What Is the Gospel to Our Neighbor?
Read Ephesians 1:15-19 (NASB)
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians about the mystery of the Gospel. (Ephesians 3:3-4) He says that with the coming of Christ the mystery is now solved. For it was God’s plan all along that both Jews and Gentiles, who believe and put their faith in Christ might be saved. He says that we have a co- relationship with Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ, co-inheritors of the Kingdom of God. And we are co-members of the body of Christ (Ephesians 3:6).
For us as believers we understand that because of Christ’s death on the cross we have forgiveness of sins and that we who are unholy are restored to fellowship with a holy and righteous God. We have a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
As believers, we understand that along with Christ we will inherit the kingdom of God. We know that there will come a time when Christ will return and physically establish His kingdom. There will be a new heaven and a new earth and He will reign forever and we will be a part of it.
Until that time, we know that we are a part of Christ’s body, the Church. That the Holy Spirit dwells within us continually, working to transform us into the image of Christ.
This is all very good news for us, because the Holy Spirit has convicted us of sin in our lives and our need for a Savior. The Holy Spirit has given us faith to believe (Ephesians 2:8) and impressed upon our hearts the truth of Paul’s words.
But, for the most part our neighbor may have no clue as to what we’re talking about should we try to communicate these statements to him. A Christian may ask their neighbor, “Are you saved?” The neighbor may respond with a puzzled look and ask, “Saved from what? I didn’t know I was lost.” So where do we start?
Consider what Jesus did. First of all He engaged people in conversation about their lives and the things that were important to them. Remember the woman at the well (John 4:1 – 42). He brought healing to people and met their needs. (Matthew 9:18 – 36). He created a relationship with them. He visited them in their homes and ate meals with them in spite of the fact that they were notorious sinners. (Luke 19:1 – 10)
If we are to share the Gospel with our neighbors this is the place where we have to start. And this is why service to people, seeking to meet their physical as well as spiritual needs is so important. We build relationship with them. We build a right to be heard. Why do you think that Jesus said that the most important commandment was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind, with all your soul,” and the second is like it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:34 – 40)
As you pray today ask yourself who are the neighbors around me that I need to get to know? Who are the neighbors around me that I need to begin to build a relationship with. Our passage of Scripture today is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers. Take the time to read through it and rewrite it as a prayer for your neighbors. It might go something like this:
“Lord I give you thanks each day for those neighbors that You have placed around me that I might bear witness to them of Your boundless love. I pray that You through the Holy Spirit will give them wisdom and a revelation in the knowledge of who You are. I pray that the eyes of their heart may be enlightened so that they might hear Your call upon their lives. That they may know the riches of the glory of Your inheritance that you offer to them and the greatness of Your power towards those who believe. Lord I asked that You give me the courage and opportunity share these truths with them.