What is the Gospel?

The word “gospel” literally means the “good news”, and it is this news that Christians are commanded to spread to the entire world. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 But what exactly is that good news?

The apostle Paul gives us a definition in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

So then, the gospel is a message in three parts:

1. Christ died for our sins.
2. He was buried.
3. He rose again.

Paul precedes the gospel message by speaking of its saving power and then supports his statements with the facts that Jesus was seen of Cephas (Peter), the disciples, and then five hundred others. He finishes by saying that he himself saw Jesus in a vision on a road to Damascus, declaring the saving, transformative power of believing the words of the gospel. He was a persecutor of Christians, tearing up their churches and hunting them down. When he met God and believed the gospel, his entire life changed. He became a follower of Christ.

The Gospel Saves

It is important to understand what the gospel does once received into the heart of a person. Paul writes in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Not all will receive it. Not all will believe it, but those who do will be transformed by the power of the gospel. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

At the moment of belief, the lost soul is saved and is changed. Their eternal destination changes and their spirit, which was dead in trespasses and sins, is made alive (Ephesians 2:1). The Holy Spirit lives inside them and seals them (Ephesians 1:13). They are kept in the hand of God (John 10:29). They cannot lose their new spiritual adoption and new spiritual life. Their relationship with God changes. They are no longer a child of the devil but a child of God (John 1:12). All of their sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ- all sins past, present and future. There is no longer any condemnation possible for them (Romans 8:1).

That is the power of the gospel when it is received, but it will fall on deaf ears. Many will hear and refuse to believe. It is still the duty of the Christian to give the gospel to all. When we understand its power, we will understand the necessity of giving the gospel faithfully, frequently, and properly, missing none of its three parts- that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. And He lives still today.Sourced from www.bethelfbt.org