EXCLUSIVE!

Reporters and journalists dream of landing the exclusive—an interview with a mover and shaker—some big news that nobody else has. Today, you are privileged to read the biggest exclusive—the most dramatic piece of news ever shared. That good news is called in Romans 1:1, “the Gospel of God.”

This Gospel is exclusive to the Christian faith—no other religion has it. It is THE Gospel from THE only true and living GOD! Therefore, it is properly called, “the Gospel of God.”

The Gospel isn’t a message that Paul, or any other man, invented. It was birthed in the heart of God from eternity. It is the only good news there is!

Religion can’t offer you good news. Look into the faces of the monks and mullahs. You will see a miserable countenance. See people trying to wash their sins away by bathing in the Ganges River, or bowing toward Mecca, or saying the Rosary, or stuffing a prayer in the Wailing Wall. It is all an effort to somehow appease some god somewhere, without ever knowing for sure if you’ve done enough. That’s not good news. That’s bad news!

Martin Luther tried the route of ritual religion. He dedicated himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, and frequent confession. He gave this testimony of bad news, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. Frantically, he attempted to jump through every hoop that Rome prescribed as the way to make one acceptable to God. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailor and hangman of my poor soul." The guilt weighed upon him so heavily that he nearly went insane. But it was then, reading the book of Romans, he found the good news that the righteousness God demanded, He supplied in His Son. He was transformed and the world has never been the same. That is the power of “the Gospel of God!”

It is an exclusive message, for only those who place their faith in Christ can be saved. Yet, it is also inclusive in that anyone who does receive Christ will be saved! Have you done that? If you were to stand before God today, and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say? Only one answer is acceptable, “Because of the work of Christ for me. I believe He died for me and rose again to save me. I have placed my life and my hope for heaven in Him alone.” Dare you trust anything else? Would you boast in being raised in a Christian home, or walking down an aisle, or going into the baptistery, or teaching a Sunday School class, or…whatever you might think to do to earn eternal life? IT CANNOT BE DONE! Rest your faith in Christ exclusively!

If you are trusting in Christ, are you sharing this “Gospel of God” with those who haven’t heard it? In a former day, there were many who had heard, yet not responded to the Gospel. That is no longer the case. They may have heard a lot of bad news religion. What they need is the Good News!