Gospel Corollaries
The gospel is more than just good news, it includes a message of pardon, repentance, and atonement, as well as temperance, righteousness, and godliness.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the gospel is more than just the good news of Christ's death for our sins; it encompasses a broader message that includes repentance, righteousness, and a call to live a godly life. He warns against limiting the gospel to a single aspect, as this diminishes its power and leads to misunderstandings among believers. The gospel also requires believers to deny ungodliness and embrace a life of loyalty to God's kingdom, which includes carrying one's cross. Tozer asserts that all these elements are essential corollaries of the gospel that must be preached together to convey the full truth. He calls for a comprehensive declaration of the gospel that does not divide its truths.
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To allow the gospel only its etymological meaning of good news is to restrict it so radically as actually to make it something it is not. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures is good news indeed. That He, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens from which exalted position He mediates grace to all believers, is wonderful, heartening news for the sin burdened race. But to limit the Christian message to this one truth alone is to rob it of much of its meaning and create a bad misunderstanding among those who hear the resultant preaching.
The fact is that the New Testament message embraces a great deal more than an offer of free pardon. It is a message of pardon, and for that may God be praised; but it is also a message of repentance. It is a message of atonement, but it is also a message of temperance and righteousness and godliness in this present world. It tells us that we must accept a Savior, but it tells us also that we must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. The gospel message includes the idea of amendment, of separation from the world, of cross carrying and loyalty to the kingdom of God even unto death.
To be strictly technical, these latter truths are corollaries of the gospel, and not the gospel itself; but they are part and parcel of the total message which we are commissioned to declare. No man has authority to divide the truth and preach only a part of it. To do so is to weaken it and render it without effect.
Sermon Outline
- The Gospel's True Meaning
- The gospel is more than just good news
- It includes pardon, repentance, and atonement
- And also temperance, righteousness, and godliness
Key Quotes
“To allow the gospel only its etymological meaning of good news is to restrict it so radically as actually to make it something it is not.” — A.W. Tozer
“The fact is that the New Testament message embraces a great deal more than an offer of free pardon.” — A.W. Tozer
“No man has authority to divide the truth and preach only a part of it.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must accept a Savior, but also deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.
- The gospel message includes the idea of amendment, of separation from the world, and of cross carrying.
- We must preach the full gospel to avoid weakening its message and rendering it without effect.