The Gospel
Who Is Jesus?
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
GOOD NEWS
The word Gospel means “good news.” In short, the good news is that the Perfect and Powerful God has chosen to satisfy (or pay) the penalty for sin for His people. A more thorough explanation of the gospel includes four main points: Awe of God, Man being Dead in Sin, Lordship of Jesus, and that man should Obey.
AWE
All of humanity should be able to see and acknowledge that God created the heavens and the earth (Romans 1:18-23). The detail with which all things exist points to the fact that they were created. If things were created, then, of course, there must be a Creator. The Bible further explains the method that the Creator used to create and give life to all things … He simply spoke (Genesis 1:1-2:3)! This unmatched power comes from a perfect (or holy) God. As the Perfect Creator, God demands and deserves to be respected and honored with complete obedience.
DEAD
Humanity did not and does not honor God as He deserves (Romans 1:18-23). This resulted in a spiritual death of humanity (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-24; Romans 5:12-14). Every human being is born spiritually dead in sin and separated from God. Every human being is born under the wrath of God and facing judgment for not honoring Him as He deserves (Ephesians 2:1-3).
This judgment is the result of humanity’s refusal to honor God as God (Romans 1:18-23). The God Who created heaven and earth and deserves praise, honor, and worship from all people.
LORD
But God, in His own time, chose to fulfill His own judgment against His people (Matthew 20:28). Jesus, Who existed with God the Father in eternity past (John 8:58; Colossians 1:16-17), chose to come to earth to fulfill God’s righteous requirements and to sacrifice Himself for all who would believe in Who He is (Philippians 2:5-7).
Jesus was born from a virgin; therefore, He did not inherit the sin that has been handed down from Adam. Jesus perfectly obeyed God the Father, by doing all things that God the Father asked all men to do since the beginning of creation (Matthew 3:15; 5:17; John 8:29). Jesus was killed as a sinner, even though He had no sin of His own (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15). His sinless life allows Him to serve as an acceptable substitute for others who have sin (Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).
God affirmed His acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice for others by raising Jesus from the dead (Acts 4:10; 13:30; 17:31; Rom. 4:24). The Father also gave the Son glory, or worth to be worshiped, because of His obedience; therefore God requires that all people, everywhere, honor and worship His Son (Phil. 2:8-11; Heb. 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:21). So, what is the gospel? The gospel is that God has done and is doing what humanity would not and could not do. God has secured salvation for His people through the Person and work of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:12).
OBEY
Because of Who Jesus is, God manifested in the flesh, He deserves our worship and obedience. Because of what Jesus did, He deserves our humble gratitude. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, then your words and actions will show that (Matt. 16:16-17; Phil. 2:12-13).
How Can I Be Saved?
Repent (turn away) from trusting in your own abilities to please God (Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9).
Repent (turn away) from being in charge of your own life and seek to honor God as Lord (Rom. 10:3).
Believe that Jesus, because of His perfect Person and work, is the only One able to reconcile you to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Believe that Jesus is the One God promised to send to have authority and dominion over His people (Dan. 7:13-14).
Believe that Jesus is the Son (manifestation) of God in the flesh (John 20:30-31).
Believe that God has raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9).
How Do I Grow In My Love For Christ & His People?
Be baptized as a public profession of your faith in Him (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38)
Study, think about, & submit to the Bible, the very words of God to us (Ps 1, 2 Tim 3:16-17)
Pray regularly in accordance with God's Word (Psalms, Matthew 6:5-15)
Join a local church to grow in faith under sound teaching of God’s Word (Eph. 4:11-16)
Be actively involved in your local church so you may be encouraged to continue following Jesus (and encourage others to do the same) (Heb. 10:25).
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The content of this page is copied with permission from What Is The Gospel? by Effects of Grace