Right now, I am going through the book of Acts and the last time that I blogged, I went into detail about the importance of baptism. Today we will go a little bit deeper into the book of Acts, and we will focus on the importance of the gospel. I know, you are probably thinking, “Umm I already know about the gospel.” And if you are subscribed to this blog, you more than likely do. But as I was reading in Acts, I noticed that the apostles held a different view and respect about the gospel that every Christian can learn from.

From what I read it seemed like they had a pattern of what they’d do

1. Teach about Jesus and what He did for humanity (repentance and confessing one’s belief in Jesus Christ)
2. Teach about the importance of water baptism (outward expression of what has happened in their hearts)

This can be seen in: Acts 2:38, 3:16, 4:12, Stephen’s speech in Chapter 7, 8:25, 8:35, 9:20, 10:34-38.

From my observation, the apostles were more concerned about spreading the gospel than they were about teaching sanctification. The apostles saw salvation as life-changing and the only way a person can be redeemed and made whole.

It wasn’t until after they shared the gospel that Peter, Paul, John, and James went into detail on how to live a practical Christian lifestyle (the Epistles; 1^st and 2^nd Peter; and 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John; and James). They recognized that sharing the gospel must come first before teaching about sanctification.

This can help believers today understand that we must introduce people to Jesus before we challenge their actions. If they don’t know Jesus, they don’t have a purpose or reasoning for which they are living or changing for.

In the book of Acts, people’s behavior changed because their hearts changed. This was not an automatic change, but it was a process that happened over the course of a lifetime. The gospel is not a ten-step guide on how to be better, instead it is an acknowledgment that we will never be better. Humanity is full of sin, affected by trauma and constant disappointment that we need a Savior. Instead of judging non-Christians, and even our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must take out the time to nurture their soul towards the heart of Jesus.

How to start:

Share your testimony

Invite them to church

Send scriptures or prayer requests 

Pray the prayer of salvation with them

Develop relationship through meaningful and intimate conversations, and begin to understand their story

Share this blog: The Simple Gospel https://shayagriffin.wordpress.com/2023/03/13/the-simple-gospel/.  

These are simple ways to start sharing the gospel message with an unbeliever that will stir their hearts to want more of Christ.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe in sanctification, and I believe in correction, rebuke, and conviction. As a Christian, we must make a daily decision to pick up our cross and choose Christ (Matt.16:24-26). But there is a step before the process of sanctification. The apostles revealed that we must be committed to sharing Jesus before anything else.