The gospel, in it’s simplest form, is the good new of Jesus Christ; who Jesus is, what Jesus has said and done, and why it is important. So, when we communicate the gospel we need to accurately share who the person of Jesus Christ is, what he taught and did, and why we believe it’s an essential message to becoming a Christian. Here is a simple explanation of the Gospel. God Creates | Man Sins | Christ Redeems | We Respond
God Creates.
Genesis 1:1 states very clearly that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” God always has been and always will be. He is eternal, uncreated, and far beyond our complete comprehension. Yet he has chosen to reveal his nature and character to us through Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. So “in the beginning” is not the beginning of God, but rather the beginning of creation, and that beginning is “very good.” Yet, the “very good” state doesn’t last. Man, the pinnacle of God’s creation, made in His image in order to reflect and represent God to all creation, rebelled against God’s way choosing disobedience, separation, and death.
Man Sins.
Beginning with Adams’ sin, the very nature of man is now fallen. Rebellion and idolatry attached itself into the core of man and we remain unable, on our own, to set right the wrong we had done. God gave man his law, through Moses, to guide and govern the people. But this law had no power to save, only to condemn. The weight of man’s sin was unbearable. Generations passed, God’s chosen people grew in number, but remained under the harsh bondage of sin. God sent prophets to speak God’s words to the people; words of correction, words of comfort, and words of hope. Hope that redemption was coming. Man would not live estranged from God forever, governed under a law we were unable to keep. For as Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before Christ; “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… for to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…” [Isaiah 9:2-7]
Christ Redeems.
The redemption of man was not possible by works of men, not even if those works were according to God’s law. Rebellion, selfish ambition, pride; sin had infected the hearts of men and could not be undone. One may ask why. The act of rebellion from a righteous man (Adam before the fall) could not be undone by endless apparently righteous acts from unrighteous man. The undoing of sin must come from a perfectly righteous man. God himself took on flesh in order to live a life in perfect obedience to God (and God’s law), in order to be an atoning sacrifice for those whom God would save. John writes it this way:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1]
Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin, so that we may become his righteousness being saved from the power of sin, death, and hell. The apostle Paul writes:
“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” [Romans 5:17-21]
Through the perfect obedience lived by Jesus and the final sacrifice offered by Jesus, salvation was made possible for sinful man.
We Respond.
So what now? Scripture says that if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is who he says he is and he has done all that he has said he has done, then we will be saved. There is a great mystery between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man, but it is clear that salvation belongs to the Lord and is a work of the Lord, but that we are called to respond. Our response is to put our faith in Christ. This is more than hope or even future security. Faith is the substance of things hoped for [Hebrews 11:1]. If it is the substance or assurance of hope, then it must run deeper than hope. Faith is a complete confidence in the person and work of Christ Jesus to be sufficient in this life and the next. You don’t need to repeat a scripted prayer, but you do need to confess your absolute need for Christ and all he offers, teaches, and commands. This confession is not to be done lightly [Luke 14:27-33] but should be carefully thought through. But this confession, if compelled by God’s irresistible grace, brings life from death. If you would like more information about becoming a Christian, look below on Question #4 “How do you become a Christian?” or contact us to speak with a Pastor.