What is the Gospel?

What exactly do Christians mean when they talk about 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! 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. The Gospel can be summarized in these points below:

God

The first thing to know about the good news of Jesus is that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Everything starts from that point, so if you get that point wrong then everything else that follows will be wrong. Because God created everything—including us—he has the right to tell us how to live. You have to understand that in order to understand the good news about Jesus. To understand just how glorious and life-giving the gospel of Jesus Christ is, we have to understand that God is also holy and righteous. He is determined never to ignore or tolerate sin. Including ours!

Mankind

When God created the first human beings, Adam and Eve, he intended for them to live under his righteous rule in perfect joy—obeying him and living in fellowship with him. Mankind was created to be in relationship with God and enjoy Him. Mankind was created in his image with value, dignity, and worth.

Sin

When Adam disobeyed God, though, and ate from the tree that God had told him not to eat, that fellowship with God was broken. Moreover, Adam and Eve had declared rebellion against God. They were denying his authority over their lives. It’s not just Adam and Eve who are guilty of sin. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is the rejection of God himself and his authority over those to whom he gives life. Sin has separated all mankind from God and the just penalty for sin is condemnation. Once you understand sin in that light, you begin to understand why “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That’s not just physical death, but spiritual death, a forceful separating of our sinful, rebellious selves from the presence of God forever. The Bible teaches that the final destiny for unbelieving sinners is eternal, active judgment in a place called “hell.”

Jesus

This good news is a message that is centrally focused upon Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. Christ lived a sinless life, died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins to reconcile us back to God, and by his resurrection we are promised eternal life with him in heaven. By his sacrifice, he bore in our due punishment for sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf. The gospel is a collection of historical events. We believe the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to anyone who believes. We believe that when the Gospel is believed, individuals are born again and adopted into God’s family.

Faith

What does God expect us to do with the information that Jesus died in our place so we can be saved from God’s righteous wrath against our sins? He expects us to respond with repentance and faith.

Certain content is adapted from the tract "What Is the Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert.

If you have repented and believed the Gospel, welcome to the family of God! We would love to have the opportunity to meet and pray with you. In the meantime, please fill out this contact form below so we can connect with you. I would also encourage you to start reading a chapter a day in the Gospel of John. We are exciting for you as you start this new journey with Christ.