Standing firm in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

By Ysrael De la Cruz

After the resurrection, Jesus commanded his followers to preach the gospel into all the world. Mark 16:15-16  This was the marching order of Jesus to his apostles, to his church.  We have been entrusted with the proclamation of the gospel in the world.  The church began through the preaching of the apostles in Jerusalem.  They announced the good news of Jesus to those in Jerusalem and people

responded by believing and being baptized into Jesus.

Those who received his messaged were baptized and then added to the church.  Acts 2:41

The church began with the Jewish disciples and later on the gospel reached the non-Jews (Greeks and Samaritans).  We hear about a man named Paul who traveled everywhere preaching the good news of Jesus among the Greeks.  He encountered a great deal of opposition in his preaching.  The message of the gospel has been challenged by some and others have altered or reformed it.  So often in Scriptures we read the apostles telling the churches to remain true to message of the gospel and not compromise it.  You and I will constantly be challenged to forsake the message of the cross for a counterfeit gospel.  As followers of Jesus, we must remain true to him by standing firm in his word.

1 Corinthians 15

About 55 AD, Paul wrote a letter to a church in Corinth and he reminded them of the gospel,

I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received.

In which you stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you. Unless you believed in vain.

The gospel saves those who hold fast to it.

You heard the good news of Jesus, then you believed it, you are saved by holding fast, standing firm on that message that you received.

People must hold fast to the good news of Jesus in order to be saved.

Paul had said in Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Once you believe the gospel you must stand firm in it.  Hold fast to it. Otherwise you have believed in vain.

Colossians 1:21-23  21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

The churches in Galatia drifted from the message of the gospel and adopted a gospel based on works.  Paul said that they had fallen from grace.  It was evident that these churches were not standing firm in the true message of the gospel.  Some people had confused the Galatian churches and they were holding on to a gospel that Paul said was no gospel at all because it had removed Jesus from the centered replacing him with good works. (Gal.1:6) There are people and religious groups today which have done the same.  People have moved Jesus from their preaching and have replaced him with pep talk messages about how to become better. Self-centered messages, prosperity gospels, spiritual experience gospel.

The gospel of Jesus is centered on Jesus. 1 Cor.15:3

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.

He was buried and he was raised according to the Scriptures.

He appeared himself to his followers given them indubitable proof that he was alive.

The true gospel is Christ-centered; it is about what Jesus has done to save us.

We must not drift away from the message because if we do, then any hope of salvation is gone.

Hebrews 2:1  We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.  (We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard).

Paul told Timothy to continue steadfast in what he had learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom he learned it. “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim.3:14

Like Paul, I want to remind you of the gospel of Jesus Christ, someone preached it to you.  You chose to take a stand on it by believing it. Then remain firm on that message.  Don’t wander away from the message of salvation.  Don’t drift away from the message of salvation that is only in Christ Jesus.