The Changeless Gospel

GOOD news is always pleasant to hear, but none appreciate it so much as those who are in need of the message brought. But of all the good news that ever fell on mortal ears there is none like the good news from heaven. The Gospel or the good news of God has been as a drink of cool, refreshing water to many a thirsty soul, and as a cordial to revive many a drooping heart. In the New Testament much is said of the Gospel. What, then, is it? Literally it means good news or tidings. But it is good news about a certain matter. It is good news about God’s salvation. The Gospel, generally speaking, is the message that tells of God’s great salvation, and this message is committed to men set apart by the Holy Spirit to declare to their fellow-men. It is variously designated in the New Testament Scriptures as the Gospel of God—setting forth the truth that the message tells that God is the Author of this great Salvation—sometimes as the Gospel of Jesus Christ telling us that the great salvation is wrought out by Him—sometimes as the “glorious gospel of God,” or literally, “the gospel of the glory of God,” telling us that in this salvation God’s glory is shining forth—and sometimes as the Gospel of the grace of God telling us that God’s salvation is all of grace from beginning to end. Now, as God’s salvation, revealed in Christ, is unchanging, the message that declares that salvation is unchanging also. God, in His infinite wisdom, in purposing to save a multitude which no man can number, made provision on a scale sufficiently adequate to accomplish the purposes of His heart, and not only so, but provided such a salvation as would meet the needs of every one that was to be saved. This salvation was God’s remedy for the cure of a disease which was universal, and which, however varied the symptoms, was in every individual of the race of Adam the same. As a remedy it never yet failed, nor will it ever fail, to meet the needs of a sinner to whom it is applied by the Holy Spirit.

This is the Gospel the Apostle gloried in proclaiming, and over whose integrity he watched with a jealousy that betokened how dear it was to himself. The thought that any one, however exalted, angelic or human, should take upon himself to declare any other message concerning God’s salvation than that which made it unmistakably clear that it was not by works of righteousness that the sinner is saved, but by grace, was intolerable to the Apostle. This comes out very plainly and clearly in his Epistle to the Galatians. “Though we, or an angel from heaven,” he writes, “preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again: If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. i. 8, 9). These are solemn words. It is in no light manner the Apostle invokes the curse of God upon any who would dare to preach another gospel. His words are weighted with the most solemn import, and tell us that any one, even an angel from heaven, who would preach any other gospel than he had preached, and the Galatians had received would be fit for perdition. That is a malediction that ought to be always before the minds of all who preach. What, then, was the Gospel which the Apostle preached and which the Galatians had received? In the immediately succeeding verses to the above he tells us certain things concerning this Gospel.

1. “The Gospel which was preached of me is not after man.” Its very nature was in antagonism to anything man would have thought of. This accounts for its non-reception by men in their natural state. The wisdom, revealed in this salvation of which the Gospel tells, is the wisdom of God, and it is foolishness in the eyes of men. The Gospel which the Apostle preached is a Gospel which tells that man must be brought in guilty before God, feel himself lost and ruined and totally unable to do anything for himself—it was for such God’s salvation was provided. Now this is the very last way the wisdom of man would have suggested for salvation—that the deliverance should come through the righteousness of another. The Gospel preached to the Galatians was not, therefore, after man. This is plainly seen and proved by all the plans of false gospels thought out by men but directly opposed to God’s Gospel.

2. “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it.” The fact that his Gospel was not “after man” indicates that he could not have received it from nor been taught it by man, hence he says, “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it.” It had not a human origin at all like the “other gospel” which had bewitched the Galatians. The Apostle was profoundly convinced that this message he delivered was of a heavenly origin.

3. “By the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This then is what gives authority to this message; it was given to him by the revelation of Jesus Christ and has, therefore, the stamp of Heaven upon it. When it pleased God, who separated Paul from his mother’s womb, and called him by His grace, to reveal His Son in him, he conferred not with flesh and blood but went into Arabia and returned again to Damascus (Gal. i., 15-17). It is because of this that the Apostle is so jealous that no change should be permitted in the declaration of the Gospel. It may seem a small thing in the eyes of men as it was in the eyes of the Galatian false teachers to get people to believe that they are to be made perfect by the works of the law, but such teaching daringly arraigns the infinite Wisdom of God in the plan of salvation and deceives all that listen to and receive it with a false hope.

It is therefore a very solemn and serious matter to be entrusted with the preaching of the Gospel. Men are not at liberty to change it to suit the changing caprices of men, for in so doing they are ceasing to be the servants of Christ. The Apostle gives not the slightest indication that changed conditions of outlook and changed circumstances will necessitate a change in the Gospel. His words indicate a finality that no changing circumstances will affect. If it is a solemn matter to be entrusted with the preaching of the Gospel it is also a very solemn matter to be listening to the pure Gospel of God being preached by one of His sent servants. The Gospel which Paul preached told of ruin and guilt as well as the way of escape, and when this message is to be made good news to any sinner the Holy Spirit convinces him of his guilt ere the remedy is revealed—for where there is no guilt—the news about this remedy may be heard from Sabbath to Sabbath for a lifetime, but it will never be good news until the sinner is made to feel his need. There is no message that the preacher can deliver so encouraging as the Gospel and no message so sweet to hear for those who need it. It has carried many a hearer to the very gates of heaven and brought comfort when hope was well nigh gone. God’s servants can say that some of the happiest moments ever they enjoyed in this world were when they were telling of God’s great salvation and His people can also say that some of the happiest moments ever they had was when listening to the proclamation of this blessed message.