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repugnant because of spiritual poi–
sons, it should not be thought unusu–
al. We have had warningafter warn–
ing that the aúempt would be made.
The true gospel is lost sight of and
repudiated because Satan easily
bli nds the minds of disbelievers so
they don't really see the glory in the
gospel which was brought by Jesus
Christ ( 11 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Christ ' s Warning
Christ's ministry
began
with His
" ... preaching the gospel of the
kingdom ofGod " (Mark 1:14) . T he
first four books of the New Testa–
menl speak often about that KJNG–
DOM OF Goo.
Chrisl 's message-H1s GOSPEL–
was about lhe establishment of
God's Kingdom, and He realized
that
very few
wou1d really "get the
message." He knew people would
distort and wrest it. He knew MANY
people, while accepting His
divinity,
underslanding His
death ,
admitting
lo His
resurrection,
would
miss
the
mark enlirely insofar as understa nd–
ingjust what He was preaching: how
lo gain entry into the Kingdom. He
lamented this lack of perception in
"religious" folk when Hesaid, "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven" (Matthew 7:21 ). He said
this near the
beginningof
His minis–
lry.
Just before His death He was
sti/1
making it plain that religious-sound–
ing people would admit to His being
the Christ, but use this very religiosity
lo DECEJVE MANY- to
preach another
gospe/
(Matthew 24:5).
Apost o lic Warning
Pa ul, too,
knew
there would be
those who would PERVERT the gos–
pel of Christ and he
thundered
against them- saying they were
"ACCURSEo" (Galatians 1:7-9).
Paul believed what Christ had
said. He expected the perversion,
corruption,
POLLUTlON of the gos–
pel (JI Corinthians ll :3-4).
It
carne
early, marred deeply. Paul , J ames,
Peter , John , J ude all wrote power–
fully because of the pollution which
continu ous ly contaminated the
truth of the gospel. J ude 3-4 pleads
that il is necessary to vigorously
The
PLAIN TRUTH Oecember 1979
fight against the corrupting in–
fluence of a false gospel and minis–
try. Jude knew that ungodly, licen–
tious, lascivious men had already
defiled the truth. We, too, have
only to make the most casual exam–
ination to note the debasement and
desecration of the gospel of J esus
Chr ist-tbe gospel of the Kingdom
of God.
Tbe city dweller today has a l–
most forgotten what it's like to live
in a clean world. He's used to the
peculiar odor of his drinking water
and expects it to taste like diluted
Jaundry bleach. He expects not to
be able to see more than a few
blocks because the smog is "al-
The Gospel is the good
news that final/y a
real/y good government
is going to be
established which will
free the earth and its
inhabitants from evil.
Christ is going to rule
over that government.
''
ways" there. He has Jearned not to
rub bis burning eyes. He knows
that only makes them more irri–
tated. He breathes shallowly and
hopes be won't become an empby–
sema statistic.
So it is with t he polluted gospel.
lt's been corrupt for so long that it
just seems it should be the way it is.
Not so!
The Cause
Pollution is almost entirely due to
g reed- seeking se) f-satisfaction
the quick and easy way. Profits
must be had no matter what the
cost to envi ronment.
Our system is a suicida! one.
Collectively we accept, almost witb
eagerness, an early, torturous death
if only the system will continue to
circulate dollars, provide things,
leisure, comforts, "progress" for
t he t ime being.."They"-the ex–
perts- whoever "they" are- prom–
ise that it will all turn out just fi ne.
"They" will one day come up wit h
all t he answers. "Our utopía is as–
sured"- just trust tbem. Not
knowing what else to do, we t rust
these self-styled experts. We place
our lives in their hands-and our
waterways become ever more con–
taminated by the disgorged, loath–
some sewage of man and his indus–
try. The earth continues to have
millions of tons of poisons of a n
affluent society d umped on it. T he
ai r thickens with the effluvia l pall
of deadly gases manufactured and
eructated by our mechano-chemi–
cal way of life. Nonetbeless, the
experts
are in control.
Man usually t rusts the experts.
He sees a doctor when he's sick, a
lawyer when there 's a legal prob–
lem, an insurance broker wben he
needs an estate, a teacber when
he's ignorant, a preacher when he's
in spiritua l trouble. Between the
man and his expert advisor he
usually muddles through even
when the advice is wrong and cost–
ly. In most such problems bad ad–
vice will only result in mater ial loss
to sorne degree. But bad advice
from a preacher can be of eterna!
concern; so each of us ought to be–
come thoroughly conversant with
t he facts involved. T ha t demands
looking into t he Bible for yourselfl
No one can be t rusted witb your
sa lvation- your immor tality–
your understanding the gospel.
The gospel of Jesus Christ has
real , solid, purposeful, practica! at–
traction.
It
speaks forcibly about a
way, a system, which- if aman will
but subscribe to and live by-will
bring him into a more perfect way,
system, manner of living, kind of
discipl ine, type of government in
which all of bis good and proper
desires will find complete expres–
sion.
Evangelist a Say
Worl d-renowned preachers are
content to say, "The gospel is the
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