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| Reverend LC Muzembi |
"And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole" Acts 4:7-10 KJV.
We’re in an age where if you’re doing something, it has to be systematic and scientifically proven, or evidence based, otherwise your project will flop. If you’re a preacher, they want you to be theologically correct, even your witnessing systematic. They asked Peter saying, "by what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"
It was unheard of that one would just stand up and preach without having even registered with the regulatory boards, so that the board would control you, be it the Pharisees or the Sadducees.
But Peter said if we this day be examined of the good deed done, be it known unto you all, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified. Here he’s introducing another board, that there is power in the name of Jesus Christ "the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone" Acts 4:11.
You’re a believer today, not because you belong to this or that Organization, not that you’ve done theology, not by the works of the law or any sort, but is because of the hearing of faith by which you have obeyed the truth, and your faith alone in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Apostle Paul says, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" 2 Corinthians 11:2-3. Theology is far from "the simplicity that is in Christ," it’s designed by man, not God, to make you feel incompetent, but remember, "after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" 1 Corinthians 1:21.
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain" 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 KJV.
The gospel message still hasn’t changed, it is the same old that was preached by the disciples concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Christ, that if you believe, you will be saved. Your faith is built upon you keeping in memory that form of doctrine preached to you.
Paul said, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3. We all should preach the same message, and the same you have to believe of on the simplicity in Christ. If we don’t preach Christ, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith useless, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12.
We preach the “good news” and you should believe, that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might become the children of God through faith in Christ alone. In short, “the Gospel” is the sum total of the saving truth of God he communicated to the lost as revealed in the person of His Son and in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8.
This is the good news of the Bible, the message of the gospel. It’s the message of God’s gift for us, his own Son who became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin as our substitute,"and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" Romans 1:4.
How do we receive God’s Son?
We can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Saviour by personal faith in him, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins.
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" John 1:12-13. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
If you would like to receive and trust Christ as your personal saviour, you may want to express your faith in Christ by a simple prayer acknowledging your sinfulness, accepting His forgiveness and putting your faith in Christ for your salvation.
If you have just trusted in Christ, you need to learn about your new life, and how you walk with the Lord in much simpler way, allowing the word of the Lord to have a free course in your life.
God bless,
Laurence
Simple Gospel Summation
| 1 Corinthians | 1 | Called to be Saints |
| 1 Corinthians | 2 | The wisdom of God |
| 1 Corinthians | 3 | The Spirit of God dwells in you |
| 1 Corinthians | 4 | Stewards of the mysteries of God |
| 1 Corinthians | 5 | The Christian Life |
| 1 Corinthians | 6 | Settle your own differences |
| 1 Corinthians | 7 | Let them marry |
| 1 Corinthians | 8 | Is there any other God? |
| 1 Corinthians | 9 | The seal of my Apostleship |
| 1 Corinthians | 10 | These things became our examples |
| 1 Corinthians | 11 | Keep ordinances |
| 1 Corinthians | 12 | Growing up in the Holy Ghost | Spiritual gifts |
| 1 Corinthians | 13 | If I don't love, I'm nothing! | Pursue love and desire spiritual-gifts |
| 1 Corinthians | 14 | Spiritual gifts |
| 1 Corinthians | 15 | What the Gospel really is! |
| 1 Corinthians | 16 | Stand fast in the faith |
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