What is the True Gospel?

The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament but inseparable from all of Scripture, being first introduced in the garden (Genesis 3:15). In Greek, it is the word “euaggelion“, from which we get our English words evangelist and evangelical. The gospel is, broadly speaking, the whole of Scripture; more narrowly, the gospel is the good news concerning Jesus Christ and the only way of salvation. Nothing in this life is more important to understand than the this. Many people, especially in the western world, misunderstand its true meaning. Don’t be one of those people! Watch “What is the True Gospel?” below to find out exactly what the Gospel, as preached for centuries, is truly all about.

• What It Means to Be a Christian
• The Biblical Truths of the Gospel
  • God Is Sovereign Creator
  • God Is Holy
  • Mankind Is Sinful
  • Sin Demands a Penalty
  • Jesus Is Lord and Savior
  • The Character of Saving Faith

What It Means to Be a Christian

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have put your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation. It means that, because of God’s work alone, you have been made a new creation, born again, and granted the right to become a child of God (John 1:12). Being a Christian means that you don’t just embrace what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation, you believe it, live it and are even willing, if necessary, to die for the truth that has been imparted in you. It means God has sealed you with His Holy Spirit who testifies to the truth about Jesus and what is found in His Holy Word and you can say like Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

The term “in Christ” was the common phrase used during the New Testament, post resurrection, time period to describe Christians (1 Peter 5:14; Philippians 1:1; Romans 8:1, Colossians 3:3). Paul describes its meaning in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 3:26-28). The word “Christian” is used only three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.”

A true Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for their sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The mark of a true Christian is love for the Lord, love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.

Consider the following truths found in the Bible that God has revealed to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear them.

The Biblical Truths of the Gospel

God Is Sovereign Creator

Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God Is Holy

God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Mankind Is Sinful

According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: There is no man who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

Sin Demands a Penalty

God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior

Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, and Christ’s perfect life satisfied the demands of God’s holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

The Character of Saving Faith

True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obey Him (1 John 2:3). It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).

Have you ever truly repented with a biblical understanding of what it means to follow Christ with saving faith? When are you going to put your full trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation?

If you are ready to do it today or may still have some pending questions, watch this:

Four Things You Need to Know About God

By Ray Comfort

1. GOD IS HOLY AND JUST

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.” (Psalm 89:14)

In civil law, a good judge must punish crime. If he turns a blind eye to injustice, then he is corrupt and he himself should be punished.

In one ten-year period in the United States, 100,000 murderers were never brought to justice. These were unsolved crimes. If God turns a blind eye to those murderers, then He is corrupt by nature. It makes sense that if He is good and just, He should be angry with those who have taken the lives of others, and He should punish murderers, rapists, etc. This is the teaching of the Bible—that God will “by no means clear the guilty.” He “will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” “God is angry with the wicked every day.”

2. HIS WORD SAYS “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”

“Sin is transgression of the Law.” (1 John 3:4)

Let’s look briefly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), and see if we have kept God’s Law:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make yourself a graven image
3. You shall not take God’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not lie
10. You shall not covet

Before we say we have obeyed the Commandments, this is what someone would be like if he kept the Law—he would always love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength, and with all his mind, and love his neighbor as much as he has loved himself. He has never made a god to suit himself (either with his hands or in his mind).

He has always given God’s name reverence, kept the Sabbath holy, honored his parents implicitly, and never once has he been “angry with his brother without a cause.” He has never hated anyone, had lust in his heart, or had illicit sex. He has never stolen even a paper clip or ballpoint pen, or told as much as a “white” lie, and not once desired anything that belongs to someone else. He is, and always has been “pure in heart,” perfect in thought, word, and deed.

The truth is, we are not like that. We have all “sinned” many times, and therefore we have stored up God’s wrath, which will be revealed on Judgment Day. The proof that we have sinned will be our death, and after death we must face God in judgment.

Think of it—if He has seen our every thought, word, and deed, and if He is going to bring all of our sins out as evidence of our guilt on the Day of Judgment, we will all be found to be guilty. Our conscience has shown us right from wrong; we will be without excuse. God will give us justice, and Hell will be the place of our eternal punishment. “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.”

3. GOD IS RICH IN MERCY TO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…” (Ephesians 2:4)

A youth once borrowed a fast car, and in a drunken stupor, sped through his hometown at 120 m.p.h. Since everything was horse-drawn in his country town, there were no laws against speeding. So the council passed a law saying that 30 m.p.h. was the maximum speed, and that any transgressors would be fined $100 for every m.p.h. over the speed limit.

On his way back through the town, the speedster decided to pull the same prank. He was apprehended, tried, and found guilty by his father, who was the town’s only judge. He was fined $9,000, and because he had no money and no words of defense, the youth was led off to prison. As he sat in despair behind bars, his father appeared at the door, and told him that he had sold all his own prized possessions and paid the fine for him. The son couldn’t believe that he loved him that much. They embraced as they never had before, and walked off in a new-found relationship, bonded together with love.

That’s a picture of what God did for us through the gospel

We have all broken God’s Law a multitude of times, but God came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, and paid the fine—”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus satisfied eternal justice, and then rose from the dead, defeating death. Hundreds saw Him after His resurrection; it’s no fairy tale. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about the promised Savior, written in the Holy Scriptures hundreds of years before His birth. But just as we cannot earn a gift, so we cannot earn eternal life by our good works—”For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

4. GOD OFFERS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

“He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)

Life’s greatest mystery, death, was destroyed by the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” The Bible says, “He who has the Son has life…”

To find the way to God, to understand the truth of God’s Word, and to receive the gift of eternal life, begin by repentance and faith through a prayer like this: “Dear God, I understand that I have broken Your Law and sinned against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank you that Jesus suffered and died on the cross in my place and rose again. I now place my trust in Him as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you have repented and trusted in Jesus, then your sins are forgiven and you can now partake in the blessings of “the New Covenant.” Here are just ten of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises:

1. You have passed from death into life (John 5:24).
2. God will supply all of your needs according to His riches (Phil. 4:19).
3. Jesus will be with you in trials, promising never to leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).
4. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth, and give you the power to live a holy life (John 16:13).
5. You are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ—God has removed your sins as far as the East is from the West (Ps. 103:12).
6. As you abide in Christ, you will see the “fruit” of His Spirit begin to manifest in your life (Gal. 5:22-25).
7. As you read the Bible daily, it will come alive to you and cause you to grow in your faith (1 Pet. 2:1-3).
8. When you pray, God will hear you and answer your prayers (1 John 5:15).
9. The cross will be continual evidence of God’s love for you (Rom. 5:8).
10. God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24).

Search the Scriptures daily, and see what God has in store for those that love Him. Honor Christ’s command to be baptized, and find yourself a Jesus-centered, Bible-teaching church and commit yourself to it.

May God continue to bless you as you obey Him.

What’s next?

Steps to Spiritual Growth

If you have become a follower of Christ, these steps will save you a lot of pain. This is a free resource that will help guide you in your new life with Christ. Save Yourself Some Pain: Five Pain-Saving Principles for Spiritual Growth

Find a Church

Among many other great church options, you can visit 9Marks, Calvary Chapel, or Southern Baptist websites to find a great church in your area.

If you have placed your trust in Christ today, we would love to hear about it. Leave us a comment below or contact us so we can help guide you onto your next steps with your new life with Jesus.