To dispel certain concerns which you may have, I do not want to suggest that I have the right to design my own gospel or impose an obligation on the reader to believe and obey the biblical one. Only the Creator of Heaven and Earth has that right. Instead, I want to submit to the reader that the biblical gospel is an objective message that we need to understand and believe, not only because we are commanded to do so by the Creator, but because it is in our own best interests.

Of course, we may choose to ignore the message of the gospel and pursue a myriad of other things in life which can more than keep us occupied. Not that all other things are of no value, as many are genuinely beneficial in at least a temporal, external sense. The problem with these other pursuits is that if we make them our ultimate priorities in life, they will ultimately disappoint us.

If you read the other articles linked to my home page, you will doubtless agree that the message of the gospel, if true, is the most important information a human being can possess. Nothing else comes close. No other escape from the wrath of the Creator exists. Furthermore, the implications of so relatively few people believing it are ominous to say the least.

In the North American continent, it is obvious that the vast majority of the population are either secular or only nominally committed to one kind of religion or another. To those who are secular, my hope is that they will realize that they are basically betting their eternal destiny on their own wisdom, and can have no ultimate hope, however pleasurable their lives may appear. To those who are nominally committed to a religion, my hope is that they will understand the seriousness of what is at stake and adjust their priorities accordingly.

To the relatively small segment of our population that are very committed to their respective religions, my hope is that they would examine their religions in light of verifiable evidence from independent sources. When a doctor diagnoses a person as having a serious condition, most of us would probably recommend getting a second or even third opinion. Why not apply the same principle to matters of religion?

To those who are committed to some form of what is widely accepted as "Christian" religion, my hope is that they will realize that religion is not the gospel. It is man's attempt to achieve an end by his own efforts. The Scriptures command us to believe the gospel (see Mark 1:15), which is centered on what God has done. Repentance, or turning from sin, is also commanded, but this does not make us worthy of eternal salvation. Rather, it accompanies the new life in Christ.

To those of us who realize the importance of believing the gospel, we must be aware that distortions of the gospel, as well as false gospels, abound. In fact, I would submit to the reader that those who believe the biblical gospel in all its purity are a minority of those who claim to believe the gospel. If you study some of the articles which are linked to my home page very carefully, you would notice some differences between them and what is often claimed to be the gospel. Clearly, not all options are equal. Logically, when two views contradict each other, they cannot both be true in an objective sense. It is my hope that those who hold a different view would be willing to set aside their cherished traditions if that is what is needed to be more consistent with Scripture.

To those of us who by the grace of God accurately understand and believe the biblical gospel, it is my hope that we would not misrepresent it by wishing any ill will upon those who have a different view or be unwilling to cooperate on any level with them. We need to respect the right of others to pursue what they understand to be a meaningful life, and to engage in dialog with them on our differences when it is good and proper to do so, not interfering with their right to pursue life or honorable work. We should keep in mind that many things about which we are uncomfortable in this life are relatively insignificant compared to the importance of whether or not someone believes the gospel. In these ways the cause of truth will be furthered.