Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message and it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it – unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

In this issue we are going to see the following:

1.      Responsibilities of a believer towards the Gospel:

 ( “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” – I Corinthians 15:1-2)

In this we can identify that our responsibilities as a believer towards the Gospel are as follows:

a.      We have to preach the Gospel

b.       We received the Gospel

c.       We have to stand in the Gospel

d.       We have to memorize the Gospel.

Now, let us see each step in detail:

a. We have to preach the Gospel :

And every day, in the temple and in their homes, they continued to teach and preach this message (“Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.” - Acts 5:24) and to entire city (“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” - Acts 13:44). God will tell us where we have to preach (“Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” - Acts 23:11)

The first condition for a preacher is that he must accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Jesus Christ and must be taught by the Holy Spirit. Our ambition should be like this "My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, (“And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation." - Romans 15:20). Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.” - II Timothy 4:2).

b. We received the Gospel :

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.  But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. (“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” – Hebrews 1:1-2). The gospel comes to us through many ways radio, television, tract or through messenger. We received that particular Gospel. Receiving involves hearing, understanding, belief and the accepting. This makes the complete receiving of the Gospel.

Here are some few Bible references as to how the churches in New testament received the Gospel.

(Journey to the churches in New Testament:

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” - Romans 6:17

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect,  For Jews request a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness”. – I Corinthians 1:17,22,23

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” – I Corinthians 15:1-2

“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man, O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.” – Galatians 1:11, 3:1

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” – I Thessalonians 1:5

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” - Philippians 1:27

“Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel.” - Colossians 1:5)

c. We have to stand in the Gospel:

Not only receiving, Paul wants us to stand in the Gospel. Galatians Left the very Gospel of Grace( “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.” - Galatians 1:6). Instead of desolating the faith we have to be confidently and joyfully looking forward to sharing God's glory. ( “Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” - Romans 5:2).

It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to:

a. Stand firm for Christ. ( “Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God.” - II Corinthians 1:21)

b. Stand for the truth always. ( “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” - II Corinthians 13:8)

c. Stand firm against the strategies and tricks of the devil. ( “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” - Ephesians 6:11)

Why should we stand firm in the Gospel:

a. Because Now a days Satan want to counterfeit the Gospel. (“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received let him be accursed.  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:6-10)

b. Many false teachers are went out side from us. ( “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” – II Timothy 4:1)

So let us dedicate ourselves to stand in the Gospel.

d. We have to memorize the Gospel:

It makes me wonder why we have to memorize the Gospel. Because Now a days lots of false Gospels are coming into this world, hence, if we do not by-heart the Gospel, they will take us away as chaff. That’s why King David said "day and night they think about his law." ( “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither And whatever he does shall prosper.” - Psalm 1:3) It changes our attitude towards others. ( “They continue this day according to Your ordinances.” - Psalm 119: 91). Let the word of God be rich in you with all wisdom. ( “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,  singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16). It keeps us not to sin against God. (“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” - Psalm 119:11)

2.  What happens when we Receive the Gospel :

Word of God came to us, we received it and what happens when we receive it. "We are saved by this Good news" (“by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” – I Corinthians 15:2) as a result, we were born into the family of God. The only evidence of conversion is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer (“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” – Romans 8:9)

Paul asks an important question: Did they receive the Spirit By faith in the Word of God or by the doing the Works of the Law? Of Course, there would be but only one answer : The Spirit Came into the Heart because they trusted Jesus Christ.

It is important that we understand the work of the spirit in Salvation and Christian Living. The Holy Spirit Convicts the lost sinner and reveals the Christ to Him (“Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment of sin, because they do not believe in Me, of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.” - John 16: 7-11)

The Sinner Can resists the spirit. ( “ You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” - Acts 7 :51) or yield to the Spirit and trust Jesus Christ.

When the sinner believes in Christ, he is then born of the Spirit. (“There was a man of Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.  Jesus answered and said to Him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into is mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:1- 8) and receives new life.

He is also baptized By the Spirit So that he becomes the Part of Spiritual Body of Christ.  (“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many.” – I Corinthians 12: 12- 14).

The believer is Sealed By the Spirit. (“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” - Ephesians 1:13 - 14) as a guarantee that one day share in the Glory Of Christ.

Since the Holy Spirit does so much for the Believer, this means that the believer has a responsibility to the Holy Spirit, who lives with in His Body. (“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” – I Corinthians 6:19 - 20)

The Christian Should walk in the Spirit. ( “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:16,25) by reading the word of God, Praying and Obeying the will of GOD. If he disobeys God. Then He is grieving the Spirit (“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” - Ephesians 4:30) and if he persists in doing this he may quench the Spirit. (“Do not quench the Spirit” – I Thessalonians 5:19).

This doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit Leave Him, Because Jesus is Promised that the Spirit abides For Ever (“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever.” - John 14 :16). But it does mean that the Spirit cannot give Him the Joy and Power that he needs for daily Christian Living. Believers Should be Filled With Spirit (“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” - Ephesians 5 :18 - 21), which simply means Controlled by the Spirit.

This is a continuous experience like drinking water from the fresh Stream (“On the last day, that great day of the feast, John stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” - John 7 :37 - 39)