Inside View May/Jun 2021
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is devoted to sharing the gospel. Gospel is part of our name; and since our inception in 1938, we have lived up to our identity as followers of Jesus Christ to share our faith with everyone who will listen. Each day brings new opportunities to tell the wonderful Good News of salvation through God’s only begotten Son, the Messiah of Israel.
The importance of believing in Jesus pertains to everyone. To accept that we are condemned by our sin, incapable of removing that sin ourselves, and that only faith in Jesus reconciles us to God is a matter each person must settle individually. The Bible says no other name is given to us whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:12) and that no one can come to God the Father except through Jesus (Jn. 14:6). Trying to come to God any other way results in separation from Him for eternity.
Consequently, we want our families, neighbors, and ultimately the world to know the Good News of redemption through Christ. Why? Because the gospel alters our lives for the good. It changes our trajectories forever—both for life here and the life to come. Some people have more dramatic stories of coming to faith than others, but all testify to the gospel’s transforming power.
Here is something to consider. Each time someone comes to faith in Christ, God is fulfilling His promise to bless the world through Abraham’s Seed (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). In fact, the apostle Paul said that God, knowing He would someday save Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham when He said, “In you all the nations shall be blessed” (Gal. 3:8). Isn’t that amazing?
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel nearly 30 times; and each time, I am reminded of the power of the gospel. If not for the gospel, there would be no reason to go to Israel. In fact, I doubt there would be an Israel.
God created the Jewish people as an integral part of His plan to redeem the world. Abraham fathered them. Inspired by God’s Spirit, Jewish men penned the Holy Scriptures. Salvation came to Israel first. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was Jewish. The apostles, whom God used to launch the church, were Jewish. It was Jewish men who brought the gospel to the Gentiles. And God’s future plans to restore His Kingdom flow through Israel.
When Christians visit Israel, we testify to the power of the gospel that spread from Israel to the world. Paul put it this way: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Rom. 1:16–17).
In this issue, you’ll read testimonies from people who have been transformed by the gospel’s power. Because someone was not ashamed to tell them about Jesus, they were saved from lives of bondage to sin and despair and lifted to lives of hope and freedom.
We care enough to share the gospel—the greatest message ever. To withhold it would be like failing to toss a lifeline to one who is drowning. The Lord has made the Good News easy to understand: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). If you have never believed, please don’t wait. Doing so will make a difference in your life for eternity!
