Matters of Faith: Glory awaits those who accept the gospel
After the angels announced the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, to the shepherds, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary, Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.
These shepherds were the first evangelists. They were spreading the gospel, the "good news," about Jesus. When Jesus had fulfilled his mission on this earth, he commissioned his disciples, and every believer, to spread the "good news" about Him. He said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19-20 NIV). The Apostle Paul said, "The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). God reaches out to us in grace, we respond to him in faith, and we receive salvation.
Everyone has faith in something. Some have faith in their own intellect, others have faith in their finances, and some have faith in an idol of some kind. The message of the Gospel is to have "faith in Jesus Christ." Having faith in Jesus Christ means we have placed our confidence entirely in His finished work on the cross. We recognize that He forgave our sins and gave us eternal life. In Him, we have a glorious future.
Many people today are rejecting the truth of the gospel because our culture teaches there is no such thing as "absolute truth." These people believe there are no moral or ethical standards and truth is whatever you choose it to be. However, when we make a choice to follow Jesus, he lays a foundation of "absolute truth" in our life that will guide us in every decision. His word, the Bible, is the source of "absolute truth." Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
The Bible says, "The truth of the gospel was bringing forth fruit in the entire world." Wherever the gospel is preached, it will produce results! When you and I choose to follow Jesus, our lives will be productive. When we make a choice to follow Jesus, we can live every day of our lives with the assurance that our decision to serve him will produce results and bear much fruit.
God promises that his word will not return void. Therefore, sharing the "good news" is of great value. The gospel is not a social program; it's the power of God to change people's lives forever. When we share the "good news" with others, we have a part in changing the world. When we serve Jesus, we are never at risk of wasting our life; our efforts will produce results - results that last for eternity. If we want to spend our lives doing something that will change history, serve Jesus Christ and spread the "good news."