What Is The Gospel?

The gospel is a word which means “good news.”

But it starts with some bad news: God made the world good (Genesis 1:31) and created mankind upright (Ecclesiastes 7:29). But we have all turned away and broken God’s laws (Isaiah 53:6). As a good and holy Judge, God requires perfect obedience (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10), and even Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We must be perfectly righteous and holy to be right with God (1 Peter 1:15-16). But all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and continue to sin (1 John 1:8), and the penalty is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Without a miracle, none of us can stand before God. We have therefore all been rightly sentenced by a good Judge to eternal death.

Now hear the good news: God had mercy. Jesus Christ was born, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life as a perfect offering to God and gave his life for us on the cross as a payment for sins. He rose from the dead, defeating death, and ascended into heaven so that all who trust in him alone, not in their own goodness, will be raised to eternal life with him (Philippians 3:8–11). If we believe we’re good enough to get to heaven, or that our good deeds will outweigh our bad ones, we’re on our way to eternal death. But if we turn and place our trust in Christ alone, believing that only He can save us through His perfect life, death, and resurrection, we will be saved. His payment for sin on the cross is both necessary and enough. That’s the best news imaginable! If we have faith, our salvation is guaranteed, not because of our ability, but because of his.

Count The Cost

We are saved by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8). It’s a costly gift that He freely offers to us. Still, there is a certain cost we pay as students of Jesus, to leave a life rebellion. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Jesus said it would be hard, and few would follow him to life: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Respond

God calls all people everywhere to repent (turn way from a general lifestyle of sinning and instead turn to a life of living for God) and believe this good news. Those who truly believe are never the same. Our lives are forever changed. We are a new creation. It is like we have been born all over again.

Read God’s Word and commit to God’s people. If you’ve believed this message for the first time, please tell someone. Begin reading God’s Word in a bible, either online or a paper one. Find a gospel-believing church (a regular gathering of Christians) and commit to attending, not to earn anything, but as an act of grateful obedience to what God taught us to do in his Word, and to love and serve others. No gathering of Christians is perfect, but God’s people need you there, just as you need them. We can’t do this life alone. Below are some church searches that may be helpful. And if you have any questions or want to talk, I’d love to hear from you.

Church Searches:

• https://www.9marks.org/church-search
• https://founders.org/church-search/
• https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/churches/
• https://www.arcchurches.com/find-a-church
• https://churches.sbc.net/

What do you mean by “adorn the Gospel?”