There is a "Christless Christianity" in today's society: people who claim to be Christians but who no longer believe in Christ. There are many enemies of the church, but no enemy is as dangerous as those who claim to be of the church but not of Christ. In describing our spiritual armor, the Apostle Paul, as the Spirit inspired him, plainly spoke of the importance of embracing the gospel. Christianity is not primarily a philosophy or even a morality. It is fundamentally the belief that God acted in history in Jesus of Nazareth, whom we call the Christ, to save us from our sins. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 he described the gospel as the historical account of Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and being resurrected. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ were prophesied in the Old Testament and witnessed by his followers. He makes this remarkable statement that Christ appeared to more than 500 believers in one resurrection appearance. The New Testament, and the existence of the church that suddenly appeared on the pages of history, testify to the historical reality of these events. The gospel is Good News, and through simple repentance of sin and faith in Christ we are given new lives. Paul called it "the gospel of peace" - through Christ we have peace with God, peace within our own hearts, and peace with one another. The world needs to know these three types of peace, and it is our privilege to not only believe in Christ but to share him as well. - Pastor David Packer
