God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Salvation and knowledge of the truth are not two separate desires that God has for man, but are necessarily linked together. Knowledge of the truth is necessary for salvation because “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). When the Lord returns, judgment will come against “those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
God calls us to Him through the gospel. Paul told the brethren in Thessalonica that they were “called…through our gospel” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). The call of the gospel is spread through preaching (Romans 10:14; Mark 16:15).
Understanding the importance of the gospel and the necessity of preaching to spread the gospel, what should characterize our preaching? Let us notice a few characteristics of sound gospel preaching.
Gospel Preaching Must Be Bible-Based
Peter wrote, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God” (1 Peter 4:11). The only way to do this is to speak the words that have been revealed in Scripture. We cannot alter the gospel in any way without leading our hearers to desert Christ and bringing condemnation upon ourselves (Galatians 1:6-9). We must preach all that the Bible says (“the whole counsel of God” – Acts 20:27, NKJV) and only what the Bible says (abide “in the teaching” – 2 John 9). As Paul “reasoned…from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2), we must be able to give book, chapter, and verse for all that we preach.
Gospel Preaching Must Be Distinct
In making a point about speaking in tongues, Paul stated a principle about the importance of our teaching being distinct. “Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:7-8). If one plays a song on a musical instrument, he must play the right notes with the right rhythm, or else no one will recognize the song. This principle extends to our preaching. Our message must be distinct. It is not to sound like any message that could be found coming from any denominational pulpit (cf. Galatians 1:6-9). Denominations exist because man has departed from the truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4). We must be distinct by proclaiming the truth (2 Timothy 4:2, 5).
Gospel Preaching Must Be Simple
Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). He went on to say that “the world through its wisdom did not come to know God” (1 Corinthians 1:21). The reason for this is because the gospel seems too simple to those in the world who desire a wisdom that is exclusive and attainable only to an elite few. Yet the gospel is meant to be simple enough to reach everyone (cf. Mark 16:15). When Jesus taught, “the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37, NKJV). Our preaching should be simple enough for “the common people” to understand. Paul told the brethren in Corinth, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2). We do not need to proclaim worldly philosophies or human traditions (Colossians 2:8), we need to preach the simple gospel of Christ.
Gospel Preaching Must Be Direct
When Jesus told His apostles about sending the Holy Spirit, He told them that the Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). How would the Spirit convict the world of sin? It would be done through the revelation of truth: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). When people are in sin, their souls are in jeopardy (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23). But if one does not understand that he is in sin, he cannot repent of his sin (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:8-10). When Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba, David could recognize that the man in Nathan’s parable had sinned. But he did not see his own need to repent until Nathan said, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:1-7). As the Spirit has “convict[ed] the world concerning sin” through the revelation of the word, we must preach the word directly so that our hearers might be “pierced to the heart” and desire to learn how to correct their relationship with God (Acts 2:37).
Gospel Preaching Must Call Hearers to Respond
Paul described the gospel as “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). But he continued the thought in the next verse: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:17). The gospel contains a message of change – not just that one goes from being lost in sin to being saved from sin, but it also leads to a change in one’s conduct. Nowhere does the Bible teach we are saved by faith alone (cf. James 2:24). The gospel calls us to do something. To the alien sinner, the call is to “obey the gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). This is done by believing in Christ (John 8:24), repenting of sin (Luke 13:3, 5), confessing one’s faith (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized into Christ (Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27). To the Christian, the call of the gospel is to remain faithful (Revelation 2:10; Romans 11:20-22) or return to the Lord if he has fallen away (Acts 8:20-23; Romans 11:23). As the gospel calls people to respond, our preaching must echo that call.
Conclusion
The above characteristics are not just preferable, but are demanded by the gospel. If we are going to preach the gospel, it must be done in the manner described above. Let us put our trust in God and His word as we strive to lead others to the Lord.
