The Gospel for Every PersonSample

One of the most beautiful realities of the gospel is that it is for every person. The idea that freedom and salvation are freely available to all who believed was unlike any other idea presented before Jesus and has led to a movement that has revolutionised the course of human history.

When God made his covenant with Abraham, he promised that he would bless Abraham so that Abraham’s family would be a blessing to all the peoples of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Jesus did not limit his preaching solely to the Jewish people but willingly preached the gospel to those the Jewish people despised, the Gentiles (Mark 12:19-20) and the Samaritans (John 5). At his ascension, Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled the believers to speak in languages from all over the world, and the good news of Jesus was accepted by a diverse group of people from multiple regions across the Roman world (Acts 2:7-12). John records the ultimate vision of God in the book of Revelation, where we see that at the end of time, every tribe, nation, and language group will worship Jesus together in unity (Rev 7:9).

Inclusivity is at the heart of the gospel, so it should not surprise us that Christianity is the largest multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial global movement in the world today.

The gospel is for every person because God is for every person. He loves every person and longingly desires to see all people know his love and grace.

How exciting is it that when we accept Jesus we become a part of the most diverse movement in all of human history?

The gospel of Jesus has reached many people, but the reality is that the good news still hasn't reached every person. There are still billions of people who have not encountered the transformational grace that comes through Jesus. There are still thousands of people groups across the world who have never even heard the name of Jesus, and God may be calling you to take that message to them or inviting you to enable others to take the gospel to them. There are also people within your reach right now who have not heard the good news about the good news: a neighbour, a friend at school, the person who sits across from you on the bus every day, a colleague at work.

God desires every person to call on him to be saved. As Romans 10:14-15 puts it:

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Application

After you read today's Scriptures, take some time (10-15min) to look at and meditate on the Lausanne painting depicting the gospel for every person. Yesterday the focus was on the fisherman. Today, take time to carefully examine every other aspect of the painting, especially the people the fisherman is reaching. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand his love and desire for every person and ask him to bring to mind the people he desires for you to reach with the gospel.