The eleven offenses of the Gospel

by Mike Ratliff

34 Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν. Matthew 10:34 (NA28) 

34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The genuine gospel does not bring all people together. It divides. The trend in today’s “visible church” is all about being as inoffensive as possible even to the point of compromising the gospel. The sort of “minister” who does that and his “ministry” is not of God, but is of this world and is of the flesh. Below are the eleven tenets of the offense of the gospel. Enjoy and be blessed as you examine yourself. 

26 τί γὰρ ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; Matthew 16:26 (NA28)

26 For what will be benefited a man if he acquires the whole world, but he forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  Matthew 16:26 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The first offense tells people that their life is a lie and as our Lord asked in Matthew 16:26 above, “For what will be benefited a man if he acquires the whole world, but he forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Many people, both religious and non-religious, are trying to live good moral lives in the hope that God will welcome them into heaven. However, this would require a perfect keeping of the Law and no one except the Lord Jesus Christ has ever done that. No one does good, no not one (Romans 3:12). This offense of the cross is that a person cannot do anything to add to its effects. Either a believer is saved through the cross or they are unsaved with their own works. There is no other way to God except through Christ and that means through the Cross. That means that all those in other religions, no matter how good or moral, are lost if they are outside of Christ. When the genuine Gospel of salvation by Grace through Faith alone is preached, it is very offensive to all who see their works as their means of salvation.

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent! Proverbs 21:27 (NASB) 

The second offense tells people that financial gifts are an abomination unto the Lord unless they come from the saved. That means the big gifts from the unregenerate are not welcome and no matter how much they give, they are still headed for hell as Proverbs 21:27 says. I grew up in the SBC and I have known so many leaders who gauged everyone’s spirituality on how much they gave and they usually used their own giving as the measuring stick. Trying to attain salvation through giving money is the same as trying to attain it by works.

6 λέγει αὐτῷ [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ διʼ ἐμοῦ. John 14:6 (NA28)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The third offense states that every other religion is wrong and you cannot go to heaven by worshiping Mary or serving Allah as our Lord Jesus said in John 14:6 (above). Our Lord was emphatic in this statement about himself. There is a definite article ἡ, which is translated as “the,” before each of these statements about himself. He makes it clear. There is no other way to the Father except through him. The Muslims claim to know Jesus as a prophet and the Jews claim to know God, but neither have the Son, the Christ. All who deny that Jesus is the Christ is a liar (1 John 2:22-23). John goes on to say that all those who deny the Father and Son are the antichrist. This is non-negotiable. Those post-modern preachers can try to dance around it all they want and attempt to be inoffensive, but the Word of God is clear as was our Lord Jesus Christ. All religions that reject Christ as the only way to eternal life and all those Christian leaders who prostitute themselves before false religions will not be in heaven in eternity for they do not possess eternal life. Either you belong to Christ or you do not. There is no gray area here. Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, the only way to Heaven.

23 ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν, 1 Corinthians 1:23 (NA28)

23 But we proclaim Christ having been crucified, to Jews an offense, to gentiles foolishness. 1 Corinthians 1:23 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The genuine gospel message is Christ crucified. Any other is counterfeit. There is a lot of other preaching nowadays that is called gospel preaching that is all about morals or pragmatism or having ones life changed or coming to Jesus and work with others to make the world a better place, et cetera, but has little or nothing to do with the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. The true gospel message does not add anything to it nor does it take anything away from it. Doing either creates new theologies, but that never establishes truth nor does it change the narrow way of Sacred Scripture.

39 ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου. Matthew 12:39 (NA28)

39 But having answered, He said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.” Matthew 12:39 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The fifth offense is that the Word of God is complete and inerrant and authoritative. No one can claim to have visions and a “word from God” or a “word from a spirit” that would have authority over God’s Word. Those who seek after these signs and words and add-ons are the evil and adulterous generation who “want more.” Those who claim that there is more available for those willing to step out and seek it have deceived them. This stubborn holding to the Word of God high as His Truth for His Church is highly offensive to those who are not truly in Christ.

The sixth offense is that those who are truly in Christ are to follow Christ’s men as they deny themselves, take up their own crosses, and follow him (Christ) (Matthew 16:24). Some are offended and say we are to follow Christ alone and not men. However, the epistles of Paul are replete with his appointing of elders and other leaders in local churches. We are to follow Christ and listen to the leaders who also follow Christ, but use the discernment and wisdom God has given us to turn from and warn the Body of Christ about those who are in error and teach heresies.

15 τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει· ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ οἰκτιρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτίρω. Romans 9:15 (NA28)

15 For to Moses he says, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.” Romans 9:15 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The seventh offense is about pride. It becomes rife when the sovereignty of God in salvation is clearly taught from Sacred Scripture. God chooses who will be saved and they have no part in it except in receiving it. The free will of man in the area of salvation does not exist as Romans 9:15 clearly states. As I stated, this Bible truth is reprehensible to the pride of man. On the other hand, what is popular to hear in sermons concerning the non-gospel is that God did his part and now its up to us to do ours. Sorry, that is found nowhere in Scripture. The Bible clearly teaches that man is spiritually dead and it is God who has mercy and brings life (regeneration) that enables man to have faith so that he or she can believe (and does believe) the Good News and come to Christ. This is offensive to those who are man-centered in their theology. It is a pride thing.

The eighth offense states that the day of Judgment is coming and all who are unsaved will stand for judgment of their sins (Acts 17:31). You won’t hear about this in the man-centered non-gospel of today. It is fast approaching and every day that passes, we are that much closer. Preachers do no one any favors by softening this.

The ninth offense is that there is a burning hell which every unsaved person will be assigned to forever (Revelation 20:14). How often is hell preached in our churches? Jonathan Edwards preached it, but that is certainly not politically correct now is it?

The tenth offense is that God has only one chosen people. This is the Body of Christ, the true Church. There is no one else (Ephesians 1:4).

The eleventh offense, and the most hated and rejected Biblical teaching is that God not only hates the sin, but also the sinner (Psalm 5:5). How often have you heard that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner? Where is the passage for that in the Bible? Only those who have peace with God through Christ, that is, they become saved, are loved by God. God’s anger is always kindled against the unbeliever and they must be told that they are not in good standing with the Lord. God’s love is a qualified love.

11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day. Psalms 7:11 (NASB) 

On the other hand:

1 Πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα ἵνα μεταβῇ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἀγαπήσας τοὺς ἰδίους τοὺς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰς τέλος ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς. John 13:1 (NA28)

1 Now before the Feast of Passover, Jesus, having known that His hour had come that He should pass form this world to the Father, having loved His own in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) 

Never forget my brethren, if you are in Christ then these offenses do not apply to you, that is, unless you become preoccupied and overtaken with this world and the flesh. Be not ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria!