We stand upon the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the apostle Paul clearly spelled out the gospel of Jesus Christ:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Let us note the character, content, method, result, and hope of the gospel.
CHARACTER OF THE
GOSPEL
The main character of the gospel is Jesus Christ! He is the only Son of God who died and rose again. He alone is fully God and fully man (Philippians 2:5-11; John 1:1-14; Hebrews 1:3). He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18).
CONTENT OF
THE GOSPEL
The good news is that Jesus Christ died and saved us from our sins. As stated in the Bible that all have sinned before God and stand condemned (Romans 3:23, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). However, Jesus offered his life on the cross and died for our sins to deliver us from this sinful generation (Galatians 1:4). Therefore, those who are saved by Christ cannot continue to live in sin but change according to the image of his Son.
METHOD OF
THE GOSPEL
We apply the gospel by repenting of our sins and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30; Romans 10:9). Our salvation is a gift of God’s grace and not dependent upon our human works or effort (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).
We can summarize the gospel by looking at 4 C’s: Creator-Creature-Christ-Confession. Our Creator, God, is holy and sovereign. We, the Creature, are unholy in sin and subject to judgment. Christ, God’s Son, pays for our sin on the cross. By Confession of our sin and our trust in Christ, we are saved.
RESULT OF
THE GOSPEL
Christ cleanses us of sin and changes our lives. We no longer live for ourselves following sinful practices (Romans 6:1; 2 Corinthians 5:14). We live for Christ who is our Lord (Romans 10:9). He saved us to conform us to his image (Romans 8:29). We uphold a God-centered gospel where He is Lord, and not a man-centered gospel where God is to fulfill man’s desires.
HOPE OF THE
GOSPEL
Our hope is not in this life. It is heavenly not earthly (Colossians 3:2-4). The gospel is not about earthly prosperity or physical health. We join humanity, groaning in a sinful world until Christ returns (Romans 8:22). We focus on the future, on our eternal life in full conformity to Christ and on our reward when Christ returns (John 14:3; Revelation 22:12; Romans 8:29) and view our present life on earth as strangers and exiles (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11).
