The Gospel represents an important purpose of the Word of God, which is our only divinely written authority for all matters of life.  The goal of my preaching and teaching is first to impress upon each Christian their duty to take God’s authorized and authoritative message to those who are lost. Secondly, I want the lost to learn and obey the will of God, not the will of men.
   
Yet, the questions are frequently asked, “What will become of the heathen who never heard the Gospel?” Or, “Wouldn’t it be better for a lost soul to stand before our merciful God in the judgment without having heard the Gospel than for him to have heard and not obeyed?” If a person understood the real purpose and philosophy of the Gospel, he or she would never ask those questions.
   
In order to provoke some considerations in those who ask such questions, I propose a question of my own. Such as, “What would have become of the same heathen or lost soul if there had never been any Gospel?” The Gospel was designed to save a world already condemned (cf. Romans 1:18; 2:12; 3:10-12, 23; 5:8). Lack of obedience to the Gospel is only a relative cause of people being lost. The fact is, people are lost because they are sinners.
   
The following illustration may shed some light on the point. A man is drowning, and a boat is sent out to rescue him. He turns away from the boat, refusing to be rescued, and drowns. Why did he drown?  Some people might contend that the man drowned because he turned away from the boat and refused to be rescued. However, that answer would be WRONG!  The boat had nothing to do with his drowning; he drowned because he was in the water, and he would have drowned just the same had there never been a boat. Of course, his refusing to be rescued made his drowning a case of suicide.
   
This same principle is true of the Gospel and how it applies to the sinner. The Gospel was sent out to rescue those who are perishing (cf. Romans 1:16). When a sinner turns away from being rescued his or her guilt is intensified, and it becomes a case of spiritual suicide. However, the Gospel had nothing to do with his or her perishing; they would have perished if there had never been a Gospel. Like the boat in the illustration was a means of rescue, so therefore is the Gospel.
       
Any person who has been a Christian for very long should understand that Christ has commanded the Gospel to be preached.  “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).
   
There it is in black and white. The first part of the command says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel.” The second part of the command says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” The first part of this command must be obeyed in order for the second part to be obeyed. People have the right to hear the Gospel at least once, and Christians have an obligation to deliver it.
Take note of the following six, biblically supported, reasons that the Gospel must be taken to the lost.  

First, Gospel fruit cannot grow without sowing the seed of the kingdom. As Jesus taught, in the parable of the sower, the good soil (those who hear and understand the Gospel) will bring forth fruit (Matt.13:3-8; 18-23). The fruit is not produced until the seed is sown.
   
Second, God cannot be pleased without faith (Heb.11:6), and faith depends on the opportunity for being presented with the Word of God (Rom.10:14). Faith is a product of hearing that same Word (Rom.10:17). 

Third, No one can be drawn to God without being taught about Him.  Those who hear and learn of the “Ancient of days” are the only ones who can come to Jesus (John 6:44-45). Since it is through the Gospel that the Father draws the sinner to Christ (2 Thess. 2:14), then it should be plainly seen how important it is that the Gospel be preached.   

Fourthly, teaching the lost was placed first in the curriculum for conversion by Jesus (Matt.13:15). This passage shows the need for people to “see with their eyes, and hear with their ears.”  It also illuminates the necessity for comprehension, conversion, and forgiveness. If there is no teaching, there will be no comprehension; no comprehension, no conversion; no conversion, no forgiveness. 

Fifth, In the process of being “born again” the Word of God is the essential element in the process. “Being born again...by the Word of God” is a necessity (1 Pet. 1:23). There can be no physical birth without a father, and there cannot be a spiritual birth without the teaching of the Father’s Word.
   
Finally, if there is no preaching, then there will be no salvation.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom.10:13-14). 

If one begins at the last of that passage, and proceeds to the first, the pertinence of preaching’s role shines through like a billion watt spotlight. If there is no preaching, there will be no hearing. If there is no hearing there will be no believing. If there is no believing there will be no calling. If there is no calling there will be no salvation. It really doesn’t matter if one begins at the first and goes to the last, or if they start at the last and go back to the first; the conclusion will be the same. In order for souls to be saved from eternal damnation the Gospel must be preached.