Note: All scriptures are from NIV unless otherwise stated.

Mark 16:15-18 (NKJV): “And He (Jesus) said to them (the disciples), “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow them that believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-49; John 21:15-17.

My question is this: What kind of Gospel are we sharing: 1) A Fire Proof Gospel; 2) A Sugar and Spice Gospel; 3) A Bragging Rights Gospel; 4) A Watered Down Gospel; 5) A Heretical Gospel; 6) A Greasy Grace Gospel; or 7) The True Gospel?

NOTE: These categories are of my own making.

Maybe we need to understand what the above categories mean so we can fully understand the question? The kind of Gospel that we believe and share will determine if the recipient of that Gospel will be saved. More importantly the Gospel we believe and share will determine if we are saved.

1 Timothy 3:16: “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true Godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in Glory.”

1. Fireproof Gospel: The definition is: Resistance to destruction by fire. Totally or almost totally unburnable. To make fireproof. Hell is a real place. It was NEVER made for mankind. It was created for the devil and his demons. Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10. But when mankind rebelled against God in the Garden, they were doomed to go to hell, if they did not repent of their sin. Mark 9:42-48; Isaiah 66:22-24; 2 Peter 2:4-12; Revelation 22:14,15.

We do not want ANYONE to go to hell. My question Is the this. Is the main focus of our Gospel, to scare the hell out of them? Are we more focused on hell than heaven; more focused on the devil (the problem) than Jesus (the answer)? Are we more focused on keeping them out of hell-fire than on opening their eyes and ears and the understanding of their hearts so they will turn from the devil (darkness) to Jesus (light) and be saved? Acts 26:15-18; Romans 5:12-21.

2. Sugar and Spice and everything Nice Gospel: Heaven is a beautiful place. There is nothing on earth that compares to it. Psalm 84; 27:4. But we turn the Gospel into a vacation package to sell the lost on being saved, excluding the part about repenting from their sins. Matthew 4:17; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38,39; 17:29-31. We wrap Salvation in a nice little package and place a pretty bow on it, leading the lost to believe that they will never have/experience problems and they will never have trials or tribulations. John 14:27; 16:33. No one is more surprised than them when trials and tribulations come. “They lied to me! Is Jesus a lie as well?” NO HE IS NOT! BUT SATAN IS. HE COMES TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY! John 8:43-47; 10:10.

3. Bragging Rights Gospel: “We have lead 2000+ people in a Sinner’s Prayer.” Understand this, it is not your testimony or lack thereof; it is not your Charisma or lack thereof. Because when the Holy Spirit Falls, we are going to see Healings, Deliverances and Salvations. Here is my question: How many truly repented and gave their lives to the Lord ( I went to the front to be prayed for at three different Billy Grahm Crusades)? What’s important to God? Is it the numbers or the hearts? How many who were sincere are still walking with God? How many people of God took them under their wings to help them grow? Can you say, Discipleship? Jesus is the perfect example of discipling: He taught His disciples the word of God and lead them by example. He ate with them, corrected them and always, always Loved them. He had a large following (Many of whom left Him after a sermon he preached. John 6:25-71) . He had the 12 disciples (One would betray Him (Judas) and one would deny Him (Peter). The one who denied Him (Peter) was restored to Him and would preach a message that would lead 3000 to give their lives to Jesus. Acts 2. The one who betrayed Him (Judas) would fall to eternal damnation. Acts 1:12-26). What was the difference? One repented, the other did not.

4. Watered Down Gospel: When I think of watered down, I think of the word, dilute. The definition for dilute is: To make thinner or weaker by adding water. To reduce the strength, force or efficiency of by admixture. Are we picking and choosing what parts of the gospel we want to share. Do we just stick to the baby Jesus in the manger or Jesus saying, “suffer not the children to come not unto me.” When I homeschooled my children, the Lord was clear that if I picked and chose what I read from the Bible to my children, that they would not truly know Him, and as a result would not serve Him. Philippians 3:10,11; 2 Timothy 1:10-14; 1 John 2:4-6.

5. Heretical Gospel: Heresy is teachings and opinions/ideas that are contrary to the word of God. 2 Timothy 2:14-20; 3:1-5; 4:1-5.

6. Greasy Grace Gospel: This is really one of the greatest heresies and I feel that it must be addressed separately. It is the lie that says we can live any way we wish and Jesus will still love us (There is a series of commercial that states and reinforces this heresy). Jesus does LOVE us, but Jesus HATES sin. It is like parents who love their children even though they hate the wrong path they are on and the destructive way they choose to live. Why? Because there is no repentance and unless we repent of our sins, there is no forgiveness. Romans 1:18-32; Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; Isaiah 55:6-9; Deuteronomy 30:19,20. To me the most sobering scripture is Matthew 7:21-23.

7. The True Gospel, John 3:16-21: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but who ever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the Truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 14:6,7; Luke 4:18-21; Revelation 22:6,7,12-21.