The Gospel
The word “gospel” is used in so many different ways in our conversation today. As well, within Christianity it is used rather loosely, and the result is a general confusion as to what it really means. So, what is the meaning of the Gospel as found in the Bible? Let us begin with the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NIV. “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
The Gospel is fixed in history and revealed to us alone in the Holy Scriptures. It is found in an event that occurred at a point in time in history and recorded in the Bible. The Gospel is all about what happened one day a few thousand years ago immediately outside the city walls of Jerusalem on a hill called Calvary in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s the Good News of God sending His son to be crucified on the cross, die for the sins of the world, be in a tomb for three days, and rise from the dead. The Gospel is Christ’s work specifically in His overcoming sin, death, the devil, and ultimately the Law. Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” John 1:29 NIV. Let us reiterate, the Gospel is the sole work of God in the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ to save sinners. That’s it, nothing more!
The Gospel is not to be equated with the Bible. It is found within Scripture, yet much of Scripture is not the Gospel. The Gospel is not the Ten Commandments. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 NIV. Likewise, the Gospel is not good advice, nor is it God telling us how we should behave. The Gospel never asks us to do anything. It only freely gives and never demands anything of us. It offers and delivers the gifts that are connected to God’s promises found within Scripture, specifically the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV.
The Gospel is not an effect that happens in the believer, such as sinning less, demonstrating Christ-like behaviors, resisting the world, or being obedient to God’s Word. Of coarse, the Gospel will transform us and these new behaviors will occur as the by-product of being a Christian, but they are not the Gospel. Additionally, the Gospel is not an invitation to a new kind of lifestyle, a call to better living, being more moral, or being kinder to one’s neighbor. Presenting the Gospel this way will only lead the hearer to believe that the Gospel is something that is to be performed or a new desire or fortitude that can be found within.
The Gospel is never subjective. That is, the Gospel can never be found internally within us. Rather, it is completely objective and always found outside of us. It’s what Christ did in His life-giving death, burial, and resurrection to rescue us from our sin. The Gospel is historical, objective, and always external to us. It comes to us alone by Scripture, the revealed Word of God.
The Gospel heard, freely offers God’s promises to us namely for the forgiveness of our sins, salvation, and life eternal.The Gospel believed, delivers and credits these promises as gifts to the believers account. Hearing the Gospel creates faith, the very faith required to believe. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 NIV. Faith now takes hold of what God has promised us with confidence and assurance. It is a trust in God, a belief that He is faithful to His Word and that His promises are true for you and me personally. Faith reorients the mind to believe and trust in Christ. That His work and death on the cross is sufficient to save me, forgive my sins, remove my shame and guilt, sanctify me, and keep me secure in the faith. Faith takes the sinner while in his rebellious state and moves him to believe in Christ and receive all the benefits afforded by the Gospel. This is the work of God alone and zero credit is attributed to one who believes. “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” Romans 3:25 NIV.
This gifting is something that is done to us apart from any merit or worthiness on our part. It’s not something we earn, nor is it something that we choose. ”You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—” John 15:16 NIV. Rather, it is bestowed upon us based solely upon God’s gracious favor toward us. It’s what God did in His love for us in the offering of His son on our behalf to save us from our sin and grant us salvation. The Gospel is totally foreign to us and it freely gives us eternal life. “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness”. Romans 5:4-5 NIV.
The Gospel turns people toward Christ in faith only subsequent to the Law that turns people away from their sin and self-efforts to save themselves. The Law (never to be confused with the Gospel) works contrition a sorrow, anguish, and terror over sin, while the Gospel works faith that moves one to trust Christ for the forgiveness of sin. This is God’s work of repentance where He turns people away from unbelief and toward Himself in belief. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 NIV.
The Law and the Gospel must never be comingled or confused with each other, for they each have their own separate purpose and function. They are always held in tension with one another because the Holy Spirit uses them individually yet side by side to bring about our salvation. Simply put, the Law alone works contrition a being turned away from ourselves and sin, while the Gospel, following by the work of the Law, alone works faith and turns us toward Christ in trust and belief. A preaching or teaching of the Law without a following up with the Gospel will only leave one in a state of despair and hopelessness. The Gospel alone brings hope and restoration to the terrified and contrite sinner. “so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 NIV.
I am hearing troubling messages out there. The Gospel is being portrayed as a work or as something that we are to do. I heard one say, “This is the Gospel: That you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and the rest, love your neighbor as yourself.” After St. Paul’s successful preaching campaign in Galatia, the Judaizer’s - Jewish Christians, were trying to bring new Gentile converts to Christianity back under the works of the Law. That is additional requirements for justification or salvation were being imposed upon them. Paul's warning comes in Galatians 1:6-7 NIV.“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”It’s always a danger when we add to the Gospel duty and obligation, works and deeds. The Gospel then ceases to be Good News and turns to Bad News, a new form of Law demanding from us what we cannot do.
The theme of the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind and the Gospel is central. We must first find Christ in all His saving work in the pages of Scripture. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”Romans 4:25NIV. When we read the Bible first and foremost to seek moral messages and tips for better living, we miss the whole point. Of course, the Bible speaks of these, but we must first find Christ and what He has done for us and everything else will flow out of that. When the Bible is seen primarily as a book of rules and regulations or used to modify our behavior, we have a religion that is no longer unique. It differs not from all other religions found in the world throughout history, religions of the Law.
Let us repeat. The Gospel is not a work or an action on our part, nor something that is happening inside of us. Rather, it is the work of God acting on our behalf through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son for the forgiveness of our sins. Any deeds or works we do are all outcomes produced by the Gospel through the work of the Holy Spirit. They are the effects of the Gospel, yet they are not the Gospel! They are simply products of the Christian life and are powerless to save a person, nor strengthen and preserve the Christian believer in his faith. Remember, the Gospel announces, offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness of sins found alone in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, for it creates faith in us and moves us to trust God and receive what He has promised us in Christ.
Let us hear the Gospel ourselves daily that God would act upon us in His grace and favor and give us peace, hope, and the joy of our salvation. Let us share the Gospel with others that God would act upon them and bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. St. Paul states in Romans 1:16 NIV. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”. We must caution ourselves to never add anything to the Gospel such as works or deeds. As well, we must not confuse the Gospel with the demands of the Law, nor mistake it with the outcomes produced in our lives. Martin Luther once said, “Let God be God”. In light of Luther’s words, may we let the Gospel be the Gospel so it can do its powerful work of giving faith, forgiving sins, and granting salvation and eternal life.
Believe it!