Do We Understand the Gospel?

The book of Romans is called by some “The ABC’s of the Christian faith,” and for good reason.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

The words “gospel of Christ … is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” 

The word “gospel” appears 104 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament canon. The bless-ed word “gospel” means the good news. And why is the Gospel good news?

The Good News, the Gospel, is good because of the bad news. The bad news is that fallen mankind is separated from a holy God via his sin. This is the bad news.

The LORD is “Holy, holy, holy” and cannot have relationship with any person whom HE does not make holy by washing them of their sins (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). See also Psalms 5:4 and Habakkuk 1:13.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 

Jesus came to take away the sins of the world so we can fellowship with God who is holy.

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Our heavenly Father reconciled us back to Himself, out of a life of sin, through the precious blood of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ!

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

Read Romans chapter 3 in the King James Bible.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: … 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:10, 23

The bad news is that we have “ALL have sinned” (Romans 3), and are all fully guilty. The impact, the guilt, and the shame is realized when we simply look at the Law of God—the 10 Commandments.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Exodus 20

1. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” v3 
2. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” v4 
3. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” v7
4. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” v8
5. “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” v12
6. “Thou shalt not kill.” v13
7. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” v14
8. “Thou shalt not steal.” v15
9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” v16
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” v17 

See Ten Commandments Evangelism [podcast]

The law of God convicts the sinner that he is just that—a sinner, separated from his Maker, “alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). Then comes the Good News, the grace, the cross.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Psalms 19:7-8 

The law of God convicts sinners, convinces them that they have sinned before a holy God, and brings them to Christ.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is a good place to begin, where we read that the Gospel is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ died, was buried, and raised again “for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). That’s the Gospel!

WAS JESUS loving? Yes. The Son of God who died on a cruel wooden cross for your sins was loving enough to warn you that you are going to eternal damnation if you don’t choose to love, worship, and serve Him—on HIS terms (Mark 9:43-49; Luke 12:4-5,etc.). John 3:16 informs us that God so loved the world that He sacrificed His only begotten Son to save you from sin and the lake of fire. Have you personally repented before a holy God and received Jesus into your life? Today is your day. If you are not 100% sure you are genuinely born again, go here first to Make Peace with God

Jesus Christ came as the sinless Son of God to die on a cross, be buried, and raised again from the dead to justify sinners (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Timothy 1:15). CHRISTOLOGY.

We have all sinned against our Maker. We have all lied, stolen, and used His holy name in vain, etc… and are in desperate need of His saving mercy which He gave us in and through Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, and raised again from the dead to justify us (Romans 5:6-11).

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth (displayed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 5:6-11

Jesus is God and sinless, and He came and died, was buried, and rose again. This is the Good News or Gospel in that He “finished” or “paid in full” the price for our sin with His own precious blood and thereby conquered sin and death saving those who will repent and believe, from having to pay for their own sins in hell forever (John 19:30). Jesus Christ alone fulfilled to the detail over 300 prophecies given by God through His prophets and He alone was qualified to satisfy the claims of His Father’s justice to redeem fallen mankind. He shed His sinless blood for our sin and He alone can save.

1 Corinthians 15

 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

“The gospel” Paul preached was that “Christ died for our sins … he was buried …he rose again the third day.”

The apostle also tells us here that it is by THIS “gospel … ye are saved” and that you must “keep in memory” the truth contained in this blessed and only Gospel or you will not remain in Christ (John 15:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:2).

Jesus Christ paid a debt He did not owe and we owe a debt we cannot pay. So, to repent and receive Christ appropriates this unspeakable salvation into our personal lives!

Jesus Christ is unique in all of history. He alone was sent from God the Father, died, was buried, and rose again to rescue mankind from the sin that separated fallen men from God. One writer puts it this way:

“The essentials of the faith include the gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:1-4); the triune nature of God (1 John 5:7); Jesus is only begotten Son of God (John 3:16); the virgin birth (Matthew 1:20-25); salvation by faith through grace (Ephesians 2:8); and the timing and consequences of the second coming of Christ (Revelation 22:18-19). The Word tells us believing in the doctrine of Christ is essential in having both the Father and His Son (2 John 1:9). It is critical Christians know how to defend against doctrines of demons and deceiving spirits that are distorting and compromising the essentials of the doctrine of Christ (1 Timothy 4:1, 1 John 2:25-29).”

Do you know Him? Find out how to know Him here He loves you!

SEEING a lot of the devil’s agents in our midst? JUST READ GOD’S WORD FOR YOURSELF as He told you to do beloved (2 Timothy 2:15).

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