Understanding this question is of fundamental importance to the purity of the church and the wellbeing of people all over the world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s perfect plan of salvation, whereby we can be reconciled to Him, through repentance from our sin, by trusting alone in the shedding of Christ’s precious blood on the cross to save us from sin’s penalty, power, and the damnation of hell. It is so much more than praying the sinner’s prayer, professing to be following Jesus, being religious, or attending church.
Sadly, in the 21st century, the church doesn’t understand the Gospel and has lost sight of its core message. Today, many false messages are proclaimed which purport to be the authentic gospel story, however, when tested by the Bible, prove to be utterly false. It is my conviction that the gospel must be rediscovered like in reformation times.
The word “gospel” comes from the Greek word (euangelion) and means good news. But good news from whom? What is this good news about? and why does mankind need it? To answer these questions, we must firstly grasp that it is a message from God. The Apostle Paul defined it as, “the gospel of God” Romans 1:1. God produced it. It started with Him. Paul didn’t think up the gospel. It wasn’t a product of his own mind . He didn’t learn it in school or university, nor from a book, or dream it up laying in bed. He learnt it by divine revelation. The Gospel was divinely revealed to him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s perfect plan of salvation, whereby we can be reconciled to Him, through repentance from our sin, by trusting alone in the shedding of Christ’s precious blood on the cross to save us from sin’s penalty, power, and the damnation of hell.
The late Dr. Paisley said, “that before the Gospel had its reception by man, it had its inception in the heart and mind of God”. This introduces us to the Doctrine of God. Scripture introduces us to God. “In the Beginning, God created the heaven and the earth”, Genesis 1:1. The first word in the Hebrew Bible is God (Elohim a plural noun). The True and Living God. God as Creator. God who reigns sovereignly over the whole universe. A Triune God. A Holy God. Remember “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth”.
Secondly, it is God’s remedy for human sinfulness. This explains its necessity. All men are vile, guilty, hell-deserving sinners who need to be saved from their sin. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. Now when did all sin? The answer is “in Adam”. See Romans 5:12. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”, I Corinthians 15:22. In Adam mankind inherited the guilt and punishment of his first transgression. Additionally, we incur guilt for every other sinful word, thought and deed. Therefore, all men have a bad record before God. In the fall, we also inherited a polluted heart that loves sin. All men are born spiritually dead in trespasses. They are without God, full of a love/bias for their sin, without strength to save themselves, and are enemies of God, Romans 5:6-10.
Thirdly, it centres in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s only, eternally, begotten Son. God provided a Saviour: the first Gospel promise was given in Eden. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel” Genesis 3:15. See also John 3:16, Galatians 4: 4. The Bible teaches, “..that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”. I Corinthians 15:1-4: Christ was born for us, kept the law perfectly for us, died for us on the cross, and shed His precious blood. Picture who died, when it happened, where, and the way. Think of the horrible death by crucifixion and ask, why? God sent Him on a mission of mercy. It was agreed in the covenant of redemption between Father, Son and Holy Spirit that Christ would come into the world in a real human body, become the substitute, surety, the sin-bearer, the sinless, sacrificial lamb to satisfy the justice and holiness of the sin-hating God on behalf of all who trust Him as Lord and Saviour . See also John 1:29, 3:16, Hebrews 10:4. Paul also emphasises the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ stating that without it, our faith is in vain and we are still in our sins. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the gospel. It is the proof that Jesus Christ is the eternal son of God and that He defeated death, sin and the devil via His finished work and shed blood. It is through the resurrection that we have a sure and certain hope, and the assurance of eternal life.
Fourthly, it includes a call to repent and believe the gospel. It must be believed and received. This remedy for human sinfulness must be partaken of. God calls for repentance and faith to be excised by all who are born again. What is repentance? The Shorter Catechism states, “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience. What is faith? “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the gospel”.
The true christian doesn’t do good works in order to be saved but practises good works and a life of godliness because he is saved.
Fifthly, it calls for a life of perseverance in loving obedience and holiness unto the Lord. This evidence of new life in Christ is not the ground of our salvation. The ground of salvation is the blood and righteousness of Christ alone. The Lord who saves us, saves us from the power of cancelled sin and takes the love of sinning out of our hearts . He puts a new heart and spirit within us that desires a life of loving service, discipleship and obedience. The true christian doesn’t do good works in order to be saved but practises good works and a life of godliness because he is saved.
Sixthly, God’s Gospel also includes deliverance from hell and eternal damnation. Hell is real. It’s forever and not a joke. It’s rightly called “God’s Hell”. “The wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God”. Part of the problem with much modern day evangelism is that the doctrine of hell and eternal punishment has been taken out and replaced with self esteem and self help techniques. Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. Matthew 10:28.
Lastly the Gospel is a message of assurance of salvation; the guarantee of heaven and home with Christ which is far better and the promise of a glorious resurrection. II Corinthians 5:1-8 and Romans 8:33-34.
In summary, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the central message of Christianity that brings salvation to all who believe in it. It is the foundation of the Christian Faith and the means by which people are reconciled to God. It is the message that the world needs to hear because it is the only message that gives meaning and purpose to life.
