"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord . . .” Meeting at 4702 Greenleaf Road, Sellersburg, IN USA 47172

The Offence of the Gospel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…” Romans 1:16

The Natural man is ashamed of the gospel because the Gospel of Jesus Christ says that all men are sinners and that offends man’s dignity.  The religious person says:  “We be not sinners.”  That’s what they said to Christ; “we be not sinners”.

Christ said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save the lost.” Paul said, “Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.” They said, “We be not sinners.”  Then, those outside the church say; “Well, we are not any worse sinners than the people in the church; we are no worse than they are.”

Then, the people out in profanity and blasphemy and evil, they say, “Well, we are not so bad; we’ve got some good traits.”  But, what does the Scripture say? The Scripture says:  “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God:

“All we like sheep have gone astray. We’ve turned everyone to his own way.”  The Scripture says:  “To offend in one point of the law, (just one jot or tittle), is to be guilty of the whole law of God.”

The Word of God says: “What the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God. Your sins have separated you from God.”

That’s the first point of offense. That’s the first stumbling block; the Gospel of Christ addresses all men as sinners, not good sinners, not pretty good sinners, not pretty bad sinners, but just sinners, they are all grouped, under one heading:

“There’s none good, there’s none righteous, there’s none that seeketh after God. They are altogether become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no not one.”

Why is the true Gospel offensive? I didn’t say that religion is offensive; the natural man is religious.  I didn’t say that the average message of salvation is offensive, it’s not.

It tells the sinner what he can do in order to purchase salvation, what he can do in order to merit heaven, what he can do in order to merit God’s favor.  But, the Gospel of Christ is offensive.

– Henry Mahan

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