What is the Biblical Gospel?

The Gospel is the heart of Christianity. Literally translated, the word gospel means good news. But, sadly, many people have never actually heard this good news. So what is the “Gospel” according to the Bible?

Who is God?

There has only ever been, and only ever will be one eternal God (Isaiah 43:10). God is not like us (Numbers 23:19), He is totally unique (Isaiah 40:18, 25; 44:6-8): perfect, unchangeable (Malachi 3:6), immaterial (John 4:24, Luke 24:39), and without limitation. He has revealed Himself to us through His Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).

God created everything that exists (Genesis 1:1). The Bible tells us that

”by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16).

Every universe, every planet, every cell (Psalm 147:4), every atom, every angel and demon, even every person…including you and me (John 1:3) were created by Him and ONLY Him (Isaiah 44:24). And God gave us a code to live by and placed it in our hearts as a conscience to know right from wrong (Romans 2:15).

The Problem of Sin

But you and I have chosen wrong, sinned, on many occasions (Isaiah 53:6). The Bible tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That “no one is righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). This means that in God’s eyes, none of us meet his standard—none of us are perfect. Not even one.

Because of this rebellion against the Most Holy Creator (Revelation 4:8, 1 Peter 1:16), we’ve caused there to be a separation between God and us (Isaiah 59:2). And this separation is so severe, that there’s nothing we could ever do to fix it (Ephesians 2:12).

But this fact hasn’t stopped many people from trying. In realizing their sin, some have tried to do enough good in order to outweigh the bad, hoping that God would favorably judge their good intentions and heart. But God himself has declared that “Even all of our righteous deeds are like filthy rags to Him” (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus even taught us that our heart isn’t an asset, but a liability, stating that out of our hearts comes all manner of wickedness (Matthew 15:19-20).

Others have thought that if they could just stop doing bad things, they would be alright. But the Bible says that if we’ve done even a single wrong thing, then we’re lawbreakers (James 2:10)! Lawbreakers are subject to the full penalty of the law. Our good deeds can’t change the fact that we’re all lawbreakers.

The just penalty for breaking God’s Law is death (Romans 6:23). Not only physical death in the separation of our bodies from our souls…but spiritual death: eternal separation from God in hell (2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 21:3-4). God is perfect, and we are not. He is completely just in His judgment of eternal death, and you and I both stand guilty before a Righteous Judge on account of OUR sin (Romans 2:2).

God Saves Us Through His Son Jesus

But God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to come to earth (John 3:16), to enter into this sinful mess we made, and live the perfect life we should have lived (Hebrews 4:15). 

Jesus was blameless (1 Peter 2:22), deserving of no punishment…but willingly took upon Himself the punishment of death that His people deserved on the cross. In regards to our standing before God—provided we trust in His work—he trades places with us (2 Corinthians 5:21), giving us His perfect righteousness which we could never earn (Romans 3:21-22, Philippians 3:9), and taking upon Himself the guilty punishment for sin that He didn’t deserve. Though we stand guilty by our works, we can receive His reward of eternal life (Romans 3:24-25).

“And God demonstrated His love for us in this, that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Jesus died the death that you and I should have died…but He didn’t stay in the grave (Acts 2:24). He rose from the dead defeating both sin and death, and sharing His victory with all who will believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:57). Now we can be seen as innocent in the eyes of God (Isaiah 43:25)! 

A man once asked Jesus, “What must we do to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered him, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:28-29).

This is the Gospel…

…that anyone who will repent of sin and turn (Acts 3:19), not to their own good works, their religious systems, or the traditions of men, but turn and believe in the Sole Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lawgiver and Judge, and only Savior Jesus Christ, they will be saved (Acts 16:31).

The Bible says that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8). That it is not possible for us to earn God’s forgiveness through any deeds that we can do (Romans 11:6). God says that anyone who relies on his own works is under a curse (Galatians 3:10), because no one can be justified by what his accomplishments (Romans 3:20).

In fact—the Bible tells us that if we try to establish our worthiness before God by any kind of work—whether by good works like feeding the poor or special works done in a Temple—if we try to be worthy before God by doing these things, then we will not receive eternal life as a gift. The only way for us to have eternal life is if we STOP doing special works to earn or receive eternal life, and simply believe in the God who declares ungodly sinners to be righteous by faith (Romans 4:4-5).

This Gospel is so important to God that He warns us that if anyone tries to add anything to, or take anything from this message, even if that messenger is an angel from heaven, he will be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:8). God has guarded His true Gospel throughout the ages (Matthew 16:18), and through His servants, He shares it freely to all who will hear it (Romans 10:14-17).

In spite of your sin, God has freely offered you His gift of grace and salvation, today. If you trust in Him alone for eternal life, then you can rest assured that you will certainly dwell with Him in paradise one day. And that is good news!