The Gospel

The Apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” There are four essential aspects of the Gospel that a person must understand in order to be saved. Those are 1. God is Holy, 2. Man is Guilty, 3. Christ is the Saviour, and 4. Sinners must Repent. I hope to address and expand upon each of these aspects, so let’s begin with number 1. God is Holy.
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The first Words of God shout to all mankind that God is the Creator! He is the Owner and Sustainer of all things.1 Corinthians 10:26 says “for the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” Everything belongs to Him for He is its Maker.
God is a perfect being. There is no spot or blemish in Him. He is pure in all His ways and no sin has ever defiled Him. His holiness is perfect. This we find in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be holy, for I am holy,” and Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. God requires perfect obedience to His law. He created us for His glory alone. We are here on earth to serve Him in a life so abundant; a life we are not worthy to receive or live.

I share with you below an incredible picture of the glory of God and His call upon our lives.




The second aspect of the Gospel is 2. Man is Guilty. Romans 3:23 speaks very plainly, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are born enemies of God. We rejected Him and hated Him. Romans 3 says earlier in the passage, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have been useless; There is none who does good, there is not even one.” Each one of us has broken God’s law, and when a law is broken, truth and purity cries for justice. Again, the beloved, heart-wrenching and soul-searching book of Romans speaks, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The justice we deserve is death and eternal separation from our holy and righteous maker. Many people, at the sound of this, desperately but unsuccessfully try to gain their own salvation. Countless men and women have strived to win eternal life through good deeds, yet they have strived in vain. Isaiah 65: 6 says, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” Absolutely nothing man does will save Him. Titus 3:5 says, “(God) saved us not on the basis of deed which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Thankfully, this hopeless state has been provided a remedy through the third aspect, Christ is the Savior and Lord.

John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. He was fully God and fully man. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was fully man. He breathed the air of earth, walked the roads and hills of Israel, hungered and thirst, and felt pain like we do, and yet He was fully God. He wrapped human flesh around His glory, came to earth, was born to humble parents in a lowly manger, lived a perfect life, was betrayed, mocked, spat upon, falsely tried, beaten till He no longer bore the form or appearance of a man, forced to carry His cross, and finally crucified. Why? “…that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He substituted His life for His chosen. “…He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:4) He rose from the grave and is alive today!

With this truth, we come to the last aspect of the Gospel, sinners must repent. The Scripture overflows with this truth.

Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Luke 9:23 “…If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Acts 17:30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent.”

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” We as Christians are to be narrow minded! God calls us to enter through the narrow gate. He calls us to enter. We have to go completely through. We cannot stand on the other side and admire the gate. We cannot recommend the gate or tell others about it and not enter ourselves. We cannot stand with one foot through and the other remaining behind. We must pass through. The gate is narrow. It is difficult to enter. It is humiliating. It crushes our pride. It causes us to submit, obey, and surrender. It forces you to enter alone. No one can enter with you and no one can force you to enter or pull you through from the other side. You must leave all baggage behind. All you were before you entered is stripped from you. It is a transforming gate. This gate is Jesus Christ. He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. You don’t need to repent well enough or be spiritual enough. Listen to God. He commands you to enter. His command is His grace upon our lives. It is not easy believism. It cost Jesus His life!
There is another way. The broad way is easy and open. You can enter with everyone all at once. Friends and family can join you through its wide gate. You leave nothing behind. It is very comfortable. You can do whatever you want. You can have it all. There is a tolerance of sin. There is no commitment to Christ. It is the way of “grace covers it all.” Nothing is radical. It is a deceiving way. It looks better, and yet it leads to destruction. It is the way that seems right unto a man, but its end is death.
The small gate leads to a narrow way, yet an abundant existence. It might cost you friends, family, possession, maybe even your life, but only your earthly life, for eternity rests in the hands of God. Ezekiel 18:32 says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live."

Charles H. Spurgeon said, “You and your sin must separate or you and your God will never come together.”

I pray that this Gospel message will grow in our hearts. May its truth ring from our voices. May we live and breath Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for the work of the Kingdom and for the glory of God.