Esteemed Welsh preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones once offered a bold test for true gospel preaching: If it isn’t mistaken as a license to sin, then it isn’t the gospel at all. At the beginning of his commentary on Romans 6, he wrote:
“There is no better test of whether a man is preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this: that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this—that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do. You can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. That is a very good test of gospel preaching. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.”
The radical message of grace has always been misunderstood, just as Paul’s preaching was in Romans 6. To this day, many Christians hesitate to proclaim the true gospel of radical grace. They try to add conditions—Jesus plus good works, Jesus plus church attendance, Jesus plus personal effort.
But the truth remains: We’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Rom. 3:22).
This doesn’t mean our actions don’t matter. It simply means that salvation isn’t something we achieve—it’s something we receive. The work is done. Our role? Believe and receive. And from there, true transformation begins.
Radical Grace
The pure gospel of grace is so radical that it often raises eyebrows. Paul himself had to clarify in Romans 6:1–2: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!”
The accusation that grace promotes sin has followed the Gospel throughout history. But if our message is so cautious that it avoids this misunderstanding altogether, then perhaps we aren’t preaching the same Gospel that Paul did.
I like the way Paul put it in Romans 11:6: “And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.”
Salvation is either by grace, or it’s by works. It can’t be both.
Jesus + Nothing = The True Gospel
If our gospel requires more than faith in Christ, it’s no longer the gospel. Any message that adds to Jesus’ finished work—whether it’s religious rituals, moral performance, or personal striving—diminishes the very grace that saves us.
The true gospel sounds almost too good to be true, but that’s precisely why it is both good and true.
Salvation is not about what we do; it’s about what Christ has done. We don’t work for it. We receive it. And in receiving it, we’re forever changed.
If your gospel can’t be falsely accused of being a license to sin, it’s not the gospel.
This article originally appeared on gregstier.org and is reposted here by permission.