Definition of terms/Clarity on Ideas

Presentation of the gospel: it refers to the manner/pattern used in communicating the gospel. For instance, preaching, teaching, one-on-one conversation etc.

A saved person: in the concept of the gospel is someone who has eternal life by faith in Christ, which is characterised with having a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ, communion with the Holy Spirit, promised sactification now and glorification in the future when Christ shall come.

HOW MANY THINGS SHOULD A PERSON KNOW FROM THE WHOLE GOSPEL IN ORDER TO BE SAVED?

The Scripture does not tell us how many biblical truths in the gospel that one should know to be saved because all those truths are about a person and that is Christ Jesus. IT IS JESUS CHRIST WE ARE TO BELIEVE FOR US TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT HIM AND NO ONE TRUTH IS CHOSEN OVER THE OTHER. The Bible makes clear that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe (Romans 1:16-17)and the subject of that gospel is Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-6). The following are some of the verses that point us to the fact that we are called to believe Christ to have eternal life(John 3:16, 8:23, 20:31). SO AS LONG AS IT IS THE TRUTH OF CHRIST FOCUSED ON WHO HE IS AND THE PURPOSE HE CAME, WHICH TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS THAT IS PREACHED TO US, GOD WILL SAVE US WHEN WE BELEIVE THAT TRUTH.

The duty of the minister

Because of that, what I often consider to be of importance for every preacher is this: “The preacher is called to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel, God is the one who saves. False presentation of Christ saves no one. Jesus said it is the truth that sets us free.”[1]

EXAMINING THE QUESTION: IS IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO KNOW THE DEITY OF CHRIST ETC. TO BE SAVED?

This question is different from the first one. The first one focuses on the number while this one focuses on the content of the gospel.

The pressure the question brings if not well examined

The question may cause the preacher of the gospel if not well examined for a good answer to end up somehow with a conclusion that shows nothing is necessary about Christ or only one thing is necessary of ALL truth revealed in the Scripture for our salvation. Let me demonstrate my point this way: Is it necessary that one should know that Jesus died on the cross in order to be saved? Let’s suppose you say, “Yes.” Let us ask another question: is it necessary to know that Jesus rose from the dead? Let’s suppose you say, “No.” What if you preach the resurrection of Christ and someone gets saved? Are you still going to say it is not a necessary thing? Other questions would be, what is necessary for one to be saved? Let’s suppose you say to believe in Christ for eternal life, which is right. However, there are things to be known about Christ which should convince someone as why Christ is the only one who gives eternal life and of those things how many are necessary and which ones are not? Another question would be, when does one truth of Christ become necessary for one to be saved and when does one doesn’t? Or does it mean that when one is saved through one truth about Christ that makes other truths about Christ not necessary at that moment?

If you make a mistake of just saying one truth is necessary and the others are not, of the manifold truth the Bible has revealed in the gospel for our salvation, the dilemma that you face is that every time in your preaching you have to reach at that goal because that is the only necessary thing for one to be saved which one needs to hear.

The question leads you to say yes to other truths about Jesus and no to other truths about Christ when not well examined for a good answer, because the foundation of what is necessary is based on your determinination, which may be influenced sometimes by your observation from your experience in presenting that truth, as the only thing people should know to be saved. For instance, if from your experience many people believed when you preached the resurrection of Christ, you pick that as the only thing that people need to know to be saved and deem other truths as not important. This is a problem because not all are saved because they heard the resurrection though the resurrection is important in the gospel. Some get saved by knowing that Jesus is the Son of God. Some get saved by knowing that Jesus died for us on the cross. Why is this the case? It is because God is the one who convicts us and He knows how to use His truth to save us. WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THIS SAVING WORK. We may all aim to bring people to see Christ as their Savior but we cannot control how people are going to be convicted by the truth we preach.

Right and Biblical Solution to the question

As mentioned above, everything about Christ is necessary for our salvation and our presentation of truth does not determine which is necessary and which is not. God is the one who uses the truth of the gospel to save and our job is to preach the whole counsel of God. Whether you touch on one thing about Christ or everything about Christ, if that is possible, you should know that the Bible presents these truths as necessary for our salvation. For instance, the Bible tells us that it was necessary that Christ become flesh so that He may make us holy (Hebrews 2:11). With this, we quickly notice that the humanity of Christ is necessary for the accomplishment of our salvation. What about in our presentation? In 1 John 4:2-3, John says, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (NIV).” So, it is not only on the accomplishment of our salvation is the humanity of Christ necessary but also on the presentation of the gospel: preaching the right Christ matters and therefore becomes necessary in our knowledge of Christ for eternal life.

• One may ask, how can all things about Jesus be necessary (that which is necessary is something that you cannot do without) for our salvation that is both in the accomplishment and application of that salvation when one can get saved by knowing few things about Him? Good question! We have to understand that the necessity of all that is of Christ is patterning to the whole of salvation: justification, sanctification, and glorification. With this, we know that God feeds us from the abundance of Christ in this salvation in parts until we have all that He promised us in Him.

• I knew few things about Christ when I got saved does it mean that other things where not necessary for my salvation? The good answer will be: The level of our knowledge of what is true is not the determiner of what is necessary and what is not. Jesus put it in very simple terms: it is the truth that sets free. Everything about Christ is true. Whether you know little or know more about Christ, God can still save you through that by faith. All that you do not know is still neccessary though applied by God in the way that He planed salvation to look like.

• Should one know everything to be justified or given eternal life by faith? The Bible does not say one should know everything, and it is difficult in this life to know everything about Christ.

Here is the logic that summarizes my explanation

The preacher then can say, “I may not preach everything about Christ, but you can be confident that the truth that I share with you about Christ can save you by faith.” The preacher is rescued from using his wisdom in the presentation as the basis of what is necessary for the hearer to be saved. The Gospel as a Whole then remains the fountain of life for all those who believe. WE CANNOT DIVIDE CHRIST.