The Gospel

Most people, especially in America, have heard the gospel in some form or fashion — or at least, what they believe is the gospel.  Many people, if you approached them on the street, would likely be able to recite some form of the gospel.  And yet, most people don’t understand the gospel, don’t know truly what it is, and the tragedy of the story, most have not come to a saving knowledge of the gospel.  This article is an explanation of the gospel.  You will not be saved merely by reading this, but perhaps if God is moving within, you might begin that journey towards the savior.  Rest assured, without Jesus Christ as your savior, you will perish.  The good news is that this does not have to happen.  Please read on.

What is the gospel?

The gospel of Jesus Christ starts several thousand years ago.  It starts with the realization that God created the heavens and the earth.  While it is not popular today to believe that God created everything we see, it is nonetheless the truth.  The alternative to this truth is a belief system that teaches effectively that we rose out of the muck and the mire, out of some primordial pond scum several billion years ago.  That alternative belief system teaches that we came into being out of nothing and caused by nothing — in other words, by one giant cosmic accident!  Conversely, the Bible teaches that we were made in the image of a wonderful creator and that the Creator God made all that we see.  After man was formed by God, some time later he rebelled against God.  This rebellion was the first occurrence of sin in this new creation. Sin is at its most basic form a rebellion against God and God’s holiness.

Of course, I realize you might come to this concept with skepticism.  There is a part of you that might even be antagonistic towards this message.  And yet, if you are honest with yourself, there is another part of you that knows it is true.  You can see the magnificence of the created world.  You can see the order and design around you.  And thus, you know in your heart of hearts that a designed world ultimately means a designer; someone created what we see.  If only you could know who that someone is.  Thankfully, you can!  God has revealed Himself in the scriptures we now call the Bible.  And to prove the supernatural nature of the scriptures, God told the world in advance of the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The prophets of the Old Testament told of the coming of the savior hundreds of years before it happened.  The prophet Daniel even told us when Jesus would die hundreds of years in advance; 483 years to be exact.

Although the aforementioned is not itself the Gospel, it is important that you understand that this gospel is not something that simply materialized out of the mouths of men.  No, it was breathed out of the mouth of God.  God is in control of His creation.  And although in this present age, He allows for sinful man to reject him and carry on in evil, God has made provisions for those who believe by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  And so, let us now discuss this gospel.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that Jesus came to save us from our sins, to save us from the impending wrath of God that is the punishment for our sins.  No good deeds by men will do the trick.  No, we cannot earn our way to heaven.  To accept the gospel, we must realize that we are in fact sinners.  We must see that we are evil, that we are in rebellion against God and His laws.  We cannot pretend that we are good, but must see ourselves against the absolute holiness of God.  We must put the mirror of the Bible up against our face and ask ourselves, do we meet God’s holiness?  The answer is of course we don’t.  The Bible says that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  It is only when we come to a full understanding of that sin that we can then accept the gospel.

If you have come to a point where you do in fact believe that you are a sinner, that you are not a good person, and that you have rebelled against God, you have a choice.  You can continue on in your sins, or you can repent, turn from your sins, and believe in Jesus Christ.  You must come to God in brokenness, knowing that you deserve God’s punishment for your sins.  You must strip yourself of your pride, and seek God humbly.  The good news is that if you feel God drawing you to Him, and if you believe by faith in Jesus Christ and repent of your sins, God will save you.  As I said before, the Bible told the world before it happened that God would send a savior.  That savior showed up exactly when God said He would and was sent to this world to die.  He was battered and beaten and hung on a cross.  Three days later He rose from that grave victorious.  The Bible tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, that He bore the wrath of God in place of those who believe in Him.  He died so that we can have eternal life.  That is the gospel, the good news.

Finally, bear in mind that there simply is no other way.  In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  [emphasis mine]  The only answer to our sin problem is Jesus.  You cannot argue that other religions will bring you to God; the Bible says that Jesus is the only way.  You cannot argue that you are a good person; the Bible says no one is good, not even one (Psalm 14:3).  You must come to Christ broken, stripped of pride, and without any belief that you are a good person.  You must then believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.  You must repent and turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as you trust in a parachute to land safely.

This article is an explanation of the gospel.  It is, whether you believe it or not, the absolute truth.  If you are seeking that truth, I encourage you.  I would be happy to help you on your journey.  Feel free to send me an email with any questions you may have at contact@proclaimthetruth.net.

To hear a presentation of the gospel, please click on the You Tube video on the sidebar on the right.  Please also consider John MacArthur’s message below.

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