The Gospel Explained
The word gospel most simply means “good news.” The word is not unique to the Christian message, but it was also used in the pagan world to refer to a good announcement. In the New Testament, it refers to the good news of Jesus the Savior. Often, it is used with the assumption that the reader knows what the word means. (Ligonier Ministries W. Robert Godfrey)
For Christians the gospel is a reality that is the most important thing in their heart and soul. It’s good news because it offers the antidote to the bad news (reality) that all mankind, every individual human being is a sinner, and thus separated from God and spiritually dead in their sin. As Romans 3 makes explicitly clear, all have sinned and are in a state infinitely short of God’s glorious state and what sin “earns” us is death–physical and spiritual. The bad news is compounded in that the Bible is also clear that no person is able to overcome his/her sinful nature and that being saved from judgment and death is impossible through any works or any amount of works, even if they appear to be outstanding works. In fact, Hebrews states that all people are appointed to die once and then face judgment, no exceptions. Thus, how good is it that…
God did all the work to make a way for sinners to be rescued and transformed. God sent His only Son, to add full humanity to His full deity in the person of Jesus Christ, in order to live a sinless, perfectly righteous life and then sacrifice His own life to bear the penalty of death that we deserve. To us the gift of salvation is free, nothing earned or paid for by us, in any way. Free to us, but it couldn’t have been more costly to God. The Son of God was brutally executed on a cross, buried lifeless in a tomb and then rose again to life after three days, just as the ancient prophets foretold. Just as God has planned since before He created the world. The sentence for sin was paid in full.
In God’s mercy, justice and love, He bears 100% of the sin of any person who will genuinely put his full faith in Jesus Christ, repent or turn away from his/her sin and live for the glory of the Savior above all things. As the Holy Spirit regenerates a spiritually dead soul unto life in Christ, life that confesses that Jesus Christ alone is Lord who provided the necessary atonement for sins and the gift of being justified or declared righteous, a resulting fruit will be obedience. That means obeying Him willingly, repenting and seeking forgiveness and cleansing when we do not. And, just as amazing is that what God promises to those who no longer live for themselves and come to Jesus to be saved, is eternal life. Eternal life with Him, and without sin forevermore! Salvation has maximum blessings eternal.
That is good news of the highest order! That is good news that makes believers in Christ, in their gladness and joy and freedom, want to worship the Lord and to proclaim the gospel to every person while it is still “the day” – while they too might come to Christ in saving faith. As good as it is for our understanding that all of this life’s sorrows and troubles make sense because of sin and get resolved, ultimately, by Christ’s victory in His resurrection, there is something even greater. It is far greater that in all of this the name of our Almighty, Holy, Creator God is magnified above all other names and we, as adopted sons and daughters, can never be snatched out of His sovereign, tender, powerful, ruling hand. To God be all the glory for salvation belongs to our God.