The Non-Negotiable Gospel

The content of the gospel is not something we have been given creative license with. We are not to water it down (ie. only mention the good parts and leave out the life that Jesus is calling us to), but neither are we to hide it under an emotional experience (setup the "atmosphere" to seduce decisions), use non-biblical motivations, trickery or peer pressure. In light of this, the following is a relevant excerpt from Dave Hunt's booklet entitled "The Non-Negotiable Gospel":

Why could not even a Mother Teresa get to heaven by good works? Because we're all sinners; and because once we have broken one of God's commandments, we "(are) guilty of all" (James 2:10); and "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (Romans 3:20). Keeping the law perfectly from now on could never make up for having already broken it. For God to grant salvation by any other means than faith in Christ alone would be an insult to the One whom the Father insisted had to endure his wrath as the sacrifice for sin. Furthermore, God would be breaking His own code of justice and going back on His Word. No, even God Himself could not save earth's most notable "saint". Christ's blood avails only for repentant sinners.

Oswald Chambers warned lest, in our zeal to get to people to accept the gospel, we manufacture a gospel acceptable to people and produce "converts" who are not saved. Today's most popular perversion is the "positive" gospel which is designed to offend no one with truth.

One of the most popular televangelists in the USA, for example, has said that it is demeaning to call anyone a sinner and that Christ died to restore human dignity and self-esteem. He claims to win many to Christ with that seductive message – but such a gospel does not save sinners.

Evangelistic appeals are often made to "come to Christ" for the wrong reasons: in order to be healthy, happy, successful, to restore a marriage, or to handle stress. Others preach a gospel that is so diluted or perverted that it deceives many into thinking they are saved. No fraud could be worse, for the consequences are eternal!