The Simple Gospel: The Error

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The Simple Gospel: The Error

Posted on 15 February 2005 by Tim

For those of you who have said or thought that there is no excitement in the Blogshpere lately…Well, you’ve missed this post by Adrian Warnock. According to News Now, this story is the “Top Story” on the Christian news feed.
Here is the “Simple Gospel” written by his wife:

1. Everyone has Sinned
2. God hates sin
3. Sin must be punished
4. Jesus took the punishment instead of us on the cross
5. Admit you have been naughty
6. Believe that Jesus took your punishment
7. Say sorry to God
8. Ask God to be in charge of your life
9. Be baptised (note the order here)
10. Receive the Holy Spirit

According to Adrian Warnock he “can’t remember the last time one of my posts caused such a stir as my wife’s simple gospel has done. It is amazing how much controversy the gospel can still cause.” He explains it here. It include the opposing views as well.
So I’ll jump in today.
Here is my comments below each point:

1. Everyone has Sinned
…”For all have sinned.”
2. God hates sin
…Absolutely.
3. Sin must be punished
…”The wages of sin is death.”
4. Jesus took the punishment instead of us on the cross
..”.For God so love the word that he gave his only son”
5. Admit you have been naughty
…ABC’s: Admit, Believe, Commit (Confess)
6. Believe that Jesus took your punishment
…Yes, still right.
7. Say sorry to God
…”If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord.”
8. Ask God to be in charge of your life
…Commit (or ABC’s)
9. Be baptised (note the order here)
…Why is this? I believe we must follow the example of Jesus in being baptized. It was seen that the early church also followed the example of Jesus in being baptized. It does not give us salvation.
10. Receive the Holy Spirit
This is where I must differ. Receiving the Holy Spirit comes when we accept Christ. He enters our life immediately. It is not another step that must take place. Baptism is an outward representation of a real inner change. It does not give us salvation by any means. But I believe we must follow the example of Christ by being baptized.

Grace through faith! That is the final word (whew…I guess I’ve been reading a lot of Luther lately). What I also see here (through reading some other opposing views) is the order. “Can’t you change the order” and “Is this the only way?”. Well, I know there are many (hundreds) of plans of salvation, but we need to look for what they all have in common. I’ve used the simplest presentation that I know, the ABC’s, which I have heard used to share the gospel with younger children. They are simple–yet hold the essential truths of the gospel. I personally use a different method when I evangelize with my church, but this way always comes through when I speak to those who are younger. You can use many “plans of salvation”. But the last “step” is not really a “step”. It isn’t something we must “do”, it is something we receive immediately when we accept Christ as our savior.
The one thing I know is that receiving the Holy Spirit is NOT another step in the process.
I see it this way: First, we (by the Holy Spirit) understand that we have sinned. We feel remorse for that sin, and are sorry for that sin. We understand the punishment for sin. We confess our sins, we believe that Christ paid the punishment for those sins, and believe he has conquered death by rising from the dead. Then the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and lives there. We then must share with others what we have decided to do by following in Baptism, which is a way to signify the old being buried and the new coming alive. This is also a way to publicly announce our decision. But it is not a way to receive salvation. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not another step in the process of salvation.
Also, you can read a past post on “tongues” here.
God Bless,
Agent Tim

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Agent Tim Online » Blog Archive » Beyond Tongues: It’s All About Love Says:
November 9th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
[...] On this blog I’ve looked at spiritual gifts before, and wrestled with tongues, and have even been mentioned on Adrian Warnock’s blog when I opposed his “Simple Gospel” when he listed receiving the Holy Spirt as a seperate step in Salvation. I still oppose it, and I think my opposition is in need of an explanation that was deeper than that explanation of gifts that I offered my readers early on in my blogging career. When one is looking at spiritual gifts, he needs to define it very clearly. This step is essential to discussing and exploring further gifts, especially speaking in tongues. “Walking by The Spirit” in Chapter 5 defines a gift as “a Spirit-given ability to edify other believers to the glory of God.” Gifts are given by the Spirit, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7-11: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit…Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” Furthermore, these gifts that are given by the Spirit enable us to minister on a “spiritual level.” To put it simply, any non-Christian can communicate to another being who is saved or unsaved, but they cannot minister spiritually to the another person. A gift is different from a talent, which is a skill that is used on a physical level, whereas a spiritual gift is used on a spiritual level. A spiritual gift matters much more than your average talent such as writing, speaking, sports, or art. [...]