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Conveying God's Holiness and Justice Without Watering Down Gospel

The Gospel, understood as the good tidings of great joy for all people, reveals the grace of God and brings life and immortality to light through Jesus Christ [5]. Preaching this Gospel faithfully requires conveying both God's holiness and justice without diminishing its core message of salvation. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that ministers should preach the Gospel with sincerity and as those sent from God, not "peddling the word of God for profit" [2, 3].

God's holiness is a foundational aspect of His character [12]. The Scriptures consistently call believers to holiness, stating that "God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness" [4]. The doctrines of the Gospel themselves are described as godly and leading to holiness, condemning immorality [9]. Ministers of the Gospel are to be examples of sincerity and are to speak things that align with sound doctrine [9, 10]. John Gill, in his commentary on Isaiah 6:3, notes that the seraphim crying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" expresses the subject matter of the Gospel ministry, which promotes holiness of heart and life [12]. Adam Clarke similarly states that while proclaiming the Gospel, ministers must show that "without holiness none should see the Lord" [14].

God's justice is also integral to the Gospel message. The judgments of God are according to truth [8]. The Gospel reveals the knowledge of the glory of God [5]. The need for pardon, which is granted by God alone through Christ's blood, underscores the reality of sin and God's righteous standard [7]. The Gospel is the "power of God to salvation" precisely because it addresses humanity's fallen state and offers a just means of reconciliation [5]. Ministers are entrusted with keeping the Gospel pure and uncorrupt, faithfully dispensing it without adulteration [17]. This includes using "sound speech that cannot be condemned," which is agreeable to the Scriptures and the analogy of faith [18].

Preaching the Gospel involves declaring the testimony of God concerning Christ and His salvation, not with human eloquence or rhetorical arts, but with sincerity and boldness [1, 6, 13]. The message should be delivered fully and faithfully, with authority and power, urging people to "fear God" [16]. This approach ensures that the Gospel is presented as the truth, without deceit or error, consisting of doctrines full of comfort while also exhorting to the exercise of grace and discharge of duty [11]. The aim is to seek God's glory in the salvation of souls, not temporal gain or personal profit [14, 15].

Sources

  1. Acts “preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance. -- Acts 28:31”
  2. II Corinthians “II Corinthians 2:17 (BSB) — For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.”
  3. 2 Corinthians “2 Corinthians 2:17 (NASB) — For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”
  4. I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 4:7 (BSB) — For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Gospel, The — Is good tidings of great joy for all people -- Lu 2:10,11,31,32. Foretold -- Isa 41:27; 52:7; 61:1-3; Mr 1:15. Preached under the old testament -- Heb 4:2. Exhibits the grace of God -- Ac 14:3; 20:32. The knowledge of the glory of God is by -- 2Co 4:4,6. Life and immortality are brought to light by Jesus through -- 2Ti 1:10. Is the power of God to salvation -- Ro 1:16; 1Co 1:18; 1Th 1:5. Is glorious -- 2Co 4:4. Is everlasting -- 1Pe 1:25; Re 14:6. Preached by Christ -- Mt 4:23; Mr 1:14. Ministers have a stewardship to preach -- 1Co 9:17. Preached before”
  6. 1 Corinthians “1 Corinthians 1:17 (NASB) — For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Pardon — Promised -- Isa 1:18; Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12; Jer 50:20. None without shedding of blood -- Le 17:11; Heb 9:22. Legal sacrifices, ineffectual for -- Heb 10:4. Outward purifications, ineffectual for -- Job 9:30,31; Jer 2:22. The blood of Christ, alone, is efficacious for -- Zec 13:1; 1Jo 1:7. Is granted By God alone. -- Da 9:9; Mr 2:7. By Christ. -- Mr 2:5; Lu 7:48. Through Christ. -- Lu 1:69,77; Ac 5:31; 13:38. Through the blood of Christ. -- Mt 26:28; Ro 3:25; Col 1:14. For the name's sake of Christ. -- 1Jo 2:12. According to the riches of grace. -- Eph 1:7. On”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Truth — God is a God of -- De 32:4; Ps 31:15. Christ is -- Joh 14:6; 7:18. Christ was full of -- Joh 1:14. Christ spoke -- Joh 8:45. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of -- Joh 14:17. The Holy Spirit guides into all -- Joh 16:13. The word of God is -- Da 10:21; Joh 17:17. God regards, with favour -- Jer 5:3. The judgments of God are according to -- Ps 96:13; Ro 2:2. Saints should Worship God in. -- Joh 4:24; Ps 145:18. Serve God in. -- Jos 24:14; 1Sa 12:24. Walk before God in. -- 1Ki 2:4; 2Ki 20:3. Keep religious feasts with. -- 1Co 5:8. Esteem, as inestimable. -- Pr 23:”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Doctrines of the Gospel, The — Are from God -- Joh 7:16; Ac 13:12. Are taught by Scripture -- 2Ti 3:16. Are godly -- 1Ti 6:3; Tit 1:1. Immorality condemned by -- 1Ti 1:9-11. Lead to fellowship with the Father and with the Son -- 1Jo 1:3; 2Jo 1:9. Lead to holiness -- Ro 6:17-22; Tit 2:12. Bring no reproach on -- 1Ti 6:1; Tit 2:5. Ministers should Be nourished up in. -- 1Ti 4:6. Attend to. -- 1Ti 4:13,16. Hold, in sincerity. -- 2Co 2:17; Tit 2:7. Hold steadfastly. -- 2Ti 1:13; Tit 1:9. Continue in. -- 1Ti 4:16. Speak things which become. -- Tit 2:1. Saints obey, from t”
  10. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Sincerity — Christ was an example of -- 1Pe 2:22. Ministers should be examples of -- Tit 2:7. Opposed to fleshly wisdom -- 2Co 1:12. Should characterise Our love to God. -- 2Co 8:8,24. Our love to Christ. -- Eph 6:24. Our service to God. -- Jos 24:14; Joh 4:23,24. Our faith. -- 1Ti 1:5. Our love to one another. -- Ro 12:9; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:18. Our whole conduct. -- 2Co 1:12. The preaching of the gospel. -- 2Co 2:17; 1Th 2:3-5. A characteristic of the doctrines of the gospel -- 1Pe 2:2. The gospel sometimes preached without -- Php 1:16. The wicked devoid of -- Ps 5:9; ”
  11. 1 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 2:3: For our exhortation,.... Or "consolation"; for the ministry of the Gospel, which is here meant, consists of doctrines full of comfort to distressed minds, such as free justification by the righteousness of Christ, full pardon by his blood, and complete satisfaction by his sacrifice; as well as of exhortations to the exercise of grace and discharge of duty: and this was not of deceit; or "error", was not "fallacious", as the Ethiopic version renders it; it consisted of nothing but truth, it was the word of truth, and the truth as it is in Jesus; nor did it pr”
  12. Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 6:3: And one cried unto another,.... This denotes the publicness of their ministry, and their harmony and unity in it; they answered to one another, and agreed in what they said; their preaching was not yea and nay, Co2 1:19, and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; this expresses the subject matter of the Gospel ministry, respecting the holiness of God; all the doctrines of the Gospel are pure and holy, and have a tendency to promote holiness of heart and life, and are agreeable to the holiness of God, and in them the holiness of God in each of the divine Persons”
  13. 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:1: When I came to you - Acting suitably to my mission, which was to preach the Gospel, but not with human eloquence, Co1 1:17. I declared to you the testimony, the Gospel, of God, not with excellency of speech, not with arts of rhetoric, used by your own philosophers, where the excellence of the speech recommends the matter, and compensates for the want of solidity and truth: on the contrary, the testimony concerning Christ and his salvation is so supremely excellent, as to dignify any kind of language by which it may be conveyed. See the Introduction, Section 2.”
  14. 1 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 2:5: Flattering words - Though we proclaimed the Gospel or glad tidings, yet we showed that without holiness none should see the Lord. Ye know - That while we preached the whole Gospel we never gave any countenance to sin. For a cloak of covetousness - We did not seek temporal emolument; nor did we preach the Gospel for a cloak to our covetousness: God is witness that we did not; we sought you, not yours. Hear this, ye that preach the Gospel! Can ye call God to witness that in preaching it ye have no end in view by your ministry but his glory in the salvation of ”
  15. 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 9:15: For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of,.... The sense is not, that if he preached the Gospel in order for a livelihood, and to serve his private advantage, he should have no room for glorying; since, if this was the case, he should be obliged to do it, or perish for want: but his meaning is, that though he preached the Gospel ever so well, or ever so freely, and might glory before men, and against the false teachers, who insulted him in his character and office; yet not before God, from whom he received all his gifts, abilities, and qualific”
  16. Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 14:7: Saying with a loud voice,.... These ministers shall lift up their voice like a trumpet, and cry aloud, and deliver out the Gospel fully and faithfully, with great authority and power, and with much vehemence, zeal, and fervency: fear God; or "the Lord", as some copies, the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, read: not the antichristian beast and his followers, as men formerly had done; but God the Lord, and him not with a servile fear, or a fear of punishment, of wrath, hell, and damnation; nor with a distrust of his grace, love, power, and providence, much less ”
  17. 1 Timothy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Timothy 6:20: Keep that which is committed to thy trust,.... That is, the Gospel, see Ti1 1:11 which is a rich treasure put into earthen vessels, and ought to be kept pure and uncorrupt, and faithfully dispensed, and diligently preserved, that so it may be continued genuine and sincere, and not be either adulterated and depraved, or be taken away by false teachers. And it may also include his gifts for the ministration of it, which were to be kept in use, and stirred up, and not neglected, but cultivated and improved to the advantage of the church, and of the interest of Christ:”
  18. Titus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Titus 2:6: Sound speech that cannot be condemned,.... In the public ministry, the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus should be used, and the doctrines of the Gospel be expressed, as near as can be, in the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, and not in the enticing words of man's wisdom; such speech or language should be chosen, that is plain, easy, and acceptable, and conveys just ideas of things; and which being agreeable to the Scriptures of truth, and the analogy of faith, cannot be justly found fault with: or this may refer to private conversation, in which no rotten speech, o”
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