GOSPEL, The Gospel, who is it for, C. H. Cayce The gospel is for the benefit of the child of God. The unregenerate have no part in the matter whatever. The natural man, which is an unregenerate man, one who is not in possession of the Spirit of God, “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,” says the apostle in 1 Cor. 2:14. In this text he is talking about the things which be preaches — that the natural man does not receive them. The gospel is good news, glad tidings. It is the news of what Christ has done for poor sinners. It is the news of what Jesus has done for those He has saved. There is no news in the gospel for or to the sinner who has not been saved by Christ. So the gospel is to the ones who have been saved with an everlasting salvation by Jesus Christ. The good news of the gospel is to them. Jesus says: “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”— John 8:47. This statement being true, one must be of God in order that he hear God’s words. If one must be of God in order that he hear God’s words, the gospel cannot be to or for the one who is not of God.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”— 2 Tim. 3:16-17. All Scripture is given for the benefit of the man of God— so the apostle teaches in this language. Then the gospel is to the man of God, to the one who has been born of God.
The gospel is for the comfort of God’s children. “Comfort ye, comfort ye, nay people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”— Isa. 40:1-2. The prophet was to speak for the comfort of the Lord’s people, not in order to make people for the Lord. His speaking was to comfort the Lord’s people. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”— l Tim. 4:16. Timothy was already a child of God, had already been born of God. But by taking heed unto himself and to the doctrine he would save himself and those who heard him. He would save those who heard him from the same things he thereby saved himself from. He would save himself and those who heard him from error and false doctrine by taking heed unto himself and unto the doctrine and continuing therein. So the gospel is to save the Lord’s children from false doctrine and from the errors of false and idolatrous worship. May the Lord help us all to take heed unto ourselves and to the doctrine and to continue in the right way, and may we be found walking in the paths of righteousness and contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, is our humble prayer. The Primitive Baptist, February 19, 1907.