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ACTS 26:18

"THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL"

Intro: Paul was making his defense before King Agrippa, he is relating his call.

I. THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL.
        A. "To open their eyes."
                1. Paul speaks of the god of this world having blinded their eyes.
                2. The gospel is the best offer ever made.
                        a. A person would have to be blind not to see it.
                        b. "Though He was rich, yet for our..."
                        c. "And God made Him to be sin..."
                        d. "He came to earth in order to take us to heaven..."
                        e. "He tasted of death to give you life."
                        f. Once seeing it a person would have to be stupid not to accept  it.
        B. "To turn them from darkness to light."
                1. In a moral sense.
                        a. Darkness is ignorance; light is knowledge.
                        b. Darkness is evil, light is good, pure.
                2. In a spiritual sense.
                        a. Darkness is death; light is life.
                3. Why does a person walk in darkness.
                        a. He is evil or ignorant.
                        b. Jesus spoke of those who loved the darkness.
                        c. They seek for the darkness to hide their sin.
                4. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, He that cometh after Me..."
        C. "To turn them from the power of Satan unto God."
                1. Paul saw all men outside of Christ as being under the power of Satan.
                        a. Certainly Satan does not want you to be saved.
                        b. He desires to inspire rebellion against God's laws.
                        c. Paul speaks in Eph. 2:1-3.
                2. The Kingdom of Satan is one of sorrow, pain, and death, greed,
                        hatred.
                3. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, joy, life, love.

II. THE EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL.
        A. "Forgiveness of sins."
                1. Ps. 32.
                2. The guilt complex is the main cause of neurosis.
                        a. The guilt is also one of the hardest things to erase.
                        b. What a relief when God declares me forgiven.
        B. An inheritance.
                1. Peter speaks of "inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, reserved in
                   heaven..."
                2. Paul speaks of "heirs of God..."
                3. Jesus said, "Come ye blessed of the Father inherit the Kingdom."

III. HOW BENEFITS OF GOSPEL OBTAINED.
        A. "Sanctified "by faith in Jesus."
                1. Not by our good efforts.
                2. Not by our noble resolves.
                3. Not by changing our thought patterns to positive directions.
                4. By simple faith in Jesus Christ.
                        a. Too simple? You want to kill the dragon and steal the golden 
                           apples.
                        b. Jesus destroyed the dragons' power and is freely offering to  you
                           the spoils of victory.