It is the summer season, and we here at NBC are planning a VBS in July. I thought I would devote a few posts to the importance of the Gospel as we prepare.
In the first century, the early church boldly proclaimed the Gospel—the powerful news of Christ’s death and resurrection for our sins, according to the Scriptures. There is one and only one Gospel.
In the early church, the truth of the Gospel was strongly embraced by faithful believers, and we must do the same today. Confidence in the truth of the Gospel ignites our passion and creative energy, compelling us to unite, to partner together, and declare this good news, driving forward the advancement of the Gospel. Our unwavering commitment to announcing the Gospel is paramount; it shapes and intensifies our creative efforts and enthusiasm. It is a matter of first importance.
We must guard against the dangerous assumption that we understand the Gospel without genuinely grasping the depth of its importance. If we fall into this trap, our energy and passion will be misallocated to trivial matters rather than focused on the core truth of the Gospel.
The gospel is a matter of first importance:
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).