Bunny Trails

[Soloist]

Sudsy, I think you have set your filter for what qualities as witnessing thinner then who we believe actually is converted.

[Sudsy]

I just checked, and most of my gospel actually says a lot of things other than that.

Are you sure you didn't accidentally open your Bible to Romans instead?

I am not sure what you chose to believe is the Gospel that saves us but I shared the basic Gospel that I am relying on for my salvation as I gave my quick overview. The Book of Romans contains the Gospel my family is trusting in for our salvation and the verse sometimes called 'The Romans Road' is the Gospel we preach. This Gospel is found in other NT books as well.

What is the content you believe is the Gospel that saves us ?

When I read the good news, I read things like Matthew 5, 6, & 7, which talk about what following Jesus is like. The gospel you have described above lacks any element at all of actually following Jesus.

To follow Jesus requires a new beginning called the new birth. The 'Romans Road' of scriptures speaks about this entry point and dealing with our sin issue. If one tries to follow Jesus without first being born again, as Jesus said, they cannot see the Kingdom of God. And there are many today, who are as those in Jesus time on earth, that thought they were following Jesus and even performed miracles in His name (Matthew 7:22) yet Jesus did not recognize them as His. They had not been born again, just very actively religious. And they probably fooled many others as to being a true follower by what they appeared to be.

I totally disagree with what I described 'lacks any element at all of actually following Jesus'. It is about what is basically necessary to believe before one is able to follow Jesus. Unless the Holy Spirit has come to live within us, we only have our own understandings of what Jesus requires of us. It was Jesus who said we must be born again John 3:3 - 'Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” AMP

Presenting the Gospel does not require all the teachings on sanctification and those things that a believer does as they grow in grace because without first having the Holy Spirit living within them and guiding them they will just go about their own religious ways to gain acceptance with God.

The Gospel that saves us is the message of entering into a new way of living guided by the Holy Spirit. So when sharing the Gospel that saves us it has an entry point to a life of being saved. It can be as simple as how the thief on the cross made a statement on recognizing who Jesus is and Jesus accepted him to join Him in Paradise.

Following Jesus is a life after the new birth or it is some other gospel.

[Josh]

If the Romans Road is so important, then why did Jesus preach about other things?

[Sudsy]

If the Romans Road is so important, then why did Jesus preach about other things?

Jesus exposed the false religion of the Pharisees especially and showed them how their religious ways could not save them. They needed a heart replacement. He went on to tell them about the need to be born again so they could really understand the Kingdom of God that He was talking about. After His death, burial and resurrection He returned to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit to live within His disciples to empower them to explain the good news on what He had done to save us from our sins. As people believed this good news as it was presented as in this 'Romans Road' of scriptures they were born again. Now they were capable of understanding what Jesus had previously been talking about of the Kingdom of God.

I believe before Jesus death and resurrection that Jesus was often pulling the rug out from under the Jews religious ways and especially the Pharisees. He exposed their unholy heart attitudes towards others and pointed out their hypocrisy. And some didn't like this and ended up killing Him which they mistakenly thought would end their problems with Him. But if they had grasped some of His teachings they would have understood this wouldn't work. Death could not hold Him.

Jesus did preach about the Kingdom of God to come. Some of which would come soon and lived out in the lives of Kingdom citizens and other dimensions of this Kingdom would come in the future. There is a Kingdom now experience and a Kingdom later to occur.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to continue the ministry Jesus had begun. The miraculous language story was how they first knew that the Holy Spirit was now abiding in them as their guide and empowerment. And after the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came in this miraculous way, Peter began with his first, Holy Spirit filled sermon. The Holy Spirit through Peter told the crowd about Joel's prophecy and what they had done to Jesus and upon repentance 3,000 souls were saved that very day. And this message is the Gospel that we are to declare today. As Paul said, it is the Gospel that saves us.

So that is the Gospel of the early church that I believe in as was preached under the direction of the Holy Spirit. There may be many other gospels but they won't save us and give us eternal life with God.

[Josh]

I think that the good news of Jesus Christ is, well, the good news that Jesus preached. "Come, follow me," and then he told us how to live in his kingdom.

[Sudsy]

I think that the good news of Jesus Christ is, well, the good news that Jesus preached. "Come, follow me," and then he told us how to live in his kingdom.

So is that what you tell people who might ask you 'what must I do to be saved ?'

[Josh]

I think that the good news of Jesus Christ is, well, the good news that Jesus preached. "Come, follow me," and then he told us how to live in his kingdom.

So is that what you tell people who might ask you 'what must I do to be saved ?'

What did Jesus say?

Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother, and love your neighbour as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

[ken_sylvania]

I think that the good news of Jesus Christ is, well, the good news that Jesus preached. "Come, follow me," and then he told us how to live in his kingdom.

So is that what you tell people who might ask you 'what must I do to be saved ?'

I would tell them "Believe, repent, confess, leave your sins, and follow Jesus. If they only want to do part of that I don't see how they get to be with Jesus in eternity.

[Sudsy]

I think that the good news of Jesus Christ is, well, the good news that Jesus preached. "Come, follow me," and then he told us how to live in his kingdom.

So is that what you tell people who might ask you 'what must I do to be saved ?'

What did Jesus say?

Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother, and love your neighbour as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Note this man was thinking eternal life was attained by doing good things and obeying the law in a perfect way. Jesus made him see that if you want to qualify by good works and be perfect then 'go sell your possesions and give the money to the poor'. Jesus knew he was rich and exposed his belief that he already had enough perfect works to qualify for eternal life. 'Not by works of righteousness that we have done but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost'- Titus 3:5-7.

The jailor asked Paul and Silas 'what must I do to be saved' ? Acts 16:30-34. The reply was “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

[Outsider]

No voice is too minor to share Truth. That is what drives kings crazy.

That's quotable and very true.