Understanding the Gospel – Part 1
Bibleway Christian Life Centre

1. The Good News

The word ‘gospel’ actually means “good news”. When, however, we refer to The Gospel, we are referring to the message/plan of the New Covenant. The New Testament in your Bible, though made up of 27 books, has as its central theme; One Message. This one message has at its center; One Person. The one message is called the Gospel and the one person is the Lord Jesus Christ – hence ‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ’.

The message, i.e., gospel of Jesus Christ, is indeed good news for all people as was proclaimed by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds that were watching, their flocks “Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11) The gospel is God’s answer to the sin issue. Therefore, every consequence of sin can now be overcome because of the gospel, including sickness and death.

2. Salvation

The gospel is God’s means of bringing salvation to man. The greatest need of any human being is salvation, or to be saved.

A. All men have sinned and are under the dominion of sin. (Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:16-17, Rom. 5:12)

B. The wages of sin is death – physical, spiritual and eternal. (Rom. 6:23, Gen. 2:17, Ez. 18:20, Jam. 1:15, Jam. 5:20, Rom. 5:12, Rev. 20:14-15)

C. Salvation saves the believer from sin’s power, effects and penalty. (Matt. 1:20-21)

3. Only One Gospel

A. The task of the Church is to preach the gospel to the whole world. (Mk. 16:15-16)

B. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope and way of salvation for mankind. (Rom. 1:16, Jn. 14:6, Acts 4:12, 2 Thess. 1:7-9, 1 Pet. 4:17-18)

C. We are saved today by the gospel. (1 Cor. 15:1-2)

D. There is only one true gospel of Christ (Gal. 1:6-9, Jn. 14:6)

E. Any deviation from this gospel is a perversion of the Truth (Gal. 1:6-12, 2 Cor. 11:2-4, 13-15)

F. The perverted gospels mislead men into believing they are saved, when really they are lost because they have not obeyed God’s plan of salvation. (Matt. 7:13-27)

4. What Is The Gospel?

A. First, let us realize that the gospel is made up of both message and plan, i.e. God’s work for us (message) and God’s work in us (plan). This is why we are to both believe and obey the gospel. (Mk. 16:15-16, 2 Thess. 1:7-9)

B. The gospel message is Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead for us. (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

C. The gospel plan of salvation is personal identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, i.e. death to sin (repentance), burial of the body of sin (water baptism in Jesus name) and resurrection unto new life (the baptism with the Holy Ghost). (Rom 6:1-5) This is truly the New Birth Jesus spoke of in St. John 3:3-5.

D. This plan of salvation is the apostolic answer to the sincere question given in Acts 2. (Acts 2:37-39)

E. Acts 2:38 is the message that should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Lk. 24:45-48)

F. The Acts 2:38/John 3:5 plan of salvation can be found throughout the entire book of Acts.

1. The Jews were saved this way. (Acts 2:37-39)
2. The Samaritans were saved this way (Acts 8:5-17)
3. The Gentiles were saved this way (Acts 10:44-48)
4. John’s disciples were saved this way (Acts 19:1-6)

G. NB: The gospel plan of salvation is death, burial and resurrection with Christ, i.e., repentance, water baptism in Jesus name, the infilling of the Holy Ghost with tongues.

This article ‘Understanding the Gospel – Part 1’ was excerpted from: Milk of the Word: Discipleship Manual by Bibleway Christian Life Centre. 1993. It may be used for study & research purposes only.