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Having just commemorated the 509th anniversary of the Reformation, it is important to remember why many of the Reformers were willing to sacrifice everything to defend the purity and exclusivity of the Gospel. Five hundred years ago, the Reformers challenged the apostate Roman Catholic religion, which had distorted the Gospel by adding requirements to God's message of salvation. They understood that the Gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, with its eternal consequences, was too important to compromise.
The Gospel Must Remain Exclusive
The same issues that confronted the Reformers in the sixteenth century continue to confront the church today. While the Reformers contended against adding to the Gospel, many churches in our day are removing its essential truths in an effort to make Christianity more inclusive and acceptable to a broader audience. What hope does the next generation have if we allow this to happen? The Gospel must be proclaimed faithfully and accurately. There is one Gospel, one Savior, and one way of salvation. The Gospel's purity and exclusivity were worth defending 500 years ago, and it remains worth defending today. The church must faithfully guard the Gospel, proclaim it without compromise, and pass it on to the next generation in all its truth and power.
The Gospel Reveals Salvation Is by Grace Alone
The purity of the Gospel is explained in this well known verse. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul made it abundantly clear when he described the grace of salvation. "If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Rom. 11:6). In other words, if anyone adds their works to the all-sufficient work of Christ, they have nullified grace, which is the only way to be saved. These verses give a sharp contrast between the saving grace of God and the grace nullifying works of man.
There Are Only Two Groups of People
Everyone in the world is either on the narrow road that leads to life or is on the broad road to destruction (Mat. 7:13-14). Everyone is either a believer under God's grace, or an unbeliever under God's wrath. Regenerate people are alive in Christ and unregenerate people are dead in sin (Rom. 6:11; Eph. 2:1). The apostle Paul described people as either slaves to sin, or slaves to righteousness (Rom. 6:17-18). Everyone is either in Adam, or in Christ (1 Cor. 15:22). Every person is either a child of God, who is the creator of life, or a child of the devil, who is a destroyer of life (John 1:12; 1 John 3:10; 1 Pet. 5:8). According to God's court of justice, everyone on this earth is either justified and declared righteous or condemned and declared guilty (Rom. 5:18-19, James 2:10). Everyone is either trusting what the Lord Jesus has DONE to satisfy divine justice, or trusting what they believe they must DO. They need to know that You Can Never DO What Christ Has DONE.
The Gospel Offers No Middle Ground
Many people try to straddle the fence spiritually, remaining undecided and showing little urgency about which side they will ultimately choose. Yet the Gospel does not leave us in the middle. Scripture presents humanity in clear and distinct categories. There are those who have been called out of the world and those who foolishly choose to remain in the world (John 15:19; 1 John 4:5). Everyone is either walking in the light or is stumbling in darkness (1 Thes. 5:5, 1 Peter 2:9; Prov. 4:19). People are either free in Christ or in bondage to sin and Satan (Gal.5:1; John 8:34; 2 Tim. 2:26). Their lives are characterized by deeds of the flesh or by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25). People are either lovers of God or lovers of the world (1 John 2:15-17). One day our Lord will return in glory and separate all the people of the world into two groups. He will welcome all of His sheep (believers) into His eternal kingdom and send all the goats (unbelievers) to be punished in the eternal fire (Mat. 25:31-46).
Roman Catholicism Created a False Middle Ground
This apostate religion, known for its superstitions and lying signs and wonders, fabricated a place called "purgatory", which has become a safety net for Catholics. Those who think their sins are not grave enough to warrant hell are trusting a purifying fire to purge their "venial" sins in this fictitious place called purgatory. The Lord Jesus reproves this lie when declared there are only two destinations after death. He said, "...the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Mat. 7:13-14).
The Purity of the Gospel Must Be Defended
Those who desire to uphold the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ will recognize the vital importance of Contending for the Gospel. We are called to fight the good fight of faith—to remain sanctified by the truth and to preserve the unity of the faith (John 17:17; Eph. 4:13). Therefore, we must faithfully guard the power, purity, and exclusivity of the Gospel, refusing to compromise the truth that has been entrusted to us. May God give us the courage and comittment to protect this treasure for His glory and the salvation of sinners.
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