a healthy church: the biblical gospel
 
Again we continue to answer the question, “What is a healthy church?” We’ve already said that biblical preaching and biblical theology mark a healthy church. The third essential mark of a healthy church is the biblical gospel. The gospel is the theme of the Bible. Gospel means good news, and the Bible is the good news of how a perfect God sent his perfect Son to die in the place of sinful humans in order that sinful humans could enjoy the benefits of sonship through grace (God’s free gift) by turning from sin and trusting in Christ. Many churches have forgotten this message. They think that it is no longer effective or not relevant to the modern man. Others simply are too busy talking about “everything else” in life to focus on this one all-important message. Mark Dever comments, “Sometimes, it’s tempting to present some of the very real benefits of the gospel as the gospel itself. And these benefits tend to be things that non Christians naturally want, like joy, peace, happiness, fulfillment, self-esteem, or love.” However, these things are not the biblical gospel. How do we know our gospel is the biblical gospel? Here is a quick checklist: 1. God – He is Creator and King. He is perfect and just. 2. Man – He is a creature and subject. He was created for perfection but fell through sin. He is now under the condemnation of death because of sin. 3. Christ – He is God the Son who became the man Jesus. He lived a perfect life but died as if he was a sinner. He did this to pay for man’s sin. He was raised from the dead to give us eternal life. He is still alive in heaven and is returning soon. 4. Response – This message demands a response, not of works, but of turning from sin and trusting in what Christ has already done for us. The genuineness of this response will be evidenced through a faithful life that endures with Christ and his church until death. Without this message clearly understood and convincingly felt, a “church” is not truly a church. It may be a social organization or a charity, but it is not a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bro. Josh Based on material from What Is A Healthy Church? by Mark Dever. More at 9marks.org http://www.9marks.orgshapeimage_1_link_0
Elk Lick News
April 2008