what is the Gospel
What is the Gospel?
How would you respond if someone asked you, "What is the gospel Christians believe in?" Some people would tell you the gospel is a set of rules and regulations you need to follow if you want a pleasant afterlife. This may be a common view, but it is not the gospel. You see, that is not good news (which is what the word "gospel" means). If, in the end, the gospel is about me, and what I must do to get eternal life, then it is not good news, because we all rebel and fall short of earning the best God has for us (Romans 3:23).
That is the bad news. The bad news is that we have all rebelled against God, going our way, and doing our thing rather than living a life the reflects His character. The Bible maintains that God created the physical, and moral laws of the universe, and just as we are accountable to the physical laws (gravity, etc), so we are also accountable to the moral laws. We have broken God's moral law, and thus we are accountable to God for our rebellion.
This is where the good news comes in. While we were far away from God in our sins (Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:5), God acted on our behalf, sending His son Jesus Christ, who lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died. The wages of our rebellion earned for us eternal separation and forsakenness by God, and Jesus, hanging on the cross, bore the full weight of that penalty for our sins. He was forsaken by God (Matthew 27:46) so we could be accepted by Him. God sends His son, not because He needs us, but because He loves us. God would rather endure the full penalty of sin Himself, rather than endure eternity without you (John 3:16).
We take hold of the salvation God offers by turning to God and trusting that Jesus death on the cross was for me, and is all I need for eternal life. If we think faith in Jesus sacrifice for me is a part of the plan, we completely miss the good news, and, as the Apostle Paul says, "nullify the grace of God" (Galatians 2:21). You see, eternal life is a gift we receive from God. Romans 3:24 says we are "justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul says that when we trust in Jesus' death on the cross, we stand wholly righteous, holy and blameless before God (Colossians 1:21-22, Philippians 3:8-9, Galatians 2:16). This is called grace. Grace is undeserved favor. We don't deserve God's care and concern, His love and mercy, but He freely gives it. In the end, the good news is that all who trust in Jesus' death on the cross and follow Jesus have been saved by grace, through faith. Trusting in what Jesus did for us means that our works play no part in our salvation (though they are a fruit, or evidence of, my salvation, see James 2:14-26). The Bible says that salvation is 100% God's doing, so rather than boasting in anything we've done, we will forever boast about the goodness of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13-14).
The videos on this page expand on several of the ideas in the above explanation of the gospel. They answer several questions that come up as the gospel is presented.
If you're ready to receive God's gift of eternal life today by turning to God and placing trust in Jesus' death on the cross for you, you can talk to God in your heart, saying something like this:
“Jesus, I recognize that I am a sinner. I know you died for me so I could have eternal life. I turn from my sinful past, and want you to be my Savior and Lord. I trust you completely for this free gift. Amen.” (Amen is a fancy way of saying, “let it be so.” It’s the way Jesus ended His prayers, so we follow His example.)
If you crossed this line of faith today, or if you just want more information about it, our church has a series of lessons, called "Roots," that we'd love for you to go through. Click "Here" for a link to a version of the first lesson you can view on-line or print out at home.
If you have any questions, or if you need help understanding anything on this page, you can email Pastor Loren at loren@thebridgeutah.org.