What is “the Gospel”? The Greek word (εὐαγγέλιον) translated as ‘Gospel’ in most English translations means “good news.” The Good News was first preached to the Jews, and then to the gentiles (us non-Jews). It begins with the long-awaited Kingdom of God (Dan. 2:31-45; Mark 1:14-15) and its King (Ps. 2:1-12). Jesus is God’s Anointed. The Hebrew word Meshiach (Messiah) and the Greek word Christos (Christ) both mean “Anointed.” The New Testament use of “Christ” hearkens back to Psalm 2, which meant the King whom God had anointed to rule the world. The apostles’ use of “the Christ, the Son of God” also hearkens back to Psalm 2, demonstrating that they were proclaiming, “Jesus is King!” This is why their enemies said in Acts 17:7, “they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!”
The Good News then extends to the initiation (at the Lord’s Supper) and activation (at the crucifixion; Heb. 9:16-17) of the long-awaited New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-27). All of this is the Gospel, the Good News. But the greatest part of the Good News is the atonement, what Jesus accomplished for us on our behalf and in our place because we could not do so for ourselves. Let me explain.
In life, you will be faced with a great deal of decisions you must make, but none is as important as your decision as to where your soul will spend eternity. Do you consider yourself to be a good person? The Dictionary defines “good” as being “morally perfect.” Let’s do a little test and see how you fair. How many lies have you told in your life? This includes fibs and "white lies." What do you call someone who lies? A liar. Ever stolen something? The size and value are irrelevant. What do you call someone who steals? A thief. Jesus said, “Whoever looks upon another person, to lust after them, has already committed adultery with them in their heart” (Matt. 5:28). Have you ever looked with lust? By your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we’ve only looked at three of the Ten Commandments. That’s how God sees you: a lying, thieving, adulterer. The Bible says, “All liars, [thieves and adulterers] will have their place in the Lake of Fire” (Rev. 21:8).
Nothing is hid from God’s holy eyes. He sees your every thought and He will judge you accordingly. If you were to die today and stand before the Judgment Seat, if God were to judge you by the Ten Commandments, would you be found innocent or guilty? Listen to your conscience. You know you would be guilty. Do you think you would go to Heaven or Hell? You would go to Hell. You may say to yourself, “But I tell God I am sorry for the things I do.” If you were in court because you just molested and murdered a young child, no matter how truly sorry you were for your crimes, if the judge was a good judge he could not let you go just because you are sorry. You must be punished. The Bible says, “The soul that sins it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20) and “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). God is infinitely more good and more just than any human judge and all sin is against Him. Because you have a conscience you have sinned with knowledge. Each time you told a lie or stole or looked with lust you knew you were doing wrong.
God is infinitely holy, infinitely perfect, and infinitely righteous. In order for you to enter Heaven, you must have a holiness, perfection, and righteousness equal to that of God’s. You may say to yourself, “But I go to church; I give to this charity; I do all these good things.” The Bible says, “All our righteous deeds are as a filthy rag” (Is. 64:6). You have sinned against an infinitely holy God. By good works shall no man be saved. You will spend an eternity in Hell, eternally separated from God and His goodness, suffering in constant reminder of your sins for all eternity. Because of your sin, God’s anger and wrath abides on you.
Some people think that the punishment is not fair. Consider this: If you lie to your children, not much is going to happen; if you lie to your spouse, you're likely to sleep on the couch; if you lie to your boss, you 're likely to get fired; if you lie to the government, you're likely to face prison. What changed? Same crime, different punishment. what changed is the person against whom you sinned. You are sinning against an infinitely holy God, therefore an infinite punishment is just.
But, there is good news. Imagine you are standing in front of a judge, guilty of multiple serious crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt about your guilt. Your apologies and good works cannot erase your crimes; therefore you must be punished. The fine for your crime is $5,000,000 or imprisonment, but you do not have two pennies to rub together. The judge is about to pass sentence when someone you do not even know steps in and pays your fine for you! The court accepts the money and declares that you are free to go. The law has been satisfied, your debt has been paid in full, and the stranger's sacrifice was a demonstration of his love for you. That is what God did for you 2000 years ago.
It is not God’s will that you should perish. He is rich with mercy. That is why He sent Jesus Christ, His only Son—God in the flesh—to condemn sin in the flesh by living an absolutely perfect life. Through Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for you to be forgiven. Jesus Christ took the punishment for your sins. The Bible says, “God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The cup Christ prayed three times that God the Father would let pass from Him contained all the wrath, anger, and hatred of Almighty God toward sinners. He bore your sins on His body upon a cross that was meant for you. Jesus Christ laid His life down and died for your sins. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Jesus Christ will provide us with a holiness, perfection, and righteousness that is equal to that of God’s – if we but believe. All you need to do is repent of your sins and turn to God, believing in what Christ accomplished on the cross. To repent is to have a change of mind about sin and about God, and it means to turn from your sins and to turn to God.
Under the Old Covenant, the Jews were required to provide yearly sacrifices to cover their sins (like a band-aid). They were never truly free of their sins because they were reminded that they had to do it all over again the next year. Jesus was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Because He lives, His sacrifice is an eternal sacrifice and therefore God can forgive your sins. Jesus’ death activated the New Covenant with which God said, “I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Your slate has been wiped clean—forever. Jesus accomplished everything for you on your behalf and in your place, giving you full access to God. Under the Old Covenant, no one could approach God except the High Priest, and only once a year. If he did not prepare himself accordingly, he would be struck dead the moment he entered the Holy Place. Jesus’ death tore the veil and gives you permanent access to the Father.
Jesus also fulfilled the Law and then set it aside because it was “weak and useless” (Heb. 7:18-19). It has been rendered “obsolete” (Heb. 8:13). Jesus is “the end of the law” for those who believe in Him (Rom. 10:4). The Law was not of faith and could not save anyone. It is not for believers (1 Tim. 1:8-11). Under the Law, sin only increased (Rom. 5:20; 7:5, 8). The power of sin is the Law (1 Cor. 15:56). Rules and regulations do nothing to prevent you from sinning; they only cause you to sin more—not less (Rom. 7:7-12, 15, 19). In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul refers to the Ten Commandments as a “ministry of condemnation” and a “ministry of death.” Is that what you want to be governed by? Jesus has set you free from the Law, free from sin, and free from condemnation. The believer is free to be themselves and to express the life of Jesus all at the same time. The only limitations to Christian liberty are love for others and the holiness of God.
Jesus was “born under the Law to redeem those under the Law” (Gal. 4:4-5). Many of His teachings were difficult precisely because He was increasing the weight of the Law upon the people to demonstrate the impossibility of keeping it perfectly so that they would become distressed and look for something better: grace. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). In John 13:34, Jesus gives us a new commandment. The apostle John picks up this same idea in 1 John 3:23: “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Christ Jesus, and to love one another as He commanded us." To believe and to love are the laws written on the Christian’s heart. Not the 613 commands of the Law, not the “moral” Ten Commandments, and not the two greatest commandments of the Law. Love is the true fulfillment of the Law (Rom. 13:10) and love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). The indwelling Holy Spirit is inspiring us to bear the fruit (singular) of the Spirit because "against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:23). Truly, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Love is the Royal Law of the New Covenant in the Kingdom of God.
But that is still not the whole Gospel! When you believe on and place your trust in the Lord Jesus, you are crucified with Him. You become dead to the world, the Law, and sin. You become a new creation (like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly). He gives you a new nature, a new heart with new passions and desires (you want what He wants), a new spirit, and His Spirit. All your sins—past, present, and future—are completely forgiven and He remembers them no more. Even though you may fall back into old ways of thinking and acting, those are not the new you. While everything else is new, you still need to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). You need to remind yourself of your new identity in Christ Jesus. You are not a “sinner saved by grace,” you are a saint who has died to sin.
You have just heard the Gospel of the Bible. If you do not set your soul right with God, you will be without excuse and you will die in your sins and you will spend an eternity in Hell. If I don’t believe in Mac Trucks and I stand out on the freeway, it will not change reality. You could leave here today and be struck by another car and instantly killed. Then it will be too late. Where will you spend eternity? If this concerns you, you may pray something like this: “Dear God, I know that I am a sinner deserving of eternal punishment for the sin I’ve committed against You. I repent of my sins (name them), turning from them and to You. This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Saviour and make Him Lord of my Life. Reveal Yourself in me. Please take away the sins from your servant, forgive me, and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” Then go home, read your Bible as often as you can and love others just as Jesus loved you. Earnestly seek God and wait for Him to reveal Himself in you.
