Azilda Baptist Chapel

What is the Gospel anyway?  How many times we have all heard this question.  The Gospel is actually quite simple, yet, we are the ones that have made it so complicated.  It is rather confusing for all of us when we look at all the various church names and "denominations."  All one needs to do is to simply look at the New Testament and he or she will see that there is no mention whatsoever of denominations.   

Well, then, how does a person receive the Gospel and get to heaven?  At the end of the day, this is really the most important question, isn't it?  Thankfully, Jesus has made is so simple that even a child can understand it (Mat. 18:4).   

Simply put, coming to know and receiving the Gospel has everything to do with receiving the Lord Jesus in your life as personal Lord and Saviour.  Jesus has to come into your life and redeem you. 

We at Azilda Baptist Chapel, do not teach or believe that our church can save you.  In fact, there is not a single thing that goes on at our church that can "enable" a person to become a Christian or "get saved."  We have been teaching from the beginning and still preach today that JESUS ALONE HAS THE POWER TO SAVE YOU. All we do is point you in the right direction. 

Since we believe that the Bible is God's holy Word, we call upon people to turn their attention to this only Sacred Book of all books.  Anything we say comes out of the mouth of a man, including this writer.  We ask people not to take "our word for it" but to take "God's Word for it." Search the Scriptures for yourself and prove it for yourself.  And this is what it teaches... 

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 1:12  But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

John 1:13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  

John 3:3  Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Eph 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Eph 2:9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 These are but a few verses from the Bible that highlight some of the most important issues.  Allow me to summarize the truths of these verses. 

1) All of humanity is conceived and born a sinner.  We are all morally bankrupt before God and there is nothing that anyone of us can do, even in our own power.   

2) The result or "wages" of sin is "spiritual death" (Eph. 2:1).  That is, we are not "alive" toward God with the desire to praise or serve Him, even from our birth. 

3) God offers mankind a way of escape.  All one needs to do is to "receive" Him into one's life.  And how a person receives Him is through the "rebirth" or "born again" experience.  This is an experience that must occur at an age of "consciousness."  That is at an age of awareness of our need of a Saviour.  

4) The Bible makes it clear that salvation is completely a gift from God.  That is, it is not a "work" that anyone performs.  It is also NOT through a "step" or a "method."  In other words, it is not by being baptized, or by taking part in communion, or by reading the Bible, or praying or by any good works which we may do.  It is also not through a "method, or step or technique" taught by any church.  

5) Ephesians 2:8-9 (above) states that salvation is completely a gift that a person can "receive" by going to God through Christ directly by the means of FAITH.  

6) A person needs to come to an understanding of the weight and the ugliness of their own sins and sinfulness before God.  They then need to repent of their sins and confess their sinfulness and bankruptcy.  

As a summary...

You as a sinner need to come to a true understanding about what you are like before God - a sinner!  You need to realize that you can't save yourself and that you need an outside "power" to perform a miracle inside of you.  That miracle is God's work of forgiving all of your past, present and future sins in an instant.  For when you are "born again" you are born again by the power of the Spirit of God.  It is completely His work done in you.  You then become a child of God - a Christian. From that point on, you receive joy of having your guilt and sins removed.  And this is only the beginning, you get to enjoy Him FOREVER!! 

- Pastor René

If you have any questions or comments about The Simple Gospel of Grace please feel free to email Pastor René at pastor@azildabaptist.com.