“So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.” Acts 8:35 NLT
Every now and again, stories appear in the news about people who pose as physicians even though they are not licensed to practice medicine. In some cases, the actions of these faux physicians prove to be destructive or even fatal for the people they are “treating.” Obviously, such malpractice is inexcusable. But what about spiritual malpractice? I believe that there are some preachers today who are guilty of harmful and destructive spiritual guidance. These questionable Christian leaders are not accurately presenting the gospel message. The litmus test for determining whether a gospel message is legitimate is simple. If a presentation of the Good News doesn’t contain a message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then it is insufficient.
Every effective gospel presentation, whether it is a sermon given from a pulpit or part of a private conversation, ultimately needs to come down to this: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin. He paid the price for every wrong thing we have ever done. And after He conquered the power of sin, He rose again to conquer the power of death. That is the essence of the gospel. That is the message we need to take to people.
Too often we bog ourselves down with too many arguments, counterarguments, and debate strategies. We look for “gotcha” moments, opportunities to use unbelievers’ logic against them. A better option is to “travel light”—to fill our thoughts with Scripture alone. If we want to be effective in sharing our faith, our message must be centered on God’s Word. That is why the apostle Paul wrote, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV).
When we commit Scripture to memory, when we know the Word of God, we have a well to draw from when someone asks us a question. And as we prepare to respond, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will bring the right passages to mind. Think again about Philip’s opportunity to share the gospel with a government official from Ethiopia. Acts 8:35 says, “So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus” (NLT). Philip was able to present the gospel accurately and at a moment’s notice because he knew Scripture. The better we know Scripture and the more of it we commit to memory, the more we give the Holy Spirit to work with. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT). When we commit ourselves to that same pursuit, we will discover not only that God blesses our efforts but also that our heart has much greater storage capacity than we can imagine.
