It's Simple

But I fear, lest by any means,

as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty,

so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

II Corinthians 11:3

The basic truths of the word of God are simple. They are simple enough to be understood by a child. As a matter of fact, without a child-like heart, no one can understand these things.

The Gospel is simple

The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:3-4). There is no need to complicate this. God himself died in our place because our sin justly requires the death penalty (Romans 6:32) and he loved us enough to pay that penalty for us (John 15:13). He was buried to prove that he really did die. He rose out of the grave to prove that we could have eternal life in him.

Receiving the gift of eternal life is as simple as changing our heart’s attitude toward our sin, believing the Gospel with all of our heart, and putting all of our trust in him.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

When people refuse to believe the Gospel they put themselves at risk of being blinded to the Gospel:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

II Corinthians 4:4

If the Gospel is so simple, why do so many reject it?

Because we must become as little children to receive the Gospel and we don't naturally want to do this. We must confess our sin to God with child-like honesty and believe the Gospel with child-like faith. This takes humility and a willingness to allow God to replace our sinful life with a godly life as he sees fit.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Mark 10:15

Following Christ is simple

When a person becomes God's child by believing the simple Gospel and entrusting their eternity to Christ, then following Christ is simple also. A child of God must grow and how much they grow is determined by how much they love him. When we love him, we seek his will in his word, he reveals it to us, and we do what he says. It's that simple.

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

Psalm 119:98-100

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John 7:17

If following Christ is so simple, why do so few follow him?

Because we must follow him like a child who loves his father. This means that we actively seek his will in his word and then simply believe and obey it. This does not come naturally to us. We must allow him to change our hearts and our lives in ways that often conflict with our own ways of thinking and living. Few people who claim the name of Christ love him enough to follow him in this way. Those who do love him realize that he wants to change us simply because he loves us, wants to use us to be a blessing to others, and wants to bring glory to his name. They that follow him find that there is joy in this way of living.

And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

I Corinthians 8:2

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

I John 5:3

Have you believed the simple Gospel?

Are you simply following Christ?