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Giving definition to the Gospel
Pastors corner
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I am excited about my call to serve as a Christian pastor. Next week, Baconton Baptist Church will celebrate my 15th year of pastoral service. I have been blessed to develop some wonderful relationships, in our church and community, that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I am so grateful to all of Liberty County for the opportunity you have given me to serve and preach the Gospel. I can think of nothing more satisfying than fulfilling my call to preach the Gospel for I, like the Apostle Paul, am compelled to preach (1 Corinthians 9:16). Subsequently, I want to share a three-point definition of this most precious Gospel.

The Gospel is the declaration of the love of God. There is an old 1970s song that says “What the world needs now is love.” The secular world understands the need but, sadly, offers no real solution. The Gospel, on the other hand, boldly declares that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The Gospel is the proclamation of the patience of God. Patience is a virtue that rarely is seen today. Products that claim to offer instant results flood the market place. We constantly are looking for a machine that will do the job faster. While instant may be good for commerce, and faster is better in technology, I am glad that God still is patient with us. The Gospel reminds us that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. There are many religions with claims about their life-changing abilities. But I am glad that I am a Gospel preacher, for the Gospel makes the bold boast of being the power of God. This power is not simply life-altering as others religions claim, but it is life-saving! Subsequently, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Finally, I am excited about the simplicity of the Gospel. People often neglect the message of the Gospel because it is too simple. There perhaps are many people who will miss heaven because they were looking for something mystical and complicated. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is this simple: If you will confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Scott is the pastor of Baconton Missionary Baptist Church and vice president of the United Ministerial Alliance.

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