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It’s perhaps the most important question. This question compelled Christ’s followers to give up their lives! So…if you had 5 minutes to share the saving message of Christ with someone, what are you going to share? What is the essence of belief necessary for a person to be saved?
Acts, chapter 2, records the first Christian sermon following Pentecost and the birth of the Church. It was an evangelistic sermon. It was preached to non believers and resulted in the salvation of some 3,000 persons. If we consider this message a prototype, it is reasonable then to assume that Peter- under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit-provides us with the core content of the Gospel message.
A review of Peter’s message finds 3 elements:
- Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection. It is the resurrection that Peter says validates the claim of Jesus’ Messiahship. History reveals and the Gospel declares man’s need of a Savior, and Jesus Christ is ‘approved’ of God as the One and only Savior of all.
- Conviction for personal sin. Notice the hearers were ‘cut to the heart’. Some may disagree, but I maintain most people do not become saved unless or until they have had a revelation or personal realization of the horror of sin and its cost.
- The final essential in ‘the Gospel’ comes with the response and Peter’s answer to their question, “What shall we do?” Here the answer is- “Repent and be baptized…” To repent means to be willing to change; and baptism is the outward sign of an inward work by means of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. We believe and are baptized as a testimony of faith in Him.
With these elements present, we can be sure we are being true to the Gospel, and be sure, the Word of God will not return void (empty).
