Be Optimistically Evangelical

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
Romans 10:15b

Every Sunday, the elders of Calvary Severance are ever mindful and clearly share the gospel from the pulpit. We do this for a few reasons. The first is so that unbelievers may hear it and the Lord might prick their hearts, and they believe in the saving grace of Jesus. There are two reasons we share the gospel that is meant for believers. We need to be reminded of the magnitude of our sin, but also the overwhelming mercy and grace of God that enables us to live lives of faith. But there is another reason you may not have thought about. That is to make believers ever familiar with sharing the gospel themselves.  

We are to be optimistically evangelical, and we do this by sharing the truth of who Jesus is. The following is a good explanation of the gospel and could be a good reference for the next opportunity you get to make Jesus non-ignorable.

The gospel is the good news of what God has done to save sinners for His glory.
God is the holy, righteous, and sovereign Creator who has authority over all people. He made us to know Him, to love Him, to worship Him, and to obey Him. Yet every one of us has rebelled against Him by sinning in thought, word, and deed. Because God is perfectly just, we stand guilty before Him and deserve His righteous judgment.

In His great mercy, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, to live the perfectly righteous life we could never live. Jesus willingly died on the cross, bearing the punishment for the sins of His people, and on the third day He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. His finished work is completely sufficient to save all who trust in Him.

God now commands all people everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. Repentance is turning from sin and submitting to Christ as Lord. Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and righteousness, not in our own works or efforts.

Salvation is entirely by God's grace. Those whom God saves are forgiven, declared righteous through Christ, adopted into God's family, and given new hearts that increasingly desire to love and obey Him. All of this is for the glory of God alone.

Now go be optimistically evangelical!