The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Greek noun for “Gospel” is εὐαγγέλιον (euaggelion) and means good news. God’s good news of salvation to all who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior is called the Gospel. In Romans 1:16, euaggelion means the declaration of good news of our Lord’s victory on the Cross, where He was judged for the sins of the world.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, NASB)

The Gospel is the communication of Bible doctrine regarding the means to salvation and about the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. God has made available the Gospel message to all generations in every dispensation.

What Must Be Known to be Saved?

To be saved, you must first know something about the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for your sins and the sins of all mankind. Your response to that Gospel message is either acceptance or rejection. Eph. 2:8-9.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB)

Most of the details regarding the Gospel are learned after salvation. Obviously, the more clear and concise the biblical information provided in witnessing, the better. Most people are eternally saved based on just the minimum information about the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This emphasizes the importance of believing in Jesus Christ.

How much faith does it take to be saved? Just a little bit more than no faith at all. No one is saved by adding anything to faith alone in Christ alone. Faith alone is inherently non-meritorious. Adding anything to faith alone in Christ alone for salvation is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Examples of this include; faith plus commitment, faith plus changing your evil ways, performing water baptism, or making Christ Lord of all. Christ is made Lord of all because of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurs at the instant of salvation. It and 39 other things happen at the point of salvation, but God does them all in grace. See category on The 40 Things Received at Salvation.

Some include “inviting Christ into your heart” as part of their Gospel message. This metaphor for salvation is another example of you doing something for God to make salvation effective. The heart or soul of an unbeliever is inherently deceitful, loaded with sin and therefore spiritually dead. God cannot enter such a place as it is contrary to His perfect essence. Jer. 17:9.

“"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NASB)

This phrase “inviting Christ into your heart” comes from a misinterpretation of Revelation 3:20 in that this verse involves confession of sin for a believer to return to fellowship with God. It is not a salvation verse.

“'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20, NASB)

Some include in the Gospel message the need for you to repent of your sins. The word “repent” is μετανοέω (metanoeō) in the Greek and means a change of mind about Jesus Christ and indicates what happens when you understand the Gospel through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and believe.

“"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3, NASB)

You are not saved by water baptism, by renouncing sin, by joining a church, or by raising your hand and walking an aisle. These do not save you because they are things you are doing. All you need is to express faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ for your sins. God the Holy Spirit does all the rest. When you add anything to faith in Christ for salvation, that is salvation by works which is not salvation at all.

Gospel Emphasis

We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel, but to seek to inform all those around us of God's message of eternal salvation. Rom. 1:16.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, NASB)

God's creation that surrounds us on earth and in the sky above us testifies to God’s absolute and perfect attributes. Rom. 1:20.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, NASB)

The Apostle Paul was driven to bring the Gospel message to all he could come into contact with. 1 Cor. 9:16.

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16, NASB)

Too many evangelists and pastors obscure the clear Gospel message. The issue of the Gospel is all about the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, not sin, and not what you need to do to be saved. The Gospel is not about water baptism, it’s not about sin, it’s not about how bad you’ve been, but about Christ being judged for your sins. The Gospel demands a decision – accept the work of Jesus Christ by faith alone or reject the work of Jesus Christ and trust in your own human good and works to attempt to gain a relationship with God.

Gospel Boundaries

The boundaries of the Gospel are that Christ died spiritually as a substitute for our sins, Christ then died physically and was buried, and Christ physically and literally rose from the dead. This is the good news of the Gospel to emphasize in witnessing. The boundaries of the Gospel are given in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NASB)

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul was teaching a Greek audience of believers in Corinth. He had to explain the boundaries of the Gospel to them because some were having trouble accepting a literal, physical, bodily resurrection. This was contrary to their Greek culture and presented a conflict between their culture and the Word of God.

The Corinthians were Greeks and had already believed in Christ for salvation. Although they were believers, they had a hard time accepting the doctrine of resurrection - the physical, literal resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was contrary to their culture. The believer’s rejection of Bible doctrine following salvation simply limits their spiritual growth. Rejection of Bible doctrine means failure to execute God's plan for your life.

While you do not have to believe in resurrection for salvation, Paul was trying to explain to the Corinthians that the doctrine of resurrection provides an encouragement that they as Church Age believers will also be resurrected at the Rapture of the Church just as Christ was resurrected as the “first fruits.” 1 Cor. 15:20-21.

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-21, NASB)

The boundaries of the Gospel help the believer to understand and appreciate what Jesus Christ did for their salvation and provide assurance of eternal security. In this case, it teaches the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ being judged for our sins on the Cross. 1 Cor. 15:3-4.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NASB)

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “was buried” refers to our Lord’s unique physical death on the Cross following His work of salvation. God the Father and the Holy Spirit were the agents of our Lord’s resurrection. Their omnipotent power raised Jesus Christ from the dead. “He was raised” means that He received resurrection. Jesus Christ did not resurrect Himself with His own omnipotence. He could have done so and He stated that in John 10:17-18.

“"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."” (John 10:17-18, NASB)

God the Father restored our Lord’s human spirit with His physical body still in the grave. Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Peter 1:21.

“"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:24, NASB)

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4, NASB)

“having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12, NASB)

“who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:21, NASB)

God the Holy Spirit restored our Lord’s human soul to His physical body still in the grave. Rom. 1:4; Rom. 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18.

“who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB)

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11, NASB)

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18, NASB)

Note that the Gospel boundaries start with the saving work of Jesus Christ and they end with His physical resurrection. The Gospel means good news.

Preaching about sin does not result in salvation. The Gospel is preaching the solution to sin. The Gospel begins with Christ being judged on behalf of our sins. He took our place and was judged instead of us. The unbeliever needs to realize that they are spiritually dead from birth and that they do sin, but clarifying this is not the Gospel. The Gospel is the explanation of salvation in terms of reconciliation, unlimited atonement, redemption, and propitiation.

The unbeliever cannot decide regarding the Gospel message until they hear about the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for their sins. That is where you talk about sin.

New Testament Terms for the Gospel

The New Testament contains several different words used with the term “Gospel.” In Romans 1:16-17, “the gospel” is used to emphasize the Person of the Gospel - the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."” (Romans 1:16-17, NASB)

In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “our gospel” and in 2 Timothy 2:8, “my gospel” refers to the believer’s possession of the Gospel and the importance of communicating it to others as God provides opportunity in witnessing for Jesus Christ.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, NASB)

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,” (2 Timothy 2:8, NASB)

In Romans 2:16, “my gospel” means that the good news or salvation in Jesus Christ belongs to every believer.

“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:16, NASB)

In Ephesians 6:15, the “gospel of peace” emphasizes the doctrine of Reconciliation, whereby Jesus Christ removed the barrier between God and man. We bridge that barrier by personal faith in Jesus Christ.

“and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;” (Ephesians 6:15, NASB)

In Revelation 14:6, “an eternal gospel” emphasizes the proximity of eternity for unbelievers in the Tribulation and the Gospel as the only information by which we can possess eternal life.

“And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;” (Revelation 14:6, NASB)

In 1 Timothy 1:11, the “glorious gospel of the blessed God” emphasizes the fact that only the Gospel can save the unbeliever.

“according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” (1 Timothy 1:11, NASB)

In Matthew 24:14, “the gospel of the kingdom” emphasizes the fulfillment of God's unconditional covenants to Israel that apply only to those Jews who personally believe in Jesus Christ.

“"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14, NASB)

The Gospel in the Old Testament

The Old Testament Scripture foresaw that God would bring salvation to the Gentiles by faith in the Messiah. Gal. 3:8; Gen. 12:3.

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."” (Galatians 3:8, NASB)

“And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."” (Genesis 12:3, NASB)

Many of the messages of the prophets taught salvation through faith in Christ, as illustrated by Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 53:11.

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, NASB)

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:6, NASB)

“As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11, NASB)

The Gospel preached when Peter was alive on the earth was the same Gospel preached by the prophets during Old Testament times. 1 Peter 1:10-12.

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:10-12, NASB)

Opposing the Gospel

Negative volition at Gospel hearing produces a soul vacuum into which is pulled mental attitude sins and jealousy. Acts 17:4-5.

“And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.” (Acts 17:4-5, NASB)

Mental attitude sins not only produce self-induced misery, but lead to acts of violence, antagonism and revenge. In this case, jealousy regarding the Gospel message brought by Paul and Silas produced a mob and a riot in Thessalonica, which was used to attack Paul and his friends, desiring to run them out of town. The criteria for the mob was emotion and prejudice fostered by the one or ones who formed it.

Religion used riots to disrupt good government and bully government leaders into a course of action which was wrong and dishonest. Emotionalism and rioting mobs acted upon the government until the government was reduced to the same disrupted and emotional level as the mob. Behind the scenes, religion hid its hypocritical face while manipulating the mob to disrupt government to achieve their evil goals to oppose the Gospel message.

The Enemy of the Gospel

As the “god of this world,” the enemy of the Gospel is Satan. Satan blinds the thoughts of the unbeliever. Satan’s false teachers confuse, mislead, and deceive the unbeliever when they purposely bring in false issues and works into the Gospel message. Satan also uses carnal believers with no Bible doctrine in their soul to bring confusing Gospel messages to the unbeliever. 2 Cor. 4:3-4.

The saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross is the issue in salvation, not your sins. Our Lord was judged for all our sins on the Cross. Your human good or works are not the issue because Christ finished all the work on the Cross. The issue is believe or reject the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross for your sins.

The False Gospel

There is a curse of the false Gospel. Many believers today receive a curse from God in the form of divine discipline for purposely adding something to faith in Christ. They are the ones teaching a false Gospel. Gal. 1:8.

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8, NASB)

An example of a false Gospel is that you must not only believe in Christ but also make a commitment to Him. If you do not, your faith is merely academic. That is wrong and evil! Some serious divine discipline awaits such people.

The false Gospel is an evil in our country today, because everyone is trying to help God with something they think He needs from them. Adding anything to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross is a false Gospel. Making issues out of sins, bad or immoral behavior, being emersion baptized, or anything else within the Gospel message results in a false Gospel.