Is the Gospel about avoiding Hell?

When we share Christ with others, what do we say? What do we say is the point of the good news, the goal? Heaven when you die? Avoiding Hell? What about now? Darrell Bock is the research professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary and I think he has some good things to say about the "good news" and how we emphasize the heart of the message:


"...So the gospel is not about avoiding hell or getting to heaven; it is about coming back into a healthy relationship with the living God, on His initiative and grace. It is not about going or not going somewhere; it is about someone. Frankly, when we share the gospel, we often leave out this personal dimension that involves God directly. Rather we tell it so that it is about us and where we go. When we do this we suggest the gospel is about a single moment and where we stand. However, the gospel is about what God does to bring us to Himself. He is the subject of the action and we respond to His kind initiative as the beneficiaries of His grace. The good news is about what God has done for us. So when we discuss it or present it, we should make the ongoing relationship the key topic. Otherwise people think a decision is all there is to the gospel, when it is far more."--Darrell Bock

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