WHAT REALLY IS THE GOSPEL?

WHAT REALLY IS THE GOSPEL?

People have always preached different things in the name of the gospel. Some people even believe anything they preached from the Bible is the gospel. A pastor can wake up, pick a verse and say anything then he says he is preaching the gospel. The gospel must mean what the Bible calls the gospel. It is good news.

The word gospel is from the Greek word “euaggelion”. It means a good message or glad tidings,. It is the good news of what Christ has done.  Thayer defined the Greek word in the following ways,

euaggelion :Thayer Definition:

a reward for good tidings, good tidings

o the glad tidings of salvation through Christ

o the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ

o the gospel

1 Corinthians 15

1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. note note

3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

SOME KEY THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE GOSPEL

1. THE GOSPEL IS CENTRED ON THE DEALTH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

It is not just any Good news like motivation talk, it is the Good news of what Christ has done and who we are because of what he has done. The death of Jesus was a means to resurrection unto life. It was to pay for The wages of sin which is death, so we can have The gift of God which is life. Romans 6:23.

John 3

15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

   18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that      believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The essence of Christ Coming is so we can have life. The gospel is concerning having life in Christ Jesus. Rejection of Christ is the rejection of life. Romans 1:1-3. And it is promised in the scriptures  (Genesis to Malachi). 

Romans1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Observe in verse 2 that THE GOSPEL is promised in the scriptures  (Genesis to Malachi). It was the promise that people believe before Christ coming.
2. THE GOSPEL IS THE MESSAGE OF GRACE AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN WHICH IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN CHRIST

Paul said  in

“Acts 13: 38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

This is the clause of the gospel and this is what the spirit bears witness to. Peter also said in Cornelius house in Acts 10

43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

This is the gospel. THAT IN CHRIST MEN ARE DECLARED NOT GUILTY BEFORE GOD. There is forgiveness of sins available only in Christ. This is the gospel.  Romans 5:1. It is a message of Grace because we didn’t pay for it. Salvation in Christ is by Grace. No one can merit it.  Christ paid the full price for ALL THE SINS OF MANKIND. Only believe and be saved.

3. THE GOSPEL IS THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION

2Corithians 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
God has reconciled man back to himself. The sin virus that separates man from God has been paid for. Anyone that believes this becomes a new creature and is given the ministry of reconciling others. He who gave us the ministry also gave us the message. It is the message of  God not inputting sin on men. Not men not committing sin. We must tell the word that GOD  IS NOT COUNTING THEIR SINS ON THEM. This is the gospel. That is why it is TOO GOOD TO BE THROUGH NEWS.

Galatians 1: 6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: There is the Grace of Christ, and another gospel. GRACE IS THE BALANCE OF EVERY MESSAGE. IF it is not the Grace of Christ it is not the gospel.

4. IT IS THE SAME GOSPEL WE PREACH TO UNBELIEVERS WE ALSO TEACH BELIEVERS TO MAKE THEM GROW.

   1Cor 15:1 quoted above.

Acts 20: 32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Observe the scripture above carefully, you will notice it is the WORD OF HIS GRACE, the gospel that builds you up and deliver your inheritance to you.  In the gospel, you learn who you are and what you can do in Christ. In learning you experience who you have already become. We do not preach a different message to Christians. The same message we preach to unbelievers is what we teach believers so they can grow.

Galatians 1:

6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Paul haven laboured for the Galatians Church warned them against people who preach not THE gospel. They should be accursed, treated as a cursed thing. We must pay attention to what we preach to Christians.

Any message that does not emphasize what Christ has done and who we are because of what He has done is not and can Never be the gospel.

5. THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

NO Man can ever be saved without hearing GOOD NEWS OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE. Threats and hell fire movies cannot get men saved. The goodness of God leads to repentance. Romans 2:4. GOD IS POWERLESS IN SAVING MEN WITHOUT THE GOSPEL. That is why we must preach it. The gospel does not just have power to save, IT IS THE POWER. Once the gospel is preached men get saved. Give yourself to the preaching of this gospel. God doesn’t preach. He gave us a privilege to preach and translate men from death to Life.

                   By OBIAZIKWOR EMEKE MODESTY

                          www.emekemodesty .com

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