What is the Gospel?

The gospel is designed to be good news. But we must understand what that good news is and what it isn’t. The book of Romans has been understood, throughout church history, to be an exposition of sorts of the gospel message. The book of Romans, by God’s design, reveals an in-depth look at the gospel in all its fullness. Paul begins with such statements as, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel”, and “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:14-16). This too is our starting point. We are under obligation to all men. In the prayer closet we will develop this sense of eagerness to preach the gospel. And how could we ever be ashamed of God’s message, which He has ordained men to be saved through?

Paul goes on to describe in detail the condition of lost mankind, and most importantly, his relationship to God. These are all universal verses; they apply to every person apart from salvation in Christ. They applied to every one of us prior to our conversion. As believers, we understand the Person and work of Christ because He’s imparted to us faith. That Christ is both Lord and Savior is the foundation of our Christian understanding and experience. The world, however, doesn’t comprehend these truths. I grew up in the Catholic church, where up on the wall right behind the priest was a statute of Christ on the cross. This crucifix, though I visibly saw it countless times, had no real meaning attached to it. Though I had been taught that Christ was the Savior of the world, I had no concept of my own sinfulness and need for a Savior. In my most solemn, honest opinion, I thought inside I was a good guy. I realized I wasn’t perfect and even recognized I was a bit rebellious, but I thought I knew my heart. I knew I sinned now and then, but I didn’t know my will was in bondage to sin (John 8:34). As an evangelist, I have found that MOST people think along those same lines. It’s extremely rare to witness to someone who God has already wrought repentance in, but beware because you just might bump into such a person. The natural tendency of man is to underestimate his wickedness. So then, why would such a person even need a Savior? Try walking someone through the “Romans road” without explanation of Romans 10&23, and you will quickly find out that they likely have no real understanding of their guilt before God.

Be on guard of altering your message to be more appealing, or altering it to say what you believe will be most effective. God’s message will do just fine. He is, after all, omniscient. Don’t follow trendy methods which attempt to “lead someone to Christ” through persuading them that Christ will fulfill them. This is a very man-centered approach to evangelism. Rather than preaching a gospel which includes essential elements such as sin and hell, some preach the gospel of “your best life now”. The content of such a message is terribly unbiblical. Friend, you must be critical when it comes to the content of the gospel and methods of evangelism. Not for the purpose of pointing fingers, but for the purpose of knowing and sharing the true gospel, without compromise. Paul himself even said, “if any man preaches to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). This was not a subject Paul took lightly. Even behind pulpits today, people are preaching an unbiblical gospel… adding to God’s message, as well as withholding essential parts of it. Let us be aware of this and not fall into the same trap. Just as the book of Romans begins, so must the gospel we preach.


“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

“they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God… they exchanged the glory of God for an image…” (Romans 1:21-23).

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).

“Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up for yourselves wrath” (Romans 2:5).

“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

These verses, in universally describing lost man’s condition and awaiting judgment, form the basis for why mankind needs a Savior. Whether or not the sinner is willing to admit it, every one of those verses describes them. They are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). The fierce anger of God hangs over them. It is only the good pleasure of His will which allows their hearts to continue beating. At any moment He could cause any number of things to bring them to their end, at which time their souls would be swallowed up into the gaping pits of hell, where alas torment and grief await them. Though unpleasant, we must consider the realities of hell, so that we might rightly warn people of it’s agonies and duration. Only wrath and torment await the unrepentant. It’s our job to make this reality known to them, so that God might use that knowledge to convert their soul.

As we move onto verses 19-20 in chapter 3, we learn of the law’s place in gospel preaching. Leading up to verses 19-20 we’ve read of mankind’s sinfulness, and now in them we learn of how the Law of God should be used to plainly reveal this sinfulness.


“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God” (Romans 3:19).

“because by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

The Law speaks “so that”…. “every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God”. It is necessary for God to shut men’s mouths from self-justification. If He doesn’t, they will forever plead their goodness and innocence. If God doesn’t convict the sinner through having him measure his goodness to His Law, the sinner will assume he is the exception to the verse, “there is none righteous, no, not one”. For “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”. Men are condemned, guilty, enemies of God and His righteousness, and slaves to sin, and it’s the duty of God’s Law to make this known to them. “The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24). As in the case of the rich, young ruler, people can appear to be seeking Life in Christ, and yet not really be seeking Him as Savior (Luke 18:18-23). This young ruler may have desired eternal life, but he thinks himself to be righteous. He doesn’t realize he’s lost in sin. When Jesus tells him his righteousness is lacking something, he doesn’t repent, but instead walks away sad clinging to his wealth. Jesus didn’t tell the man to simply “ask Him into his heart”. He didn’t solicit a false conversion, as I’d imagine many would’ve if in His place. Jesus opened up the Law and uncovered a worship issue in this man’s life. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)… this young ruler worshipped his wealth.

Before a person can understand the work of Christ, they must first understand their relationship to God as an unbeliever; they must be given an opportunity to look into their own wicked hearts through the mirror of God’s Law. God’s holy requirements and man’s departure from them are our starting point. In hearing of God’s Law, and their condemnation, sinners begin to see who God is. God is not a lenient police officer. God is not like a strict grandpa. God is not like Santa clause. God is God!! God is “holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8). God does not, and will never, compromise. God is unchanging, unwavering, and unable to overlook any transgression of His Law. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is not like us. Multitudes of people have already perished into hell fire, and multitudes will in the future. It’s important to remember, in evangelizing, that the gospel is primarily about God, and secondarily man. Mankind has suppressed the truth about God (Romans 1:18). Their understanding of God, from their youth, is inaccurate. “Gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them” (Ephesians 4:17-19). So do not assume that unbelievers think rightly of God, judgment, or themselves. In fact, it would be biblical to assume just the opposite.

When a person understands their lost condition, who God is, and what awaits them, then they’re ready to receive the Good News. And don’t think it takes hours to reach this point in the conversation. Without rambling, just be honest with people. In just a few minutes God could use you to plow the soil of their heart with his Law, to make it ready to receive the seed of His gospel. Do they understand they need a Savior? If yes, then proclaim to them the reconciliation available in Christ, which comes through repentance, and faith in His atonement.

The good news is that God became a Man, and of His own will, suffered the agonies of hell in the place of all who would ever believe in Him. The punishment which awaited me, God the Son endured Himself. John Piper puts it this way, “He drank the cup of God’s wrath that would’ve taken an eternity to pour out on me”. Only an infinite God could endure this wrath. All the horrors which were to be mine, Jesus Christ endured in my place. In doing so, Jesus perfected for all time His own. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Christ accomplished the salvation of His people, thus He proclaims, “it is finished” (John 19:30).

“the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation by His blood through faith” (Romans 3:24-25).

Propitiation is a term which means “satisfaction”. The justice of God was satisfied (propitiated) in the death of Christ. Men could never merit salvation. God has ransomed sinners through the propitiatory sacrifice of His Son. Apart from the atonement of Christ, there exists no freedom from sin (John 8:34-36), relationship with God as Father (John 14:6), or salvation from hell (Acts 4:12).



UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT
So how do we prevent people from hearing verses like “call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved”, or, “whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have everlasting life”, and thinking a mental assent to acknowledge Christ’s death or vocally calling on Him will save them? How do we prevent people from thinking there’s a magic prayer that saves men? Well, the way to avoid such misunderstanding is to know and explain the context of each Scripture we quote. First off, all Bible verses must be taken in light of the entirety of Scripture. Isolating verses can be very dangerous. Also, by looking at the cultural contexts in which these verses were written, you will quickly see how one should understand them.

To call upon the “Lord” Jesus Christ is to bow to His Lordship. In desperation, and through God wrought desire, people “call” upon Jesus. To do so must entail repentance from sin. The first hearers of such a statement knew very well what it meant to declare Jesus as their Lord. “Lord” in our time however, is not a commonly used term, and therefore it’s not a well understood word. Jesus will not be the Savior of any He is not also Lord of (Matthew 7:21-23). To biblically call upon Christ is to surrender one’s will to Him. Next, to “believe” in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as in calling upon Him, a person has to have been brought to the place of understanding their need for Christ as their Savior and Lord. To “believe” in Christ is to place one’s full trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Only the repentant can “believe” in the Lord Jesus, because part of trusting His death includes obedience to Him. If I trust in Christ, I am relying upon Him for everything.

The people these verses were originally written to had a better understanding of them when they heard or read them. Any Roman citizens, in reading Romans 10:9-13, knew this proclamation of Jesus as their Lord could likely cost them their very life. If it didn’t cost them their physical life, it would undoubtedly bring upon them great persecution. So we do well to explain what we say or read, rather than assume the hearer understand what it means to “call” upon the “Lord”, or to “believe” in Him.



REPENTANCE AND FAITH
In proclaiming the gospel, Jesus and the Apostles all used the term “repent”. Repentance is a supernatural work of God wrought in a sinner’s heart, whereby he is brought to hate what God hates and love what God loves. In repenting, sinners turn from evil and to Christ. Repentance and saving faith go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other. Both are requirements for salvation. Jesus isn’t just Savior; He’s Savior and Lord of His elect. Admitting and confessing sin are not the same as repenting from it. I can admit and confess my sin, but if God hasn’t wrought repentance in my heart, I won’t actually turn from it. This is where regeneration comes in. When a person repents and believes, they do so because they have been regenerated. God gives them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This prophecy in Ezekiel, along with others (Hebrews 10:15-18- Jeremiah 31:33-34), are fulfilled in the new covenant. God, in saving people, regenerates their heart. There’s no such thing as a Christian who believes, but has yet to repent and be made a new creature. Obedience, which is the product of God’s regeneration and sanctification, is the evidence of a new heart. For as John says, “by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-6).

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

The good news of Jesus isn’t that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, or that Jesus loves us. The good news of Jesus is that we are by nature children of God’s wrath, yet in His love, He has made a way for us to be pardoned through the redemption provided in Christ’s sacrifice. People can “come to Christ” for superficial or selfish reasons, and never actually be born-again, or “born from above” (John 3:3). Make sure you aren’t responsible for such a false conversion. Don’t water down the offensiveness of God’s truth. Christ sure didn’t. The Apostles didn’t. Consider the words of the Master Evangelist, “anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27), and again, “whoever of you doesn’t forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

Jesus also spoke of judgment and hell more often than He did of heaven. Was Jesus too negative? Were John the Baptist’s messages of repentance too negative? Friend, don’t pick and choose when it comes to sharing truth. It’s all needed, the hard parts and the easy parts. It’s all essential, the offensive parts and the not so offensive parts. Truth will inevitably offend people, but your approach and delivery should not.

Speak with grace and compassionate love… but by all means, don’t withhold truth!


IT IS GOD WHO SAVES
Because God has declared He placed His “power unto salvation” in the gospel (Romans 1:16), we must rightly conclude that only Divine power is able to convert a lost soul. Jesus put it this way, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). “Can” refers to ability. Men are unable to be saved apart from the supernatural drawing of God the Father. People aren’t neutral towards God, they’re at enmity with Him. As we noted earlier, the will of fallen creatures is in bondage to sin (John 8:34, 44, Ephesians 6:20); their eyes are blinded to God’s truth (1 Corinthians 2:14); their hearts are wicked (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 20:9); and spiritually, they’re not just sick, they’re dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). Because of this condition, “no one seeks God” (Romans 3:11). God must initiate the work of salvation (Philippians 1:6). God alone has the power to raise a spiritual corpse to life. God alone has the power to give sight to the spiritually blind. God alone has the power to liberate an enslaved will. Therefore, when we share the gospel, we must recognize that no amount of persuasion or manipulation can save someone.

Peter, as recorded in Acts 2, preached an uncompromised and powerful gospel message. He boldly pointed out sin, testified of judgment, exalted the nature of God, and proclaimed salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. But this message didn’t save anyone. Acts 2:41 records that there were 3,000 conversions that day, but notice carefully what is pointed out at the end of the chapter, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God must get all the glory in salvation because He’s only using us as His means. Within the hearts of those of Peter’s hearers who were being saved, the Holy Spirit was at work. Let us never overestimate our role in evangelism and leading people to Christ. God desires to, and delights in, using us, but He alone actually saves sinners. Your role in evangelism is significant because Almighty God has commanded you to “preach the gospel” and “make disciples”. He could’ve said, “preach the gospel… if you want to”! How glorious a truth, that the Sovereign Lord has called and enabled us to be used of Him, for such a marvelous work as salvation. We are dependant upon Him, and not vice versa. Take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign in salvation.


THE APPLICATION- ITS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE
Maybe you’ve already experienced this, but when a person desires to be obedient to the great commission, they are often met with much spiritual warfare. Satan and the forces of darkness will only lightly oppose you sharing your testimony, inviting someone to church, or telling someone God loves them. But when you decide to share the gospel, you may find you’re tempted to speak of everything but the gospel itself. It is the gospel message God has ordained the preaching of for the salvation of souls- don’t forget that! Avoid rabbit trails, keep focus, stick to the essentials, don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked on a million other topics of conversation. Ask questions, listen attentively, listen attentively, and listen attentively! Ask them if they have any spiritual or religious beliefs. Ask them if they believe in heaven and hell. Ask them what they think is necessary to gain entrance into heaven. Don’t offend them by being obnoxious and don’t think you have to force feed people truth. That’s not your duty. But at the same time, don’t be so passive that you pass up potential open doors for sharing.

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for” (C.H. Spurgeon).



CONSIDERING SERIOUS MATTERS
I think we’d all agree that where a person’s relationship with God truly stands is by far the most important issue in all of life. Those who are yet to be regenerated, if they die in such a state, will be cast into hell.

Read carefully these words of Jesus:

“whoever says, ‘you fool’, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell”
(Matthew 5:22).

“fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matthew 13:41-42).

“Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the hellfire prepared for satan and his angels” (Matthew 25:41-43).

“But these enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in My presence” (Luke 19:27).


This is no light matter. And know this, some who think they’re going to heaven will not. Familiarize yourself with Matthew 7:13-23. In these verses we learn that both the door for entrance, and the road to heaven, are narrow. But many on the broad to destruction think they’re headed towards heaven. FEW walk the narrow path to glory (Matthew 7:14). For, “every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:19-20). There are necessary evidences for one to be assured of their salvation. Cross reference this truth with 1 John 2:3-6 quoted earlier. For Jesus says, “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-22). Did you catch the reason why these people were cast into darkness? Vs. 21, they didn’t practice obedience, and Vs. 22, they didn’t practice righteousness. They made the right profession, “Lord, Lord”, and they even performed some noteworthy works, but their hearts were not regenerated. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say they had backslid, or “though I once knew you, you made the choice to depart from Me”. No, He says, “I NEVER knew you”. No one who ends up in hell simply chose at some point, after once being saved, to walk away from the Lord. The fact is, they were never actually saved to begin with. For as John declares, “they went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).

In our age, we must never forsake the gospel that Jesus and the Apostles preached. Don’t be responsible for giving someone a false assurance of salvation simply because they raised their hand at an evangelistic meeting, prayed “the sinner’s prayer”, or claim to be saved but aren’t really walking with the Lord presently.

If you have read all of this, I commend you in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to reply. I appreciate your willingness, and your desire to grow in your understanding of God's Word. I pray He makes this knowledge to bring forth an abundance of fruit in your life, to His glory! God bless you.





Soli Deo Gloria