The Basis for What We Share

For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11, 12 (New American Standard Bible)

The Gospel message of salvation through Christ alone is unique because as Paul stated, it does not originate with man and is a direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Many today do not want to see the truths of Scripture as God-breathed, God-ordained, God-given, or God-inspired. They feel it is one of many messages and that all messages are on equal footing. Nothing could be further from the truth. What Paul presented as the only way to Heaven was not his opinion alone nor was it simply passing on what he heard from others. It was revealed to him by Jesus Christ Himself. Because of that, he could speak with confidence and boldness.

When it comes to sharing our faith we must come back to this basic truth as well. It is not what we think that matters. It is what God thinks. It is what God says in His Word. It is what God has laid down in clear, undeniable ways. While others may think it is simply our opinion or the opinion of our church or the way we have been taught, we do not have to own those thoughts as our own. People either don’t realize or have forgotten that Jesus is the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) He is not one of many ways to Heaven, He is the only way to Heaven. He left no room for variation. No one else can claim equal footing with Him or be put on the same level with Him. Jesus alone lived a sinless life, died as a sacrifice for each of us, and victoriously rose again the third day.

I spoke with a man at my place of work earlier this week and he told me about a book he had been reading. It suggested that numerous men had been born on December 25th and actually had 12 disciples. His conclusion was that all were the same. What a wonderful opportunity I had to share with him the truth about Jesus. Jesus did not have His beginning at Bethlehem. He is eternal and the Creator of this world. That can be said of no other person. What my friend had to realize was that truth has to be based on God’s Word and everything we read or hear needs to be filtered through the pages of Scripture.

As believers, this is what we need to realize. We hold the true message in our hands and are God’s means for getting that message out to others. We are sent by the authority of God with a message given by God Himself. It is a message that has been preserved down through the ages and we need to pass it on to others as the truth that it is. Paul was not swayed from knowing the truth and we need not be either.

Father, I stand on what You say is truth. Help me to freely and boldly share with others that which is revealed in Your Word. Amen.

In Christ Alone - Brian Littrell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7m5MU5qx7U&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.