Whatever else we may discuss, whatever theological points we may consider, the Christian Church has a calling to present Christ to the world and call all men to come to Him for salvation.

What should Christian pastors preach? The short answer: Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). I wonder how many people after listening to our teachers would consider that to be an accurate summary of our preaching.

There are many issues in theology that flow into and flow out of the central issue of Christ and Him crucified, but, as we teach those points, we must always remember that Christ is the focal point. Christ and Him crucified must define our preaching, teaching, and presentation to the world.

There is a simple reason for this. Believing in Jesus Christ is what saves. If we do not present Christ clearly, then there is no object of faith.

This also implies that with the proclamation of Christ, there must also be a call to come to Christ for salvation. We must urge people to make a decision about Jesus.

This is the pattern that we see throughout the New Testament. Jesus proclaimed Himself and called people to come to Him for salvation. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said, “He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

This is also what the Apostles preached. Peter preached, “To Him all the prophets witness that through His name, whoever believes in Him will be saved” (Acts 10:43). Paul proclaimed, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Someone may object, “This is all fine and good for unbelievers, but believers need to move on to other things.” But such a mindset forgets that the Christian life is a life of faith. Faith produces obedience and love, and this is true throughout the Christian life. Consequently, the preaching of Christ is the primary nourishment of the Christian life from beginning to end.

Faith in Christ begins the Christian life, and it sustains the Christian life. The Apostle Paul said, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it, with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:6–7).

But certainly, we should not merely present the object of saving faith to believers. We must present Christ to the whole world. What better time than Christmas to do so? We can tell people around us, “We remember at this time of year that Jesus came into the world. Do you know what He said about Himself? ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.’ Are you a follower of Jesus?”

Whatever else we may discuss, whatever theological points we may consider, the Christian Church has a calling to present Christ to the world and call all men to come to Him for salvation. This is not just one thing on a list of things to do. It is the central thing and the focus of all our labor. Everything else should flow into or out of this one thing, preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Wes White is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently serving as the Pastor of New Covenant Spearfish Presbyterian Church, Spearfish, South Dakota. This article originally appeared on his web site and is used with permission.

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]