What is the Gospel?
Good News
The gospel is the good news of the finished work (John 19:30) of the Lord Jesus Christ to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Sins are the manifold instances wherein man breaks God's moral law (Exodus 20) which prove that he is both a sinner by nature (Ps 51:5), as a result of Adam's transgression (Romans 5:12), as well as by practice (Romans 3:10-18, 5:12) since all have sinned (Romans 3:23). As a result of Adam's fall, man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). He is therefore utterly incapable of doing anything to merit, obtain, or effectuate his own salvation (Romans 3:10-18) because he is ungodly and without strength (Romans 5:6). Moreover, because God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3) he shall and must punish sin. Since man can do nothing to fix his sin problem (Romans 3:20), the salvation of God's chosen people is an intercessory work performed by their substitute (John 10:11) who by himself purged our sins (Hebrews 1:3), perfected his people by his one offering (Hebrews 10:14), redeemed them by his blood (Hebrews 9:12), and made them legally righteous by his obedience alone (Romans 5:19). The gospel is liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1) in that it proclaims the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of his people as the sole means whereby men are eternally saved (Acts 4:12) and whereby they find rest (Matthew 11:28) and comfort (Isaiah 61:2). It is the declaration that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:3-4)
What Assurances Accompany the Gospel?
It is accompanied by the assurance that those who believe this account have everlasting life (John 3:16) and have passed from death unto life (John 5:24) as a result of the grace of God alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not by their works (Titus 3:5, Romans 9:16). Those who believe are admonished to repent of their sins (Acts 2:40) and be baptized into the the Lord's New Testament Church (Acts 2:41) and to walk in obedient discipleship under the precepts of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:42, John 14:15).
To Whom is the Gospel Good News?
The gospel can ever and only be received by a man who has been born again (John 8:47) who was chosen in Christ from eternity past (Ephesians 1:4) to be a son (Ephesians 1:5) and for which reason he was regenerated in time (Galatians 4:6) by the working of the same mighty power of God which resurrected the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave (Ephesians 1:19-20). Such men are described as thirsty (Isaiah 55:1, Revelation 22:17, Matthew 5:6), hungry (Matthew 5:6), blessed (Matthew 5:6) and willing (Psalm 110:3, Revelation 22:17) in the scriptures.
Who Cannot Receive the Gospel?
Conversely, the gospel cannot be received by a man who has not been born again (John 8:47) because he lacks the spiritual eyes to see (John 3:3), lacks the capacity to receive or understand spiritual truth (I Corinthians 2:11-14, Romans 3:12), lacks any fear of God (Romans 3:18) and has absolutely no desire for spiritual things (Psalm 10:4).
CONCLUSION
Salvation is all by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and any spiritual capacity you ever see in a man is never anything other than the evidence of a salvation wrought entirely by God beforehand on his behalf (Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 11:1).
- Elder Daniel Samons