Preach the Gospel

I love what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Paul had been called by God in a very special way to preach the gospel, and he did so faithfully for the remainder of his life. He preached, knowing it would send him to prison, and then he preached while he was in prison to anyone that would listen.

But he didn’t preach about things that didn’t matter—his focus was always on Jesus. Paul said he could have given expositions on other topics, but instead he chose to preach nothing except “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).”

Paul preached the gospel because he recognized it to be “the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).” He understood that the Word of God is “living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).”

Paul even encouraged young Timothy to "preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2)!"

You might not have had a Damascus Road conversion like Paul, but if the Lord has saved you, He has called you to preach the gospel. You might not be a pastor, but all believers are preachers.

If you understand the weight of the gospel message and what hangs in the balance for unbelievers, then you can say with Paul, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Make it your aim today to share the gospel with someone.