“One Gospel, One Lord, No Other”
There has always been only one gospel.
Not one for Jews and another for Gentiles.
Not one before the cross and another after the resurrection.
Not one in the first century and another for later generations.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism—and therefore one gospel of Jesus Christ for all people, in all times.
When Jesus walked among us, he did not offer a provisional message that would later be revised. He did not teach one way of believing during his earthly ministry and intend another way of believing after his resurrection. He spoke as the Son who had come from the Father, revealing what it means to have life. And he spoke plainly. He said that believing in him is not empty speech or passing agreement, but a life that abides in his word. He said that those who continue in his teaching are truly his disciples, and that only such disciples are set free from sin. He warned that those who remain enslaved to sin will die in their sins. These are not side comments or temporary instructions. They are the words by which life and death are measured.
The disciples who heard those words did not stop living by them when Jesus went to the cross. They did not set them aside when he rose from the dead. They did not forget them when the Spirit was poured out. Instead, they understood that everything Jesus had said had been confirmed, not canceled, by his death and resurrection. The risen Lord did not tell them to teach something new. He told them to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe everything he had commanded. The gospel carried into the world after Easter was the same gospel that had been lived before it, now proclaimed with greater clarity and power.
When Paul was sent to the Gentiles, he did not bring a different message. He did not tell the nations that belief alone was now enough, or that obedience to Jesus’ teaching was optional. He proclaimed the same Jesus as Lord and called people to the same allegiance. What he refused—rightly and forcefully—was the idea that Gentiles must become Jews or keep the works of the Mosaic Law in order to belong to God. But removing that barrier did not lower the call of discipleship. It extended it. Jew and Gentile alike were summoned into the same life: trust in Christ, freedom from sin, and obedience born of faith.
Paul’s letters never present faith as a bare decision disconnected from life. He speaks of the obedience of faith, of being set free from sin to become servants of righteousness, of living by the Spirit rather than the flesh. He warns believers that to return to sin is to return to death. These are not contradictions of Jesus; they are applications of his teaching across ethnic and cultural boundaries. The same Lord speaks through both.
The confusion enters when faith is reduced to something less than what Jesus meant by it. When belief is turned into agreement instead of allegiance, when grace is treated as permission instead of power, when salvation is reduced to a moment rather than a life, the gospel is quietly altered. But the New Testament will not allow that alteration. It refuses both legalism and lawlessness. It offers grace freely and demands that grace be lived.
And because this gospel is one, it cannot be changed by time. Centuries passing do not soften Jesus’ words. Councils do not revise his teaching. Creeds do not replace his call. Theology may explain, defend, or distort, but it never has authority to redefine. The church is not the author of the gospel; it is its witness. When the message remains what was first given, the church is faithful. When it drifts—even with good intentions—it preaches another gospel.
This is not a message of despair; it is a message of hope. The call to abide in Jesus’ word is also the promise of freedom. The command to turn from sin is joined to the gift of the Spirit. The demand for obedience is matched by the grace that makes obedience possible. The gospel does not ask us to save ourselves. It asks us to entrust ourselves fully to the One who saves—and to follow where he leads.
There is one gospel, because there is one Savior. One call, because there is one Lord. One way of life, because there is one truth that sets people free. And that gospel still stands today, unchanged and unchangeable: Believe Jesus Christ is the light of the world sent by the Father, abide in his word, be freed from sin, and live. Anything less is not a development. It is another gospel. And there is no other.
Suggested sermon slides
Introductory Title Slide
Slide Title: One Gospel, One Lord, No Other
Slide Content:
- One gospel for all people
- One Lord for all times
- No other message, no revision
Visual Suggestion:
A simple cross centered over a world map, muted colors, no text clutter.
Section 1 — One Gospel, No Divisions
Slide Title: One Gospel for All
Slide Content:
- Not one gospel for Jews and another for Gentiles
- Not one gospel before and another after the cross
- One faith, one baptism, one Lord
Visual Suggestion:
Interwoven threads forming a single cord, symbolizing unity without separation.
Section 2 — Jesus’ Teaching Defines True Belief
Slide Title: What It Means to Believe
Slide Content:
- Belief that abides in Jesus’ word
- True discipleship is continuing faith
- Freedom from sin, not slavery
Visual Suggestion:
An open scroll or Bible with light falling across it, suggesting revealed truth.
Section 3 — Life and Death in Jesus’ Words
Slide Title: Set Free or Die in Sin
Slide Content:
- Slavery to sin leads to death
- Abiding in Christ leads to freedom
- Jesus’ words are final, not provisional
Visual Suggestion:
A path splitting into light and shadow, emphasizing choice and consequence.
Section 4 — The Cross and Resurrection Do Not Change the Message
Slide Title: The Same Gospel Before and After
Slide Content:
- Jesus’ teaching was not temporary
- The resurrection confirms, not cancels
- Disciples lived the same gospel after Easter
Visual Suggestion:
An empty tomb at dawn, subtle and reverent.
Section 5 — The Great Commission and Continuity
Slide Title: Teaching All He Commanded
Slide Content:
- Make disciples of all nations
- Teach obedience to Jesus’ commands
- One message carried forward
Visual Suggestion:
Silhouettes of people from many cultures walking toward a shared horizon.
Section 6 — Paul’s Gospel to the Gentiles
Slide Title: No New Gospel for Gentiles
Slide Content:
- Jesus proclaimed as Lord
- Faith as allegiance, not mere belief
- Freedom from Torah, not from obedience
Visual Suggestion:
A Roman road stretching outward, symbolizing the gospel going to the nations.
Section 7 — Faith That Obeys
Slide Title: The Obedience of Faith
Slide Content:
- Faith transfers allegiance
- Freedom from sin leads to new life
- Grace empowers obedience
Visual Suggestion:
Chains broken at the feet, with light rising upward.
Section 8 — The Source of Confusion
Slide Title: When Faith Is Reduced
Slide Content:
- Faith turned into agreement
- Grace mistaken for permission
- Salvation reduced to a moment
Visual Suggestion:
A blurred image sharpening into focus, representing restored clarity.
Section 9 — One Gospel Through All Time
Slide Title: No Barrier of Time
Slide Content:
- The gospel does not evolve
- Councils and creeds do not redefine
- The church bears witness, not authority
Visual Suggestion:
A timeline fading into the distance with a cross standing immovable at the center.
Section 10 — Another Gospel Is No Gospel
Slide Title: Hold Fast to What Was Given
Slide Content:
- No easier gospel
- No revised message
- No other Lord
Visual Suggestion:
Hands holding a flame, symbolizing guarding what has been entrusted.
Section 11 — Grace That Transforms
Slide Title: Grace That Sets Free
Slide Content:
- Grace is God’s gift
- Obedience is its fruit
- The Spirit makes life possible
Visual Suggestion:
A tree with deep roots and visible fruit, symbolizing living faith.
Section 12 — The Call Today
Slide Title: The Gospel Still Calls
Slide Content:
- Believe Jesus Christ is the light for all sent by God
- Abide in his word
- Live in freedom
Visual Suggestion:
A sunrise over an open road, representing invitation and hope.
Closing Slide
Slide Title: One Gospel. One Lord. One Way of Life.
Slide Content:
- “Anything else is another gospel.”
- “And there is no other.”
Visual Suggestion:
A simple cross on a plain background, no additional imagery.
AI wording as prompted by Stephen D Green
