Keith Comparetto: What is the Gospel? Part 5

What is the "Gospel"?

by Keith Comparetto

Table of Contents

Part One: Preface & Introduction

Part Two: The Lessons of Church History

Part Three: A Closer Look at Scripture

Part Four: Seeing, but not Perceiving

Part Five: Closing Thoughts

A Humble Appeal
to Preachers & Teachers of the Gospel

It is my prayer that this little book will, at the very least, encourage a Berean spirit – a spirit of inquiry – as you consider the vitally important issues raised in these pages. This is especially important for those of us who preach and teach, "knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment" (James 3:1).

Certainly, when one puts all the preconceived notions and years of one-sided teaching aside, we must admit that God is a God of holiness, that He hates sin, He does not take it lightly, and He will not pardon those who are flippant about it. And lest some would think that God has somehow changed His ways with the coming of the New Testament, we must not forget the sober warning of our Savior, in words that might be spoken to those who would be tempted to look at their church teeming with friendly, busy people, honoring God with their lips, and assume without scriptural evidence that most of them are saved: "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.... Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:14, 22-23). It may be uncomfortable to look at the millions of professing Christians around us, including “many” of our own friends and family, perhaps even ourselves, and consider the “many” who may not be saved; but it has been true in every period of Christendom since Christ, and I believe we are unwise to consider it otherwise today.

Today, as all of us seek the cure for a sickly, worldly, modern church, there is in some circles an awakening to the historic Christian doctrines presented this book. But the old cannot simply be added to the new; the break with the modern easy-believe theology must be clean, or it will be ineffective. A message is not judged acceptable by the mere presence of truth (for some truth can be found in most churches, even those that have descended deep into apostasy) – but by the absence of error. Scripture often warns us to "purge out the leaven." The damning error in the new theology must be recognized and exposed for what it is. Brethren, those of us who have weakened the most crucial warning passages in the Bible by teaching them as we have been taught to do, whether we do it knowingly or unknowingly, cannot simply throw in an “examine yourself” message now and then – it will be as ineffective as a liberal preacher now and then throwing in a sermon on hell, not realizing his parishioners no longer believe in it. Perhaps there is little difference between a modernist who says “This passage isn’t inspired,” and the "evangelical" of today who says or implies, “This warning doesn’t apply to you, it applies only to Tribulation Jews,” or “This warning doesn’t mean you will go to hell; it simply means God will be displeased with you," despite ample scriptural warnings to the contrary. What masterful arguments the Deceiver uses, and how easily we may play into his hands if we fail to approach all the Bible with fear and trembling! Indeed, by assuming we have false professors in our own churches, and by preaching Scripture and all of its warnings evangelistically to them, we may find that unbelieving sinners in our midst can be awakened to salvation by God's two-edged Sword!
Scripture’s warnings to sinners are indeed sobering, but just as sobering are those to preachers who don’t speak out against sin as God does:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, "You shall have peace"’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’"… I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.” (Jer. 23:16-17, 21-22).

We are tempted to think such warnings are not for us today. “That was Old Testament,” many will say, “and those false prophets were really bad people, and the people whose sins they were covering up were really bad people.” Maybe so, but let us first tremble at God's Words! When we too easily presume that such warnings are only for another land and another people, we, like the Pharisees, blind ourselves to the probability that Jeremiah would direct that same message to many gospel preachers in our own day. Our churches, as they fellowship, entertain, and too often commend themselves, are in serious trouble. Those who preach must be honest with Scripture, with themselves, and with their people. The message of the modern church has deceived an entire generation, and it cannot be fixed with a band-aid approach. I, for one, confess that I have misread and taught God’s message of salvation wrongly for many years and to many people, and for that I am truly sorry. May God forgive me!

Proverbs, the book of God’s eternal wisdom for all ages, states an axiom that should not be dismissed lightly: “He who says to the wicked, You are righteous; him the people will curse; nations will abhor him” (Proverbs 24:24). When we preach to worldly or spiritually careless people using appeals that either say or imply, “You are saved, but you need to get right with God,” are we not committing this sin? Perhaps if those who have preached such a message would be honest enough with God and with their people to confess that they have gotten it wrong, and begin preaching the hard truth, we could see genuine revival in our day. It is the duty of God’s people, and especially preachers of His Word, to be as discerning as is humanly possible regarding the condition of people’s souls, and may God give us the wisdom and the courage to do so!

_______________________

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
(Malachi 3:16-18).



	What is the "Gospel"? by Keith Comparetto Table of Contents Part One: Preface & Introduction Part Two: The Lessons of Church History Part Three: A Closer Look at Scripture Part Four: Seeing, but not Perceiving Part Five: Closing Thoughts Part Five: Closing Thoughts A Humble Appeal to Preachers & Teachers of the Gospel It is my prayer that this little book will, at the very least, encourage a Berean spirit – a spirit of inquiry – as you consider the vitally important issues raised in these pages. This is especially important for those of us who preach and teach, "knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment" (James 3:1). Certainly, when one puts all the preconceived notions and years of one-sided teaching aside, we must admit that God is a God of holiness, that He hates sin, He does not take it lightly, and He will not pardon those who are flippant about it. And lest some would think that God has somehow changed His ways with the coming of the New Testament, we must not forget the sober warning of our Savior, in words that might be spoken to those who would be tempted to look at their church teeming with friendly, busy people, honoring God with their lips, and assume without scriptural evidence that most of them are saved: "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.... Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:14, 22-23). It may be uncomfortable to look at the millions of professing Christians around us, including “many” of our own friends and family, perhaps even ourselves, and consider the “many” who may not be saved; but it has been true in every period of Christendom since Christ, and I believe we are unwise to consider it otherwise today. Today, as all of us seek the cure for a sickly, worldly, modern church, there is in some circles an awakening to the historic Christian doctrines presented this book. But the old cannot simply be added to the new; the break with the modern easy-believe theology must be clean, or it will be ineffective. A message is not judged acceptable by the mere presence of truth (for some truth can be found in most churches, even those that have descended deep into apostasy) – but by the absence of error. Scripture often warns us to "purge out the leaven." The damning error in the new theology must be recognized and exposed for what it is. Brethren, those of us who have weakened the most crucial warning passages in the Bible by teaching them as we have been taught to do, whether we do it knowingly or unknowingly, cannot simply throw in an “examine yourself” message now and then – it will be as ineffective as a liberal preacher now and then throwing in a sermon on hell, not realizing his parishioners no longer believe in it. Perhaps there is little difference between a modernist who says “This passage isn’t inspired,” and the "evangelical" of today who says or implies, “This warning doesn’t apply to you, it applies only to Tribulation Jews,” or “This warning doesn’t mean you will go to hell; it simply means God will be displeased with you," despite ample scriptural warnings to the contrary. What masterful arguments the Deceiver uses, and how easily we may play into his hands if we fail to approach all the Bible with fear and trembling! Indeed, by assuming we have false professors in our own churches, and by preaching Scripture and all of its warnings evangelistically to them, we may find that unbelieving sinners in our midst can be awakened to salvation by God's two-edged Sword! Scripture’s warnings to sinners are indeed sobering, but just as sobering are those to preachers who don’t speak out against sin as God does: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, "You shall have peace"’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’"… I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.” (Jer. 23:16-17, 21-22). We are tempted to think such warnings are not for us today. “That was Old Testament,” many will say, “and those false prophets were really bad people, and the people whose sins they were covering up were really bad people.” Maybe so, but let us first tremble at God's Words! When we too easily presume that such warnings are only for another land and another people, we, like the Pharisees, blind ourselves to the probability that Jeremiah would direct that same message to many gospel preachers in our own day. Our churches, as they fellowship, entertain, and too often commend themselves, are in serious trouble. Those who preach must be honest with Scripture, with themselves, and with their people. The message of the modern church has deceived an entire generation, and it cannot be fixed with a band-aid approach. I, for one, confess that I have misread and taught God’s message of salvation wrongly for many years and to many people, and for that I am truly sorry. May God forgive me! Proverbs, the book of God’s eternal wisdom for all ages, states an axiom that should not be dismissed lightly: “He who says to the wicked, You are righteous; him the people will curse; nations will abhor him” (Proverbs 24:24). When we preach to worldly or spiritually careless people using appeals that either say or imply, “You are saved, but you need to get right with God,” are we not committing this sin? Perhaps if those who have preached such a message would be honest enough with God and with their people to confess that they have gotten it wrong, and begin preaching the hard truth, we could see genuine revival in our day. It is the duty of God’s people, and especially preachers of His Word, to be as discerning as is humanly possible regarding the condition of people’s souls, and may God give us the wisdom and the courage to do so! _______________________ “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16-18).