The Gospel.
We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of a just and holy God. The consequence of that sin is death, but God has given us the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us on the cross. He took our sins upon Himself and took the punishment we deserve, satisfying the wrath of God and fully pardoning all our sins. He lived a perfect, sinless life and is perfectly righteous and His righteousness is credited to us - so that when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin but sees us clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Through Jesus Christ, we have been justified through faith and now have peace with God. We are saved if we repent of our sins, believe in Jesus, and trust in His work.
“What is the gospel? It is this that God has sent his Son into the world to save sinners and to crush hell, overcome death, take away sin, and satisfy the law. But what must you do? Nothing but accept this and look up to your redeemer and firmly believe that He has done all this for your good and freely gives you all as your own...””
Evangelism is not telling people, “Jesus loves you.” It is telling people:
Who God is
Isaiah 6:3 - God is perfectly holy and cannot tolerate sin.
Romans 6:23 - His justice demands sin be punished.
Human Sinfulness
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Psalm 51:4 - Sin isn’t just bad behavior. It’s rebellion against God.
God’s Love and Grace
Romans 5:8 - Despite our sin, God demonstrates His own love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ’s Sacrifice
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to bear the wrath of God for our sins, and rose from the dead, conquering sin and death.
Repentance and Faith
Acts 17:30 - God commands all people to repent, turn from sin, and trust in His finished work on the cross - His resurrection for our justification.
Greg Gilbert breaks down the gospel organized around the following questions. Click to download the free pdf “What is the Gospel?” by Greg Gilbert.
Since the earliest Christians announced the good news about Jesus, it has been organized around these questions…
1. Who made us, and to whom are we accountable?
2. What is our problem?
3. What is God’s solution to our problem?
4. How can I be included in his solution?
Christians have answered those questions with truth from the Bible…
1. We are accountable to God.
2. Our problem is our sin against him.
3. God’s solution is salvation through Jesus Christ.
4. We come to be included in that salvation by faith and repentance.
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. . . . Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”
“The Word of God, both as law and gospel, are contrasted as demand and gift, as command and promise, as sin and grace, as sickness and healing, as death and life . . . . The law proceeds from God’s holiness, the gospel from God’s grace; the law is known from nature, the gospel only from special revelation; the law demands perfect righteousness, but the gospel grants it; the law leads people to eternal life by works, and the gospel produces good works from the riches of the eternal life granted in faith; the law presently condemns people, and the gospel acquits them; the law addresses itself to all people, and the gospel only to those who live within its hearing.”
A Friendly Talk with Seekers Concerning Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by Charles Spurgeon (sermon)
He who does not take the step of faith and enter the road to heaven will perish. It will be an awful thing to die just outside the gate of life. Almost saved, but altogether lost! This is the most terrible of positions. A man just outside Noah's ark would have been drowned; a manslayer close to the wall of the city of refuge, but yet outside of it, would be slain; and the man who is within a yard of Christ, and yet has not trusted him, will be lost. Therefore, I am in terrible earnest to get my hesitating friends over the threshold!! Come in! Come in! is my pressing entreaty. "Wherefore standest thou without?" is my solemn inquiry. May the Holy Spirit render my pleadings effectual with many who glance at these pages! May He cause his own Almighty power to create faith in the soul at once!
The Essense of the Gospel by Joel Beeke (audio)
Getting the Gospel Right by John MacArthur (article)
Are Today’s Christians Confused About The Gospel? by Shanda Fulbright (article) - many call themselves Christians, yet they cannot define the gospel. If the gospel is just a prayer, then Judaism and Islam share the gospel. If the gospel is visiting the sick, then atheists and New Agers share the gospel. If the gospel is a virtue, then anytime someone from any religion displays that virtue, they share it. If that’s the case, we’re starting to sound like Oprah Winfrey when she said all faiths and beliefs lead back to God. So what IS the Gospel?
The Way of Salvation by J.C.Ryle (article)
The Heart of the Gospel by Charles Spurgeon (article)
What Is the Gospel? by R.C. Sproul (audio)
What Is the Gospel? by Burk Parsons (article)
The Gospel In Bible Verses by Christ Bible Pulpit (list of scriptures)
We suggest Spotify for your listening needs. It’s free! Learn more.
The gospel is one unchanging message, but there are many ways to remember and retain it. In this episode, the team breaks down the core elements of the gospel message in easy-to-understand ways.
Paul Washer teaches on the true Gospel.
What distinguishes Christianity from all the manmade religions of the world? Steven Lawson explains the foundation of the Christian faith: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“The gospel is so simple that small children can understand it, and it is so profound that studies by the wisest theologians will never exhaust its riches.”
Isaiah 53 Explained by Mitch Glaser
The clarity of the Christ whom we preach is critically essential. Isaiah 53 is one of the most precise presentations of the substitutionary death of Christ, which is at the very heart of the gospel of Christ. Isaiah 53 Explained makes the gospel of the Bible understandable, explains how you can have a soul-satisfying relationship with God, and reveals the surprising key that makes this relationship possible.
The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur
John MacArthur wrote this book to confront the “easy-believism” that has characterized some aspects of evangelical Christianity, challenging Christians to re-evaluate their commitment to Christ by examining their fruits. MacArthur asks, “What does it mean to be saved?” He urges readers to understand that their conversion was more than a mere point in time; by definition, it includes a lifetime of obedience, walking with Jesus as Lord. He provides a fresh perspective on the intrinsic relationship between faith and works, clearly revealing Why Jesus is both Savior and Lord to all who believe. Only a handful of books have become true classics, revered worldwide for their crystal-clear presentation of the Gospel and lauded for their contribution to the Christian faith. These extraordinary books are read, re-read, and discussed in churches, Bible study groups, and homes everywhere. John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus is one of those books.
What Is the Gospel? (25-pack) Pamphlets by Greg Gilbert
What do Christians mean when discussing the “gospel of Jesus Christ”? Since the word “gospel” means “good news,” when Christians talk about the gospel, they’re simply telling the good news about Jesus! But it’s not just any good news; it demands a response! It’s a message from God saying, “Good news! Here is how you can be saved from my judgment!” That’s an announcement you can’t afford to ignore.
This is a pack of 25 pamphlets to hand out to your youth group, Bible study, or handy when you need to help someone understand the gospel.
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