What is the Gospel?

Posted On May 29, 2020

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The English word gospel literally means “good news” and is found over 75 times in the New Testament. The Greek word is euangelion, which is where we also get our English words evangelist and evangelical. So what is this good news?

The short answer is this: the gospel is God’s eternal plan to save the world.

I have friends who would react to this in a skeptical way at best. The world needs saving? Really? And why?

To understand, we need to start with who God is.

God’s Authority

God created everything from nothing through the power of his word (Genesis 1:1). Think about that. It means that as Creator, he owns the creation. It belongs to him.

Further, God created us, so we must admit that he owns us as well. God has a perfect right to tell us how to live and decide what our relationship with him will be like.

Now I know that some might find the idea of being subject to God’s authority distasteful. Maybe because of some very personal, painful memories of other relationships. I can only plead with anyone who feels this way to try not to let a painful past get between you and God.

God’s Goodness and Justice

We know that God is good (Psalm 34:8). We know that he loves each one of us and cares about us (1 Peter 5:6-7). Since God is love (1 John 4:8), then everything he does is in love.

God made us to dwell with him under his care forever. Our purpose was to know him, love him, and glorify him. To glorify God means to enjoy him and trust him; and obey his will, commands, and moral code.

God has a perfect moral code, which he revealed to the Israelites through Moses (Deuteronomy 5:1). It’s known as the Old Testament Law, the core of which is the ten commandments. 

God is also perfectly righteous and just (Jeremiah 9:23-24, Psalm 89:14). His justice means that he will confront any injustice or wrong-doing concerning his moral law. Any lack of conformity to God’s morality whether in act, disposition, or state is what the Bible calls sin.

According to God’s perfect justice, the penalty for sin is death, eternal separation from God in hell forever (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:14-15). God simply will not allow evil of any kind to dwell in his presence (Psalm 5:4). Ever.

Our problem is that not a single one of us can ever live up to God’s law. This means we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). All of us.

It’s Not All Our Fault

I talk about the story in a different post. But when Adam and Eve chose to betray God, they plunged themselves and all of creation into a state of sin (Romans 8:20-22).

Sin is like a virus that corrupts what was good. Because Adam and Eve could not pass on what they didn’t have anymore, they passed this corrupt state of sin onto their children, and eventually on to the rest of us (Romans 5:12).

All of us are born in a state of sin, so in a sense, this wasn’t our fault. That said, we commit acts of sin. The sinful state we inherited causes us to do this, but we are each responsible for our own actions.

Sin is a horrible thing that hardens the heart and darkens the mind toward the truth about God. We’re actually in bondage to our sin (John 8:34). Do you have any habits (whether in actions or just thoughts) that you hate but you can’t seem to break free of? The human heart becomes the root cause of all kinds of evil; and is responsible for almost all of the suffering in the world (Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 15:18-19).

Note that our sinful state has nothing to do with being nice. Many of us are very nice compared to other people. But not even the nicest among us could ever live up to God’s morality (Romans 3:10-12).

Further, there is nothing that any one of us could ever do to remove our sin on our own. Religious rituals won’t do it. Going to church won’t do it. All the acts of kindness and good deeds in the world will never do it.

If we want to turn toward God and restore our relationship with him, something has to be done about our sin. Fortunately, because God loves us he initiated a rescue plan.

The Rescue

God the Father sent the second person of the Trinity, the Son, down to earth to save humanity. Jesus came to die on the cross to take the penalty for our sin so that we can be made right with God (John 3:16).

Jesus knew from the beginning that his mission on earth was to die for God’s people. The angel at his birth even announced that “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus foretold his death throughout the gospels (Matthew 16:21). He said that he came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). And several times, Jesus predicted his resurrection from the dead (John 2:18-22, Matthew 12:38-40, Matthew 16:21).

Jesus never broke God’s moral law because he led a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22). He didn’t deserve the penalty of death. But he purposely died as a substitute for us. All our past and future sins, along with our sinful state, can be removed from us and exchanged for his perfect righteousness. Theologians call this The Great Exchange. In simple terms, it means in God’s eyes we are forgiven. Since we can’t earn it, it’s a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). All we have to do is ask.

The Proof

That Jesus died and came back to life as he predicted is proof that the gospel message is true.

When Jesus died, his disciples were afraid and in hiding (John 20:19). Then, within weeks, they were boldly preaching in public. What happened? The resurrection. And interesting, although the apostles did teach the gospel message, it was not their central claim. The central claim of the early church was the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:22-24). Why?

The apostles knew that the resurrection proved that the entire story, and the gospel message, are true. If Jesus was raised from the dead, then everything he said and taught must be true. Else, why would God raise up a liar?

We clearly see this principle when Paul wrote, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

News of the resurrection was of first importance and spread fast. Everywhere they went, the apostles preached the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Paul makes the claims and provides the evidence. That Jesus died was proved by his burial. That he was raised on the third day was proved by the eyewitnesses. Many were still alive at the time of writing so the story could be verified. Finally, that all of it took place according to the scriptures means fulfillment of prophecy and confirmation that Jesus is the promised Savior.

The Response

To be saved from our sin, we’re called to repent and believe (Mark 1:14-15).

To repent means turning away from our sin, hating it, and resolving with God’s help to forsake it. This doesn’t mean we never make a mistake and sin again. But God will give us the ability and strength to gradually overcome the sins in our lives that incessantly try to keep us in bondage.

Believing means that we understand the story to be real events that actually happened. But it’s so much more. It also means making a decisive choice to trust. We cast our lot with Jesus, clinging to him in faith to take our sin away from us.

The answer is to pray to God and just talk to him about it. Repent, believe, and trust.

The result is, well, supernatural. A very personal relationship with God is healed, and we are reconciled to him (Romans 5:10). We are justified before God, free of the guilt of sin (Isaiah 1:18). There is no more condemnation for those made right with God (Romans 8:1-2). We never have to worry about what happens after we die. Eternal life and a home in heaven are guaranteed (John 14:1-3, 1 Peter 1:3-4). And God gives the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, to live with us in our hearts, to counsel us, encourage us, and help us overcome our sin (John 14:16-17). Through the Holy Spirit, we will know that we are now a part of the family of God and saved forever (Romans 8:16).

If you’ve not personally decided what you’ll do with the gospel, can I urge you to seriously think about it? Millions of people alive today have been changed for the better forever because they decided to believe. There’s no better way to live than reconciled with a good God who knows you, cares about you, and loves you. He will not let you down (Deuteronomy 31:8).

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