John Atkinson
03-14-2003, 02:05 AM
What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
www.GloriousChurch.com
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Mark 16:15-16
The world we live in is full of bad news: shootings, rapes, murders, wars, evil of every kind. But, thank the Lord, there is some good news too! It’s called the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” In Ephesians 1:13 he called it “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Peter explained that believers are “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” He described this experience as “obeying the truth.” He concluded by writing, “Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).
The Bible tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). What is the Word of God that a man or woman must hear for faith to come? What is the truth that must be obeyed? What is the incorruptible seed through which we are born again? Clearly it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is only one gospel.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:6-12).
What was the gospel Paul preached?
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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 (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
According to this passage, we must receive the gospel, we must stand in it, and we must hold fast to it. If we do not we have believed for nothing.
How do we believe the gospel?
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” (Romans 10:14-16).
This passage tells us that to truly believe the gospel, we must obey it. And failing to do so has severe consequences.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17).
What will happen to those who do not obey the gospel?
Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) .
To believe it, you must obey it.
Faith without works is dead. This is another way of saying that believing without obeying is dead. As Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but you won’t do the things that I say?” No one can claim to have believed the gospel apart from obeying it.
How do we obey the gospel?
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them (Acts 2:37-41).
These people heard, believed, and obeyed.
What did they hear? The message that Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead.
What did they believe? That Jesus died for them and they must repent and be baptized.
How did they obey? By being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
www.GloriousChurch.com
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Mark 16:15-16
The world we live in is full of bad news: shootings, rapes, murders, wars, evil of every kind. But, thank the Lord, there is some good news too! It’s called the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” In Ephesians 1:13 he called it “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Peter explained that believers are “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” He described this experience as “obeying the truth.” He concluded by writing, “Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).
The Bible tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). What is the Word of God that a man or woman must hear for faith to come? What is the truth that must be obeyed? What is the incorruptible seed through which we are born again? Clearly it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is only one gospel.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:6-12).
What was the gospel Paul preached?
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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 (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
According to this passage, we must receive the gospel, we must stand in it, and we must hold fast to it. If we do not we have believed for nothing.
How do we believe the gospel?
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” (Romans 10:14-16).
This passage tells us that to truly believe the gospel, we must obey it. And failing to do so has severe consequences.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17).
What will happen to those who do not obey the gospel?
Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) .
To believe it, you must obey it.
Faith without works is dead. This is another way of saying that believing without obeying is dead. As Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but you won’t do the things that I say?” No one can claim to have believed the gospel apart from obeying it.
How do we obey the gospel?
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them (Acts 2:37-41).
These people heard, believed, and obeyed.
What did they hear? The message that Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead.
What did they believe? That Jesus died for them and they must repent and be baptized.
How did they obey? By being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.