Paul concisely and precisely states the terms of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5: "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."

 Let us take a closer look at this biblical definition of the gospel.

 The Gospel Defined

 The main topic of this passage is Jesus Christ and the sequence of events that make salvation possible for sinful men. The gospel is that message "by which also you are saved" (verse 2). As the message is preached it takes root in a human heart that is ready to turn from sin and to trust Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The message speaks to the person's need to be lifted out of his state of danger and lostness. Salvation can be defined as the divine act whereby a person is given a spiritual status change through his deliverance from the kingdom of darkness and his transferral into the safety and blessing of the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:12,13).

 The gospel is a description of how God has arranged for a sinner's salvation. Paul states, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (verses 3,4).

 Christ's death, burial and resurrection are the only basis upon which a sinful person can approach a holy God. The gospel has at its heart the fact that the death and resurrection of Christ have removed the barriers between a Holy God and sinful men.

Note also the phrase "according to the Scriptures" (verse 4). This refers to the fact that Jesus' death and resurrection are the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. The law, the Psalms and the prophets all pointed to the necessity of the sacrificial death of the Messiah (see Psalm 16:8-11, Isaiah 53:5,6 and Luke 24:25-27). Thus, the death of Christ for the forgiveness of sins is the focal point of God's redemptive plan. As such, it is to be the central focus of our presentation of the gospel.

 Verses 4-6 speak of the resurrection of Christ and of His subsequent appearances. The implications of the resurrection of Christ are two-fold. First, the resurrection vindicates His sacrificial work on the cross. His payment for sin was accepted by God; the barrier between man and God now is abolished. The Spirit now can be given freely (John 7:37-39). The way is open for the repentant man or woman to come to God.

Second, the resurrection means that Jesus is alive and available to us today. As the risen Lord, He now sits at the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-35) from where He offers the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33; John 7:37-39), the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 26:28) and a share in His eternal kingdom. (Acts 26:18).

Thus, the gospel is both information concerning Jesus and His invitation to step into His kingdom, and a demand that men and women repent and embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. It is the message of God's saving grace grounded in the event of the cross. It relays the significance of God's work of reconciling men to Himself through that cross. By its very nature, the gospel compels those who know it to share it.

 The Challenge of Precision

 I believe that there are three compelling reasons for taking seriously the challenge of presenting the gospel with theological precision.

 The first is the purity of the primary focus of the gospel. James Denney states, “The simplest truth of the gospel and the profoundest truth of theology must be put in the same words, ‘He bore our sins.’ ”1 As we learned from Paul's definitive statement of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 the death of Christ for sin is the focal point of God's redemptive plan from ages past. Paul states in no uncertain terms, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). The point here is not so much that this was the subject matter of which Paul first spoke, but rather that Paul saw the death of Christ as that which is central to the gospel message.2

 Why is this so crucial to the purity of the gospel? Paul writes in Romans 3:25,26 that the cross was a demonstration of God's righteous character in dealing with sin. Paul explains that God is both judge – He  punishes sin on the cross of Christ – and justifier – He forgives the one who has faith in Christ. The death of Christ for our sins shows us both God's holy character and His deep mercy. “The divine necessity is not just to forgive, but to forgive in a way which shows that God is irreconcilable to evil, and can never treat it as other or less than it is.”3

 The death of Christ for sin teaches us the reality of God's love for sinners and His repugnance for sin as that which destroys His creatures and His created order. As James Denney states, “He would not do justice to Himself if He displayed His compassion for sinners in a way which made light of sin, which ignored its tragic reality, or took it for less than it is.4

 Therefore, the evangelist must ensure that whenever the gospel is communicated, it speaks with great precision and clarity to the issue of man's greatest need, to be forgiven of sin. God is not content to deal merely with surface symptoms of the sin problem. The cure of the gospel speaks with force, frankness and insight to the root problem of sin. The purity of the gospel must be guarded. The righteous character of God is at stake.

 The Spirit's Work

 The second reason for taking seriously the challenge of precision is that God promises that the Holy Spirit will impress on the non-believer the validity of the gospel message. As we have seen, the gospel speaks primarily to man's need for the radical spiritual status change brought by the gift of the Spirit and the forgiveness of sins.

It is to this primary emphasis of the gospel that the Holy Spirit is said to bear witness in John 16:8-11. “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged." Let us take a closer look at this passage.

 The word convict in verse 8 "is a legal term that means to pronounce a judicial verdict by which the guilt of the culprit at the bar of justice is defined and fixed.”5 John continues, "Concerning sin because they do not believe in me" (verse 9). He is referring to the Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of men and women, creating a sense of inescapable guilt and responsibility before God. The Spirit focuses squarely on the issue of lack of belief in Christ. God wants people to realize that the source of all sin lies in an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference toward Jesus Christ, and He sent the Holy Spirit to see to it that the unbeliever understands this issue.

 Note how God's Spirit, like the knife of a skilled surgeon, cuts through the superficial symptoms and gets to the root of sin. Sinful lifestyles and specific acts of sin are not His focus. He brings men face to face with the root cause of sin in a way that blocks off all escape through excuses or rationalizations.

 The Spirit is also said to convict of "righteousness" (verses 8,9). God's holiness and character form the perfect standard by which men's actions will be judged, and this righteousness is found only in Jesus Christ. As this reality is brought to light, the sinner will realize his own deficiency before God and is led to the realization that Jesus' death for sin is the only escape route from his awful state of alienation and spiritual death.

 The Spirit also comes to convict the sinner of impending judgment (verses 8,11), the inescapable destiny of all who refuse to repent and believe in Christ. They have aligned themselves with Satan's kingdom and will share in its downfall, which was secured when Satan and his spiritual forces were defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus (John 12:31, Colossians 2:15).

 It becomes obvious that the primary concern of the gospel, the good news of it, is that sin can be forgiven; righteousness, or a correct status or standing from God, can be attained; and judgment therefore can be averted. We are promised that the Holy Spirit reveals these very truths in the lives of the unsaved, to prepare their hearts to respond to the gospel.

 The Example of Lydia

 Paul's founding of the Philippian church is an example of how the Holy Spirit works in conjunction with the sharing of the gospel. Acts 16:13 records that Paul "began speaking to the women who had assembled. " One of those women, Lydia, was obviously interested in Paul's presentation of the gospel. As she listened, Luke records, "The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. " What a beautiful combination of the power of the gospel to save and the Holy Spirit's behind-the-scenes work of conviction.

 The point here is that the gospel needs to speak clearly to the very concerns that the Holy Spirit creates in hearts. It is as though there were a gospel-shaped keyhole in the heart of the nonbeliever, and only the gospel fits the lock. The evangelist's verbal presentation of the gospel message must be congruous with the behind-the-scenes, powerful work of the Spirit. The Spirit will create a felt need in the hearts of those to whom we present the gospel. Of course, it has been a real need all along, but the patient must personally appreciate the need if he is to accept the remedy of the gospel gladly. He must be made painfully aware of the fact that his lostness will not just go away. But once the reality of his state without Christ is made evident, what good news the gospel will be! It will speak directly to the needs of his heart, and there will be a beautiful meshing of the promises of the gospel to deliver from the darkness of sin, and the person's growing sense of need to have this happen in his life. The gospel will then be the dynamite of salvation in his life.

 The Challenge of Relevance

 The third reason for taking seriously the precision of the gospel is the need for relevance. It presents the Christian with both his greatest opportunity and his greatest challenge in communicating the gospel. Relevance touches the question of how to communicate the never-changing Christ to an ever-changing world of diverse and ever-changing individuals. George Peters observes, "It is a fact that the effectiveness of evangelism depends to a great extent upon our ability to make the gospel message relevant to the religious needs and hopes, the aspirations and anticipations, the yearnings and strivings, the fears and frustrations of the people.”6 Anyone who is serious about communicating the gospel to our generation must take to heart the concern of relevance.

It is sad, but all too true, that many people reject or remain indifferent to the gospel not so much because they disagree with it, but because it is alien to their world of thought and outside of their realm of comprehension. Chapters 18 and 19 will cover the matter of relevance as it relates to our personal communication style. But I want to make clear at this point that making the gospel relevant (communicating it in terms and concepts that our generation can readily relate to and understand) touches dramatically on the precision of the gospel message.

The issue is this: How can the communicator of the gospel find "common ground," a point of contact, between the gospel message and the felt needs of the nonbeliever and at the same time stay true to the primary focus of the gospel, that Christ died for our sins?

Walking this communication tightrope is no easy matter. We live in a generation that is profoundly out of touch with the real need to enter into a personal relationship with Christ. The gospel implies that all men are lost and in need of forgiveness. Its reception into the human heart depends upon men and women being in touch with the reality of personal sin. If this is not the case, the gospel is at best an irrelevant message. As C. S. Lewis states, "Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing as far as I know to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need any forgiveness.”7 Another author notes, "In some ways, having a sense of sin has become a giant anachronism to a great number of men and women.”8 Indeed, a recent poll reveals that nearly one-half of the people in a very religious midwestern state do not believe they are sinful, and 83 percent of them rejected the biblical doctrine of the depravity of man.9

Karl Menninger, psychiatrist and social commentator, takes our generation to task for its refusal to admit that sin is still a personal and societal reality. In his work Whatever Happened to Sin?, Menninger suggests that sin, of course, has not disappeared. It has just been renamed and swept under the rug.10 The last ten years have seen the popularizing of sin euphemisms. A euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. Thus, we no longer fornicate; we have "pre-marital sex." We no longer commit adultery; we have an "affair." We don't tolerate pornography; we attend "adult movies." Filthy language is for "mature audiences." Homosexuality is not sin but an "alternate" or "same sex" lifestyle. Abortion is not a pro-death position, but a "pro-choice" alternative.

 Sin is no longer viewed as a condition of personal wrongdoing and rebellion against a Holy God. Rather, man's state of alienation from God – if it is recognized at all – is, at best, described as a psychological problem needing treatment, but not forgiveness. "Sin" is just one of the many tolerable imperfections and weaknesses of the human condition, and who can be faulted for not being perfect? Who can be held responsible for being weak? Our culture mutters Flip WIlson's "The devil made me do it" or cries out Steve Martin's "Excuuuuse me for being imperfect," and evades its personal responsibility before God and man. What the Bible calls sin is certainly not seen by most of our culture as a condition meriting eternal judgment. Just as in the days of Jeremiah when the Jews glossed over their guilt of rejecting God and mistreating their fellow citizens by reasoning "I am innocent, I have not sinned" (Jeremiah 2:35), so the present-day American culture has all but lost touch with the implications of the ominous reality of sin. In the words of Baptist theologian A. H. Strong, society is guilty of the greatest sin, which is to be conscious of none.11

 Good News or Nonsense?

 Into this theological vacuum steps the gospel message and its offer of forgiveness of sins. It doesn't take much intelligence to realize that we might have a "relevance gap" here. People usually listen to a message only to the degree that they feel it speaks to their felt needs. People are not likely to accept a solution to a problem they don't believe they have, or listen to answers to questions they have never asked, or, in the terminology of this book, pursue a remedy for a disease they think does not exist or is not serious. When was the last time you saw a telethon for the flu? So the sensitive communicator realizes that the good news might be perceived as irrelevant nonsense or, at best, nice thought but not really pertinent.

 The Danger in Relevance

 Faced with this prospect of offering an "irrelevant" message to a disinterested or passive audience, the communicator begins to feel the tension between the common ground, – the point of relevance to the nonbeliever – and the primary focus of the gospel. In the face of this tension, the communicator may be tempted to fall into the trap of what I call accommodation. Accommodation involves (1) emphasizing certain benefits of salvation over the primary benefits of the cross – forgiveness of  sins, the gift of the Spirit, and a radical kingdom status change – and (2) addressing felt needs without reference to the reality of man's lostness and the provision of salvation through the cross of Christ.

The accommodation approach usually focuses on a relevant cultural need, then suggests Jesus as the one to meet that need. "Come to Jesus, for He wants you rich, perfectly healthy, popular and fulfilled." "Come to Jesus and He will assist you in your pursuit of self-actualization, weight loss or a happy marriage." The message is made clear: "Whatever your felt need, Jesus is relevant to it." What is implied is that Jesus will meet you right where you are, and on your own terms.

Of course, some of these needs are valid desires. Who doesn't want a great marriage, vibrant health and a good self-concept? Other felt needs, however, are simply extensions of sinful patterns that need to be repented of, broken and forgiven, not complemented in a personal relationship with Christ. The subtle danger in appealing to such needs – whether good or bad – is that they easily can become ends in themselves, with Jesus seen as simply the means to that end, whatever fulfillment the person is seeking.

The gospel is compromised and stripped of its saving power when it is diluted and reconstructed to speak to the needs of the human heart without reference to the cross – and that is tragic.

 I once counseled a student who had professed faith in Christ a few weeks earlier. But his life did not seem to change at all. I asked him what was going on in his heart since he had trusted Christ, and he responded, "I was lonely and I knew that Jesus didn't want me that way, so I invited Him into my life so I wouldn't be lonely anymore. But I'm still lonely." I later learned that this young man had been encouraged to trust Christ solely on the basis of his felt need of loneliness – a felt need that never led him to consider the cross and thus did not lead to his salvation and, I might add, never cured his loneliness.

 This approach is a misuse of the concept of relevance. If relevance becomes an end in itself, it degenerates into accommodation and compromise. The communicator is constrained to search for a point of contact between God and the sinner other than the "irrelevant" sin problem.

One might protest, "Is it not valid to package the gospel in today's terms and present it as touching on today's concerns?" One might further protest, "Is it not valid and indeed wise to focus on the individual's felt need and then present Jesus as the One able to meet those needs, even if that means ignoring or postponing discussion of the sin issue?" As one author puts it, "It is more profitable to center on the fact that Christ does more to ease the pain of a frustrated life than anybody else." This author goes on to argue that to make an issue of an individual's sin problem, unless he first brings it up, is spiritually immature and manifests a "neurotic desire to appear superior at the expense of others." To do so is called "unprofitable theological or psychological speculation."12 This line of reasoning implies that we must communicate only those aspects of Christian truth which are perceived to be relevant to the non-Christians, for they are not likely to respond to a solution to a problem they don't know they have.

Yes, there is a sense in which this desire for cultural and personal relevance is perfectly appropriate. The Old and New Testament authors borrowed words and images from their culture to convey the basic idea of the gospel. Paul borrowed word pictures from the courtroom (justification), the marketplace (redemption), domestic life (adoption), and even from pagan religions (propitiation), to package the dynamite of the gospel. The method obviously worked. People were confronted with their need for Christ in language they understood. Indeed, Jesus approached the woman at the well with the common ground of thirst, and He approached the sick and the blind on the common ground of their felt need to get well. But note the crucial difference between the practices of Paul and Jesus and the practice of accommodation. Jesus was always careful to do one thing: ensure that the packaging of the gospel did not violate the primary intention of the gospel to announce to lost sinners the necessity and opportunity to step into God's salvation. The necessity to repent, believe the gospel and enter the Kingdom of God were always center stage. Though Jesus dealt initially with the woman's thirst (John 4:7), He moved quickly to bring up her sin problem (verses 16-18).

Relevance and the Integrity of the Gospel

 The fact that sinners do not gravitate toward discussing their sin problem, or even believe that they have one in the biblical sense of the word, is a problem that will not go away. So how can we be relevant to these people without compromising the integrity of the gospel?

 I think the key is found in the communication strategies of Paul and Jesus. Here we find two principles which, if followed, will enable the Christian communicator to walk the tightrope between preserving the fidelity of the gospel and finding a relevant point of contact between God and the sinner.

 The Principle of the Primary Versus the Secondary

 The tension between the cultural relevance and fidelity of the gospel can be resolved partially by recognizing the distinction between the primary, secondary and tertiary focuses of the gospel (see Figure 1).

 As we have noted, the primary elements of the gospel refer to those issues centered on the gospel's offer of salvation in all if its multifaceted splendor. This is summed up in a kingdom transfer (Colossians 1:33; Acts 26:18), the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit primarily concerns Himself with the sinner's need for these gifts (John 16:8-11). It was to secure these gifts for the believer that Christ was born, died and raised from the dead.

 These three gifts are the primary and initial point of contact between the gospel and a sinner. One might say that they are normative. In other words, all new believers share in the same experience.

FIGURE 1

PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY ELEMENTS OF THE GOSPEL

1. Primary Elements of Gospel – Justification/Regeneration and Kingdom Status Change. Instantaneous and normative for all.

 2. Secondary Elements of Gospel – Renewal/Sanctification. Not immediate, but in God's timing for all believers.

 3. Tertiary Elements of Gospel – Continued Renewal/Sanctification. A process and individually tailored.

 As we move to the secondary concerns of the gospel, note that here we are dealing with results of the primary elements of the gospel taking root in the new believer's life. Though these lifestyle changes flow naturally and inevitably from the primary salvation gifts, they are not to be confused with the primary focus of the gospel.

 The secondary elements are not immediate, nor are they normative. All new believers do not experience these results in just the same way.

 The primary gift of forgiveness of sins will naturally work itself into the life of the new believer through a conscience increasingly freed from the debilitating presence of guilt. The gift of the Spirit will naturally produce the fruit of the Spirit, resulting in a more joyful, loving person. But a distinction needs to remain between the immediate, normative and primary; and the subsequent, individualized and secondary concerns of the gospel.

The tertiary segment completes the circle. What salvation touches it changes, and salvation touches the whole person. Every thought, word, deed and relationship will come under the renewing influence of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). In this sense, we could say that there literally is nothing in our lives to which Christ does not ultimately relate.

The Model Applied

 Let us consider how this model (Figure 1) can help us in actual situations of communicating the gospel. What do we do when the nonbelieving culture in general, has no sense of sin and thus no felt need for the gospel?

 Let me suggest what not to do. Do not change the gospel to emphasize Jesus' relevance to a problem or felt need that is less than sin. This method only short-circuits the work of the Spirit and subverts the saving power of the gospel.

 Note that nonbelievers' felt needs are most likely to fall under the secondary and tertiary concerns of the gospel.

 Is the gospel of Jesus Christ relevant to a lonely person, or to one struggling with meaning and purpose in life, or, for that matter, to anyone with any of the numerous felt needs so common to the human condition? Yes, of course. Self-concept, love, joy, an integrated personality, a good marriage, purpose and direction for living are all elements of life that salvation in Christ will inevitably and profoundly touch. Jesus is concerned about all these needs and, yes, a relationship with Him will bring His healing touch to all of these areas.

 But the evangelist must realize that felt needs in these areas are always a result of a real need which is addressed by the primary focus of the gospel. The root of a man's loneliness is his alienation from God. The root of man's lack of purpose, lack of direction and interpersonal problems is His rebellion toward God. The source of a man's poor self-concept is his guilt and alienation in relation to his Creator. Thus, all of a person's felt needs (at least, those that are a reflection of God's image within him yearning for completion) are symptoms of man's primary problem, which is the primary focus of the gospel: "He bore our sins."

 Zero In

 As an evangelist, I must indeed relate Jesus Christ to the whole person in his total predicament, but I must initially and primarily address the sin, guilt and alienation issue. Why?

 First, we have discussed, the purity of the gospel is at stake. Second, I must make sure that there is congruity between the gospel I communicate and the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting men of sin, righteousness and judgment. Third, I must appreciate the power of the gospel to bear witness to its own ability to create a platform of relevance and common ground. The Word of God can and will win and hold our hearers.

 Let me explain. The fact that the non-Christian has the symptoms is evidence that he also has the root problem. As an evangelist, you need to convince the nonbeliever that his symptomatic felt need is traced to his real need which is resolved only in the cross of Christ. And how might you convince him that his felt need is merely a symptom of this deeper issue? The answer, I hope, is simply to share the gospel with boldness, clarity and sensitivity, pointing out that the cross of Christ speaks to the core problem of the individual. Be quick to point out that Jesus is interested in bringing His healing touch to the symptom, but explain that first He desires to heal the problem which gave rise to that symptom in the first place.

As you are explaining the gospel, remember that the Holy Spirit is working behind the scenes to convince the non-Christian that every symptom can be traced to the root problem of unbelief in Christ (John 16:8-11). Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in all of its purity and simplicity, Jesus is surely at work.

God's gospel is designed to effect the response of repentance and faith in the life of a nonbeliever. God has given us the gospel to share in all of its simplicity and power because He Himself has invested the message with spiritual power to impact the human heart. Remember, it is the power (dynamite) of God for salvation (Romans 1:16) performing its work in those who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

As Jonathan Edwards put it, "The warnings of God's word are more fitted to obtain the ends of awakening sinners, and bringing them to repentance, than the rising of one from the dead to warn them."13 He further states, "He who made the faculties of our souls knows what will have the greatest tendency to move them, and to work upon them."14 As James Denney observes, "Yet all experience shows that the gospel wins by its magnitude and the true method for the evangelist is to put the great things in the forefront,"15 "For the preaching of the atonement has something to do with producing the very state of mind on which its reception depends."16 We show them the gospel of Christ that they might come to grips with their felt and real needs. We do not even preach sin that they might come to Christ; we proclaim the gospel of Christ that they might come to a knowledge of their sin. Our message is Christ-centered, not sin-centered. The grace of the gospel is a magnet to the heart that is truly in tune with the convicting ministry of the Spirit. The grace of the gospel exposes the folly of the heart that is out of tune with its great need and wins the honest heart to Christ.

 This truth was demonstrated to me not too long ago. I spoke to a group of men about how Jesus Christ was relevant to their future plans, especially in the area of giving them meaning and purpose in life. As I met afterward with one of the men who wanted to know more about the gospel, I asked him why he was interested in Christ. His response was that he "needed direction and purpose in life." As we talked further, it became obvious that this man had never considered the personal ramifications of Christ's death on the cross for his sins. I suggested that he give me his opinion on a short presentation of the gospel. As we came to the part that discussed Christ's death for man's sin, I asked him if he thought this was relevant to his present situation. I explained that the root cause of man's lack of direction in life was directly related to his alienation from God. I could see the proverbial wheels turning in his head as he considered for the first time the eternal ramifications of his guilt and alienation before God and their remedy in the cross of Christ. The young man was profoundly touched by the simple, gracious truth that "He bore our sins," and he later came to a saving knowledge of Christ. God got this man's attention via his lack of purpose and direction in life, but the gospel – not content to speak merely to symptoms – healed his root problem.

I would have done an injustice both to this young man and to the gospel had I been satisfied to relate Christ's relevance to his lack of purpose and to leave it at that. That would have been equivalent to treating a patient's symptoms at the expense of healing his disease. Without the cross of Christ, there is no true remedy for man's sin; there is, in other words, no true salvation, as the term is biblically understood. That is why Richard Lovelace could say, "Indeed, no conversion is complete that does not deal with the problem of sin."17

 We do the unbeliever no favors by allowing him to make a "decision for Christ" that is motivated by a presentation of the "gospel" that fails to deal squarely with the sin issue. We are dealing with eternal matters here; men's souls are at stake. Therefore, the burden of precision weighs heavily on the evangelist. The evangelist must work to avoid what is known as a spurious conversion experience, where the potential believer believes he is entering a personal relationship with Christ when in reality he is merely using Jesus as the means to an end of meeting his felt need.

Of this burden of precision, Robert Ferm remarks, "He (the evangelist) will be particularly cautious for he knows that the stimulation of a spurious conversion may well constitute a prohibiting factor for any future, true conversion. Many persons, as it has been shown, have been very satisfied with a spurious conversion."18

As James Denney states, "The condemnation of our sins in Christ upon His cross is the barb on the hook. If you leave that out of your gospel, I do not deny that your bait will be taken...but you will not catch men. You will not create in sinful human hearts that attitude to Christ which was created in the New Testament. You will not annihilate pride and make Christ the alpha and omega in man's redemption."19

An Illustration

 Suppose you are on an ocean liner ten miles out to sea. It is a clear day and you are walking on the deck when you see a man struggling in the water 30 yards away. He seems to be frantically swimming in the same direction as the boat. As you look more closely, you see to your great surprise that he is doing quite well. He waves at you and smiles. "Where are you going?" you ask.

 "To Hawaii," he replies with great confidence.

"You will never make it," you scream. "It's over 2,000 miles from here. Why don't you come aboard?"

 "No, I've made it this far," he assures you, "and I'm sure I'll see you there."

 Your arguing is fruitless, but you have an idea and you return to your cabin. You come back with a map of the world, your position marked on it. You put it in a bottle and throw it to the swimmer. "Here, look at this and you'll see how far you have to go," you tell him. "You'll drown. There's no chance you'll ever make it."

 "I'd like to prove I can make it myself," he retorts. "1 don't need a boat ride. I can swim it. It's not that far."

Upon further encouragement, he takes the map out and while treading water notes, "Boy, it's a lot farther than I thought, but I can make it, I think."

 The hours pass and, to your relief, the swimmer begins to look exhausted. His strokes are less assured. You call to him, "Are you ready to ride? Please grab on to this life preserver and I'll pull you aboard. "

 Now you will see if he really understands that Hawaii is beyond his range and that he would eventually drown in the insane pursuit of trying to swim the Pacific. You are delighted when he begins to swim toward the life preserver. He grabs hold, and you drag him aboard. Then you ask him why he finally changed his mind. His answer reveals that he never did really understand his predicament. "Seventy miles of swimming can make a man hungry. Besides, I was getting waterlogged and felt that I needed to dry off. And it sure was lonely out there, with only you to talk to. And it seemed like people on the boat were having such a good time, I just wanted to join in."

 Application

 This rather silly story illustrates the point quite, well. The swimmer's reasons were all wet. He displayed the profound gift of being able to avoid the primary issue of the matter: He would eventually drown if he kept on because the goal was beyond his reach. Why did he need to get on the boat? Because otherwise he would die. Did coming aboard alleviate his wetness, hunger and loneliness? Of course it did. But this was not the correct reason he needed a "change of heart." This was not the primary issue that the helpful man was speaking to. That was not why he threw him the map or life preserver or experienced the great joy and relief upon the swimmer's return to the ship. The swimmer had profoundly misunderstood the reason for his rescue.

 On a spiritual level, this has serious ramifications. Apart from the gospel being clearly and precisely presented, it is very likely that no true conversion will take place and no salvation will be experienced by those who are superficially interested in Jesus. It is true that whosoever will, may come, but those truly prepared by the Holy Spirit to do business with Jesus will not come with their fingers crossed behind their backs. They must do business with Jesus on His terms and His terms alone. "God is there for the desperate man, for the man who needs Him; there is no point in offering faith to the man who is not ready to repent."20

 In Summary

 I am convinced that we can have both a relevant message and a cross-centered message. As George Jackson sums it up, "Questions of the hour, interesting topics, meeting felt needs may serve some useful end. They may help, like the ringing of a bell to gather a crowd, but there is nothing people tire of more or much sooner, than the sound of a bell. The bellman must have something to say."21 Attempted shortcuts may really be the longer way around. In our eagerness to achieve relevance, to get a hearing for the gospel, we must not forget the true gospel for which the hearing is to be gained. As Dr. E. V. Hill says, "Preach Christ – He’s preachable."