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life?
Who
has given the command–
ment , "Thou shalt not commit mur–
der" (as it should be properly
translated)? The Almighty One who
forbids murder under penalty of
capital punishment is the
only
One
who can teU us
when
terminating a
life becomes murder!
WHY Not Understood
If those professing the Christian
religion had understood what is the
true gospel of Jesus Christ, they
would be in no quandary as to
whether an abortion is
a
murder.
But, incredible though it sounds,
that true gospel was not understood
or proclaimed to the whole world
for
18 ~
centuries!
In astonishment one might ask,
"But haven' t people been preaching
Christ to the world all through those
18~
centuries?"
Oh sure! They've been preaching
Christ. They've been pleading: "Ac–
cept Christ."
"Receive
Christ! "
They've been preaching about
Christ - about his person - saying
that Jesus of Nazareth was the
Christ. But they have not been
preaching
Christ 's gospel1
And
that's why those who have listened
to them do not understand when a
human life begins and whether an
abortion is murder.
Jesus himself said this would hap–
pen. In the most important , pivota!
prophecy in the New Testament,
Jesus said: "Take heed that no man
deceive you. For many shall come
in my name [that is, professing to be
his ministers],
saying,
l
am Christ
[saying that Jesus of Nazareth was
the Christ]; and shall deceive many"
(Matthew 24:4-5).
His disciples had asked him
when
the
end
of this world - this age -
and his return to earth would occur.
He said there would be deceived
ministers preaching in
bis
name,
preaching Ch rist, deceiving the
MANY.
There would be wars, fam–
ines, disease epidemics, earthquakes
- but these were not the time of the
END.
He then said, " But he that
PLAIN TRUTH
Moy
1973
shall endure
unto the end,
the same
shall be saved. And
this gospel ofthe
kingdom
shall be preached ("pub–
lished" in Mark 13: 10] in a l! the
world for a witness unto aU nations;
and then
shall the end come" (verses
13-14).
What Gospel?
What gospel must be proclaimed
worldwide,
just befare the
END
of
this age and the second coming of
Christ to earth? He said, "This gos–
pel ofthe kingdom" - the same gos–
pel Jesus brought to mankind from
God - the gospel the world re–
jected. Jesus could not have said the
preaching of the gospel of the King–
dom would signa! tbe end of the age
if
that gospel had been preached
these
18~
centuries.
The word "gospel" means "good
news." Jesus brought news - and
good news - from Almighty God.
God sent him to earth - to mankind
- with a message - with a news an–
nouncement - the most important
news ever announced to the world.
But the world rejected it! They
crucified Christ because of that mes–
sage.
Sorne believed on him - but
refused to believe what he said!
Read it yourself in the 8th chapter
of John: "As he spake these words,
many believed on him. Then said
Jesus to those Jews which believed
on him,
If
ye continue in my word
[that is, in "my gospel"] then are ye
my disciples indeed... .
I
know that
ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek
to
kili
me, because my word hath no
place in you.... But now ye seek to
kili
me, a man that hath told you
the truth, wruch
I
have heard of
God [the message God sent him to
announce to mankind - his gos–
pel].... and because
1
tell you the
truth, ye believe me not" (John
8:30-45).
Believing on Christ in Vain
Those people "beliéved on him"
- but they did not accept his mes–
sage from God. They finally did
kili
him
because of his gospel
- the gos–
pel of the Kingdom of God!
For
18 ~
centuries, professing
Christians have "believed
on
Jesus"
- have preached Christ to the world
- but have
NOT
proclaimed his gos-
pel - rus message - his good news
announcement - bis truth - to the
world.
Because they preached Christ -
even worshipped Christ - called
themselves Christians - people
have been deceived, as Jesus said
th ey would, into believing they
preached and heard "the gospel."
Jesus said they would be deceived.
One who is deceived
does not know
he is deceived. He may be entirely
honest and sincere in his belief.
" But ," one might exclaim,
"people have actually worshipped
Christ." Yes, but what did Jesus
bimself say about that? "Howbeit
rN
VAIN
do they worship me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of
men" (Mark 7:7). ActuaUy
woR–
SHIPPING
Christ - but al! in vain,
because they
substilute doctrines of
men
for Christ's truth - for bis gos–
pel! Read it in your own Bible! As–
tonisbing! But true!
What Was Jesus' Gospel?
Note tbe very beginning of
Christ's gospel.
It is recorded in the first chapter
of Mark, starting in verse
l .
"The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God." Tben be–
ginning in verse 2 it is recorded how
John the Baptist prepared the way
before Christ.
It
records that Jesus
was baptized and defeated Satan.
Then it says: "Now after that John
was put in prison, Jesus carne into
Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the
kingdom of God,
and saying, The
time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of
God
is at hand: repent ye, and be–
lieve the gospel" (verses 14-15).
Jesus' gospel was the
NEWS
an–
nouncement of the coming world–
ruling Kingdom of God!
Not many who have "accepted
Christ" have the slightest idea of
5