The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God and have eternal life. The word “gospel” means “good news” and occurs over 100 times in the New Testament. The core message of the gospel is that God loves us and desires to have a relationship with us, but our sin separates us from Him. Jesus bridged this gap by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we receive forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
There are several key elements that comprise the gospel message:
1. Humanity’s Sin
The Bible teaches that all people are sinners and fall short of God’s holy standards (Romans 3:23). Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience and then spread to all of humanity (Romans 5:12). Our sin has separated us from a holy God (Isaiah 59:2). God is perfectly just and therefore cannot overlook sin or allow it to go unpunished. The penalty for our sin is eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
2. Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Jesus is fully God and fully man (John 1:1, 14). He is the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38). Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). He taught people about God’s kingdom and performed many miracles such as healing the sick, calming storms, and raising the dead (Matthew 4:23-24). Jesus voluntarily laid down His life to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on a cross (John 10:15).
3. Christ’s Death for our Sins
The central message of the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins. The Bible says “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus willingly took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve (Isaiah 53:5). He bore the wrath of God on the cross so that those who trust in Him don’t have to face eternal judgment (Romans 5:9, 1 Peter 2:24). Without the shedding of Christ’s blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). But through His sacrifice, our sins are atoned for and we can be reconciled to God.
4. Christ’s Resurrection
After dying for our sins, Jesus was buried in a tomb but on the third day He rose again, conquering sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus appeared alive to His disciples and over 500 witnesses, proving His power over death (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). He thus demonstrated that He is the Son of God and His sacrifice was acceptable to God the Father for the payment of our sins (Romans 1:4). Christ’s resurrection gives us hope for our own future resurrection and eternal life with Him (1 Peter 1:3).
5. Salvation by Grace Through Faith
We are saved and justified by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). We cannot earn salvation by our own efforts. The only way to be made right with God is to trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we repent of our sins and believe in Christ, placing our faith in Him, we are forgiven, saved, and granted eternal life (John 3:16). This saving faith will result in good works, but these flow from salvation; they do not cause it (Ephesians 2:10).
6. Eternal Life
When we are saved through faith in Christ, we pass from death to life (John 5:24). We have the confident hope and assurance of eternal life with God in heaven (1 John 5:13). Those who believe in Jesus will experience resurrection from the dead when He returns and will reign with Him forever (Revelation 20:6). The gift of eternal life shows the great love of God who desires us to be with Him (John 3:16, Romans 6:23).
7. Repentance
To respond properly to the gospel, we must repent of our sins and turn to God (Acts 3:19). Repentance means having a change of heart and mind, turning away from sin and selfishness and turning to follow Jesus. When we repent, we die to our old, sinful way of living and are made into a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit empowers us to repent, believe, and obey God.
8. Lordship of Christ
Jesus is Lord over all and those who believe in Him surrender control of their lives to Him (Romans 10:9). As our Lord, Jesus has supreme authority and we are to live in obedience to Him. We confess Jesus as Lord not just with our lips but with our lives as we submit to His will and obey His Word.
9. Work of the Holy Spirit
The gospel message is applied to our lives by the Holy Spirit. He convicts us of sin (John 16:8) and draws us to Christ (John 6:44). When we are saved, the Spirit indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16), seals us for eternal life (Ephesians 1:13-14), and empowers us to obey and serve God. He continues His sanctifying work in our lives, transforming us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
10. Great Commission
An important part of the gospel is the call to share it with the whole world (Matthew 28:19-20). As recipients of this good news, believers have the responsibility and joy of declaring it to others so that they too may believe and be saved. The gospel is powerful and effective in changing lives when it is preached and shared (Romans 1:16).
In summary, the gospel is the incredible message of God’s redemptive plan to save sinners and restore them to Himself. The saving work of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and the gift of salvation by God’s grace through faith are at the heart of the gospel. This good news is to be received personally through repentance and faith in Christ and then proclaimed to the entire world.