What is the Gospel?
The word gospel simply means “good news.” But before the good news makes sense, we must first understand the bad news. The Bible tells one unified story about God, humanity, Jesus Christ, and our response.
Whether you’ve attended church for years or you’re exploring Christianity for the first time, this is the central message of the Bible. It is the message that has transformed millions of lives throughout history, and it is God’s invitation to you today.
The Bible presents this message in four parts:
1. God
His Lordship
The Bible begins with these words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the Creator of everything that exists. Because He made us, He owns us. We do not ultimately belong to ourselves; we belong to Him.
He is not only our Creator, but also our rightful King and Judge. Every human being will one day stand before Him and give an account for his or her life (Hebrews 9:27).
The most important question in life is not, “Who am I?” but, “Who is God?” Until we understand Him rightly, we cannot understand ourselves.
(Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1; Romans 1:18–20; Acts 17:24–28; Revelation 4:11)
His Love
God’s love is greater than we can imagine. He created us to know Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him forever.
Yet God’s love is not mere tolerance or unconditional approval of everything we do. Because God is perfectly holy, He loves what is good and opposes everything that destroys His creation. His love is so great that He was willing to send His own Son to rescue sinners.
God’s love does not ignore sin—it provides a way to save sinners from it.
(John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9–10)
His Law
God has revealed the life we were created to live. The Ten Commandments and Jesus’ summary of the Law—to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves—show us God’s perfect standard. More importantly, God’s Law acts like a mirror. It exposes our hearts and reveals that we have failed to love God as we should. Rather than making us righteous, the Law shows us our need for a Savior.
(Exodus 20:1–17; Matthew 22:37–40; Romans 3:19–20; Galatians 3:24)
2. Man
Our Worth
Every human being has immeasurable dignity and value because every person is made in the image of God. You were created to know God, worship Him, enjoy Him, and reflect His character in the world. We all recognize that something in our lives—and in our world—is deeply broken. That longing for things to be made right points back to the God who made us.
(Genesis 1:26–27; Psalm 8; James 3:9)
Our Wickedness
The Bible roots that brokenness in sin. Sin is far more than making mistakes or failing to live up to our own standards. Sin is rebellion against God. It includes not only our actions, but also our thoughts, motives, desires, and attitudes.
The standard is not whether we are better than other people. The standard is God’s perfect holiness. Compared with others we may appear good. Compared with God, every one of us falls hopelessly short.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
(Romans 3:10–23; Ephesians 2:1–3; Matthew 5:21–30)
Wrath
Because God is perfectly holy and perfectly just, He cannot simply overlook sin. If a human judge ignored evil, we would call him corrupt. God’s justice is perfect.
The Bible says that the penalty for sin is death—both physical death and eternal separation from God. Left to ourselves, we stand guilty before the Judge of all the earth, unable to save ourselves.
This is the bad news that makes the gospel such wonderfully good news.
(Romans 1:18; Romans 6:23; John 3:36; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11–15)
3. Christ
God did not leave us without hope.
His Purpose
Because of His great love, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners. Jesus did not come merely to be a great teacher, moral example, miracle worker, or social reformer. He came to rescue those who could never rescue themselves. He came to seek and save the lost.
(Luke 19:10; John 3:16–17; 1 Timothy 1:15)
His Person
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He lived the perfect life we have failed to live, obeying God’s Law completely and without sin. His miracles demonstrated His authority over creation. His teaching revealed God’s truth. He is God’s promised Messiah, our great High Priest, our perfect Prophet, and our eternal King. Everything He claimed about Himself was vindicated by His resurrection.
(John 1:1–18; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
His Passion (Suffering & Death)
The heart of the gospel is the cross. Jesus willingly bore God’s righteous judgment against sin in the place of sinners. He took our punishment. He paid our debt. He died the death we deserved. Three days later He rose from the grave, conquering sin, Satan, and death forever.
Everyone who trusts in Christ is completely forgiven, declared righteous before God, adopted into His family, and given the sure hope of eternal life.
(Isaiah 53:4–6; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:21–26; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18)
4. Response
The gospel is not merely information to understand. It is not merely an invitation to consider. It is God’s summons to respond. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and His apostles consistently call people to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15; Acts 17:30–31; Acts 16:31; 20:21).
Repent
Repentance is more than feeling guilty or sorry for your sin. It is a change of mind that results in a change of direction. To repent is to acknowledge that you have sinned against God, to agree with Him about your sin, to turn from self-rule, and to submit yourself to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Repentance does not mean that you must first clean up your life before coming to Christ. No one could ever make themselves worthy enough. Instead, repentance means coming honestly to God, confessing your sin, abandoning your rebellion, and surrendering yourself to His gracious rule.
True repentance always produces a growing desire to obey Christ—not in order to earn salvation, but because God has begun transforming the heart (2 Corinthians 5:17).
(Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30–31)
Rely
Repentance and faith belong together. To believe in or rely on Christ means transferring your confidence away from yourself and placing it entirely in Jesus Christ. You cannot earn God’s acceptance through good works, religious ceremonies, church attendance, generosity, morality, or personal effort.
Salvation is entirely a gift of God’s grace. We are saved by trusting in Christ’s perfect life, His substitutionary death, and His victorious resurrection alone. Nothing can be added to His finished work.
(John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5; Philippians 3:8–9)
Receive
The Bible promises that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” To receive Christ is to personally call upon Him in faith, asking Him to forgive your sins and save you because of what He has accomplished. Jesus promises that whoever comes to Him, He will never cast out.
Every person must respond. There is no neutral position. We either receive Christ by faith or reject Him.
(John 1:12; John 6:37; Romans 10:9–13)
Will You Repent & Trust Christ Today?
Your greatest need is not simply a better life. It is to be reconciled to the God who created you.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has already done everything necessary to make that reconciliation possible. He lived the life you could never live, died the death you deserved to die, and rose again in victory over sin and death.
Today, God calls you to repent of your sin, place your trust in Jesus Christ alone, and receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life (Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9–13).
If you have questions about Christianity, we would be honored to meet with you, answer your questions from the Bible, and help you understand what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
You’re always welcome at Eastmont Baptist Church. We’d love to meet you and help you take your next step toward Christ.