The gospel (the good news that Jesus died for sin and rose again to redeem and reconcile people to God) is good news, but it’s only good news to those who hear it, who hear it in time, and who believe it when they hear it.
Paul wrote a well-known verse about the good news once when he declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 ESV )
Who gets to be saved from the wrath of God? All who hear and heed and believe. Jews and Greeks. Those who are in the holy lineage of the Messiah and outsiders too. Anyone! Everyone! All who believe!
The only thing as important as embracing the gospel of salvation in Jesus is the task of passing the good news along to others. There is absolutely no greater cause for which to live than the spreading of the good news to others. As Paul put it earlier in the chapter, our high and holy calling is to “bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.” (Romans 1:5 ESV)
So if you’re living the rest of your life 1.) to pass the gospel along, 2.) to every person on the planet, 3.) for the fame of His name … then who’s next? For whom are you praying? With whom are you talking about Jesus?
Good news needs to get there on time.
