Amazingly I've heard many different definitions for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Often they are confused with different aspects of the gospel, such as how we become Christians, what's God's part, and what's our part, and good works. So, in an attempt to describe the essence of the gospel, I will give this brief description.
The Christian gospel is "the gift of salvation by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and the transformation of the Holy Spirit." Even more basically, it is the gift of salvation. It is a gift we cannot earn, it can only be received. But in order to receive it we need to accept the truth that we need it. This is not an optional gift, it is a necessary one. We all have a sin problem because we have a sinful nature, we all are mortal and we will die, and we need salvation from our death and the judgment of God. We can only receive this gift by grace through faith, not by works. If you can accept that truth sincerely, you can become a Christian.
The life that Jesus of Nazareth lived two thousand years ago was the perfect life of the incarnate Son of God, by which his righteousness can be imputed to us in faith and our sins can be taken from us. In Romans 3, the Bible declares that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, no one is righteous. It also says that we can receive the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The gospel can also be described concisely with these words in Ephesians 2. "For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." That's the gospel, it is the gift of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That's good news!
And even more, in this faith we are created in Christ for good works, and that gives us something to live for. Our souls can be saved, and our lives can have great meaning and purpose in this faith by the gospel of Christ. That's really good news!
The Christian gospel is "the gift of salvation by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and the transformation of the Holy Spirit." Even more basically, it is the gift of salvation. It is a gift we cannot earn, it can only be received. But in order to receive it we need to accept the truth that we need it. This is not an optional gift, it is a necessary one. We all have a sin problem because we have a sinful nature, we all are mortal and we will die, and we need salvation from our death and the judgment of God. We can only receive this gift by grace through faith, not by works. If you can accept that truth sincerely, you can become a Christian.
The life that Jesus of Nazareth lived two thousand years ago was the perfect life of the incarnate Son of God, by which his righteousness can be imputed to us in faith and our sins can be taken from us. In Romans 3, the Bible declares that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, no one is righteous. It also says that we can receive the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The gospel can also be described concisely with these words in Ephesians 2. "For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." That's the gospel, it is the gift of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That's good news!
And even more, in this faith we are created in Christ for good works, and that gives us something to live for. Our souls can be saved, and our lives can have great meaning and purpose in this faith by the gospel of Christ. That's really good news!
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