EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Daniel Sanders | Batesville, Arkansas
Everyone enjoys a good tasting dish. In some recipes, we may find an extensive list of ingredients brought together to achieve just the right flavor. Yet, surprisingly, in other meals, there may just be three or four simple ingredients mixed to bring about an outstanding flavor – perhaps even better tasting than the dish containing so many more ingredients.
The gospel message is so simple and pure. Within this written and inspired Word of God salvation is offered. The words our Lord has given are able to save our souls. It is a word which we can understand and follow. We are to take the pure and simple message to others so they too can understand and obey it (Romans 10:8-17). The message we confess is the same message we are to preach and teach to others and it is a beautiful, edifying, and rewarding work!
In this digital age there is a plethora of access to literature and information. There are so many options to choose what to follow. In religion this has been the case. The advancement of information and knowledge are evident. In just a matter of seconds someone has access to thousands of topics via the internet and smart devices.
With so much access to a vastness of knowledge it still amazes me to this point that the same gospel message that was preached almost two thousand years ago is the same message that saves all mankind. It is a simple message that is accessible and given by God. In II Timothy 3:16-17 the written Word was given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), reproof (standard), correction, and instruction in righteousness. Through His word we can be complete and equipped for every good work.
Truly we have been blessed by this written word. It is the power of God that saves all mankind (Romans 1:16-17). In this word righteousness in revealed by God. It reveals how we can be saved and be found pleasing to God! It is through this message that we can know the ways of God!
Have you ever been told that the ways of God are difficult or impossible to do? With all this vastness of knowledge and options that are available today the simple word of God has been denied or deemed as impossible to follow. Yet, it is a simple message that saves mankind. We can know God. Will we accept it and understand it? In Matthew 7:21 we are reminded that we must call Jesus Lord and do what the Father commands and then we can enter in heaven!
The message is simple: “Listen to God and Obey His Commands!” That is the message that God has had since the very beginning of time. When God placed man in the garden, He said in Genesis 2:16-17 what man needed to do. Eat of all fruit of the trees in the garden except for the tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat it, you will die! In Exodus 19:5 God said to listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. In Ecclesiastes 12:13 the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Since the very beginning of man, the principle was Listen to God and keep His commandments.
In the New Testament it is revealed of what man needs to do. Let us start in Mark 12:29-31. Jesus teaches us that we are to listen to God. From listening to God, we learn that we are to love God with our whole entirety and being. Another command that we learn from listening to God and loving God is how we conduct ourselves toward others, we are to love like the first and love our neighbor as ourselves. There are no greater commandments than these.
Let us consider the wisdom that God supplies and how simple this message of the gospel is. In I Corinthians 1:18-31 the simple gospel truth is revealed. The message of the cross for those outside the body of Christ is foolishness. It gets questioned as to why. For those that do not know Jesus or obey or Lord and Savior it is considered foolishness in this world. But for those that do believe it is the power of God! For those that are desiring to be saved it is the simple message of Jesus that saves a soul from sin. It is the living hope that we are seeking and searching for! God offers his wisdom through the message of Jesus. We have access to God our Father and knowledge of His ways through searching the Word. If you are lacking wisdom and knowledge pray to God for such matters and He is willing to aid us through this (James 1:5)! Many will look for signs and other ways and thoughts for wisdom. But there is only one that offers salvation, there is only one that offers eternal life, there is only one that saves, that is Jesus Christ the Son of God (Acts 4:10-12). Through the simplicity of the gospel God has shown us His ways which are like no other (Isaiah 55:8-9). His ways are higher, stronger, and better than any other way! It is through Jesus that we have the only way to life (John 14:6).
We are to take the pure milk of the word and grow thereby (I Peter 2:1-3). The simple truth is we are to lay aside sin. Sin does not inherit the kingdom of God (Romans 3:23) if we continue in sin we will be separated from God (Romans 6:23), we cannot sin and expect the grace of God to abound in us (Romans 6:1-2). The pure of milk helps us grow, it is simple, clean, pure word of God that helps us understand sin and how to turn from sin.
The simplicity of the gospel is to preach Jesus! We are to share with others that Jesus came into the world, He lived among men, He died on the cross for all people. Through Jesus we now have a living hope (I Peter 1:3). Through Jesus we can look forward to an inheritance if we obey (I Peter 1:4). Through Jesus we understand the joy in various trials and being obedient to the gospel message leads to salvation for our souls (I Peter 1:5-9).
The message is simple for those that are seeking the hope that God offers. Our ears must be open and ready to receive the gospel message (Romans 10:17). We must believe (John 8:24) that Jesus is the Son of God. It is through this belief that we teach others the realization and dangers of sin and that repentance (transformation) from sin is necessary (Ephesians 4:17-24). This change is a metamorphosis where we put away sin and no longer desire the paths of sin (Luke 13:3). Through this we understand that confession is necessary for salvation (Romans 10:9-10). We are to confess our belief to others and before all that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Through the desire to put away sin and confess one’s belief in Jesus one can be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is what saves (I Peter 3:21). It is answer of obedience to God’s will. This though is just the beginning! As a new Christian we have responsibility to faithfully serve God. We are to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). We are to be faithful to God until death (Revelation 2:10). We are to fight the good fight of faith (II Timothy 4:7-8). The crown of life will be ours to enjoy if we will faithfully serve God through the obedience to gospel message.
This message is straightforward and simple for the entire world to listen to and obey. It is the message that we are to go preach to the entire world (Mark 16:15). The entire world needs to know Jesus, to know the gospel, and to obey the simple and pure milk of the Word that is able to save the soul (James 1:21; I Peter 2:1-3).
God has provided the Word to the entire world that we can know Him and His ways. The gospel message is a message of hope to all the world. It is not hard to obey, and it can be done. The narrow way is a doable way, and it leads to life (Matthew 7:14). Will we share the knowledge of this way and obey that way?
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January 2026 | GROW magazine
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