What is the Gospel?
What is the Gospel? It wasn’t until I was 26 when I finally understood the answer to this question. My full testimony will reveal that I grew up in church my entire life, but I never fully grasped who Jesus was and why I needed to be “saved” from my sin. I thought I was a pretty decent person and would make it into heaven on my own, but God’s Word showed me otherwise. We’ll get to that part in just a second though.
DesiringGod.org describes the Gospel as the “good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. That’s the Gospel.”
To further explain that statement, here’s Leanne’s (@faithfuldefender) detailed explanation of the Gospel. I found this to be super helpful in understanding why the Good News is good news. Let’s start here!
1. God’s Holiness
God is holy. He’s so holy that angels have to cover their eyes in His presence. He is unlike us in that His holiness commands complete purity and perfection, and thus we are not allowed in His presence. We are morally corrupt, evil, and deserve His condemnation.
“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor.” — Habakkuk 1:13a
2. God’s Justice
The Lord is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, faithful, loving and forgiving. But a condition remains— He will by no means clear the guilty of their sin. Whoever has broken God’s law a single time is held guilty before his court of law. God, the perfect Judge, cannot clear the guilty.
“The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” — Exodus 34:6-7
3. Man’s Nature
Contrary to popular culture and humanistic thought, man is not inherently good. Mahatma Gandhi was no sinless. The Dalai Lama is not sinless. Man is a criminal, a fugitive who will be brought before justice. There is not one person in the eyes of God who does what is good all the time and loves Him with all their being. Man sins because it is his natural desire, and he is powerless to change that.
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” — Romans 3:10-12
4. God’s Answer: God’s Love
Perfection is needed to stand before God. We need a substitute to absorb our punishment and to provide the perfect standing we need. We need God to change our nature. While we were still enemies and criminals before God, He sent His Son Jesus to die in the place of sinners. Yet, because Jesus was sinless He could not remain dead. He was raised in victory over sin and our ultimate enemy, death.
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:7-8
5. Man’s Response
How does a man take possession of what Christ achieved through His perfect life, death, and resurrection? By authentically repenting from sin and calling upon the Lord in faith; by relying upon His person and work as entirely sufficient; by trusting that Jesus will do what He promised.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” — Romans 10: 9-10
6. Fruits of Faith
Those who have been united to Christ by trusting His promises have a new heart, a new nature, a new disposition. The believer now hates his sinful past and strives against the passions of the old nature. The believer bears fruit through Christ’s power and desires to please God; to uphold His truth in a world that opposes it, to love the people God has rescued, and to spread the truth of the gospel in love.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the brand cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15: 4-5
7. Eternal Destiny
An eternal abode is inevitable. Those who have trusted Jesus will inherit eternal life, knowing Jesus and being known by Him in never-ending joy, peace, discovery, awe, and wonder. Those who do not come to know Christ but rather live in defiance to God, will justly suffer His wrath for an eternity. Trust in Jesus today! Believe, repent, and bear fruit in repentance.
“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” — Matthew 25:46
If you’re response is “Okay I Believe, What Now?”
1. Tell someone you trust that you have become a Christian!
I’d LOVE to hear that you have believed in Christ. You can message me on Instagram or email me at hello.lindsaymiller@gmail.com!!
2. Find a healthy church to fellowship with other believers and be baptized.
If you’re in the Birmingham area, try Church at Brook Hills. More Resources: 9marks.org, illbehonest.com, acts29.com
3. Learn to study the Bible + get a Study Bible to grow in your understanding and love for God.
Desiringgod.org, bible.org, gty.org, lifeway.com, christisthecure.org
4. Share the Gospel with someone else!