paul to Timothy says that there are going to be people who are not going to put up with sound doctrine but they will be selectice of false teachers who are going to tell them what their itching ears wants to hear. As a result of not desiring to hear solid biblical truth that they will turn away from it be giving heed to falsehood. (2 Tim. 4:3-4) It is unfortunate that many pastors who because of pressure cave into telling people what they want to hear; not what they need to hear. Whenever churches especially church leaders are committed to teaching the truth of God's Word will in fact anticipate persecution and sufferings. 

When it comes to guarding the truth of the gospel is similar to a person depositing money into their bank account by which the bank guarantees that their monies are secured. If in fact the bank cannot assure you that your money is secured within your account I will strongly advised to immediately to take all your monies out and found a reputable bank that your money will be "safe." The Lord gives His servant the strength by which they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to presevere in perserving the truth of the gospel in the faces of those who deny the true faith.

There is such a misunderstanding of what the gospel is and what it does! Instead of the gospel being what it is there are detractors within the professing church who have added human works and accompishment as part of the gospel message. (Gal. 1:8-9) The character of the gospel have been greatly depreciated; the nature of the gospel have also been turn into signs, wonders, and miracles by which it is further from the truth. The gospel of our salvation is not our "identity" in Christ by which by which we are "sons of God," that of enlightement, and some kind of knowledge ("gnosis") by which to transcend that of the true knowledge of God. (Col. 1:9, 10) The infiltration of mysticism have in fact reared its ugly head by which its basis premise of salvation is through such "mere" knowledge; not salvation in the Person and redemptive work of Christ. When it comes to the "specifics" of the message of the gospel is that Jesus is the central core of the gospel by which the church must preach Christ and Him crucified. Whenever the church misplace the gospel of Christ for something else it is preaching a different gospel by which to envision God's divine judgment. The question is, "What is the gospel consist of?" According to 1 Corinthians 15 that the gospel is based upon the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. As the apostle Paul declares that if Christ be not risen than our faith is worthless by which we are yet dead in our sins. If in fact there is no resuurection then many of God's people cannot anticipate any future glory. It is very important to explain clearly Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The reason for it is that there are many professing Christians who have "redefined" Christ's resurrection in terms of experiencing such Pentecostal experience. (Ac. 2:1-4) Speaking in tongues and what happened at the day of Pentecost have nothing to do with the cross of Christ. 

The nature of the gospel is that God demonstrated His love towards us as sinners by which Christ died on our behalf. (Rom. 5:8) Had it not been for God's love for us as sinners we would have been judged most miserable. It is by God's grace and mercy by which He saved us. Also, the nature of the gospel is that those of us who God have saved us by His grace that we are saved by the power of the gospel by which we are kept by Christ. (Jn. 10:28-29) Our salvation is eternally secured in Christ by which we will never be lost. Even the most wayward of believers who are chastened by God belongs to the Lord. There is no where in God's Word that a wayward believer will be lost even though they are out of fellowship with God. (1 Jn. 1: 9) We are kept by the power of God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the power of the God that saves; not the "power" by which people can lift themselves from the "boothstraps" by which they can save themselves. (Eph. 2:8-9)

In closing, as believers we are responsible in preserving the faith of the gospel by which to defend it concerning those who deny it. (Phil. 1:7, 27) The church must clearly understand the gospel for what it is and what it does. I am talking about the very character and nature of the gospel: that of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ by which we are also save by the power of the gospel through trusting Christ for our salvation. We are kept by the power of the gospel through faith in Christ Jesus based upon the fact that our salvation is secured in Christ. (Jn. 10:28-29) WE MUST GUARD THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL.