What is the Gospel?

https://vimeo.com/474935243

What is the Gospel?

Series: Why Did God Create Us?

What Does The Bible Say?

Why is the Gospel so important?

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Ephesians 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.

Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

Ephesians 4:18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

Colossians 1:21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.

Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

We have no hope to have a relationship with God without the Gospel.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23 NLT)

We are sinners by nature—self-absorbed and rebellious.

Every other religion denies sin is a problem. They say you can be better through your own effort.

So if the Gospel is so important, what is it exactly?

The English word “gospel” is a translation of a Greek word that referred to a reward given to someone who brought good news.

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you… Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:1–4 NLT)

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. (Romans 1:1;3-5 NLT)

The content of the gospel. Here are the elements:

• God sent his Son …

• Who was born in the line of David …

• As the man Jesus Christ …

• Who died for our sins …

• Who was buried …

• And who rose from the dead …

The Son of God became man. He died on the cross as our sacrifice, so our sins (our behavior that goes against God’s behavior), would no longer keep us out of God's family. He rose from the dead to show us that we too can overcome death and be with God the Father for eternity.

Christianity is different than every other religion in the world, because we get to go to heaven not because of what we do, but what Jesus Christ did for us.

How Can You Obey?

The Good News of the Gospel is that God wants to offer you a permanent place in His family. All that He asks is that you choose to believe.

Choose to believe that God values you as His creation just as you are. When you try to make God value you, you focus on yourself, and not on Him.

Additional Notes:

If you would like to use your home to disciple others, check out our training at www.crosswaveschurch.com/host. Cross Waves has produced short videos to train you how to use your home to reach others for Christ. So please check it out.

Explore:

This series comes from the book, What Does God Want? Michael S. Heiser and Blind Spot Press, 2018.

Explore:

Today’s Deep Dive Into The Bible segment comes from the book: Heiser, M. S. (2014). I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible. (J. D. Barry & R. Van Noord, Eds.) (p. 17). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press; Bible Study Magazine.

Explore:

The story is told that a certain M. Lepeau complained to Talleyrand that a new religion of his—one he considered a great improvement over Christianity—had failed to catch on with the people. He asked Talleyrand for some suggestions. Talleyrand dryly said, “M. Lepeau, to insure success for your new religion, all you need do is have yourself crucified and then rise from the dead on the third day!” The resurrection “declared” that Jesus was the Son of God. The Greek word is very helpful in getting the force of the idea because it is related to our English word horizon, “the boundary between heaven and earth.” God’s mighty deed in raising Jesus from the dead “horizoned” him—that is, it clearly marked out Jesus as the divine Son. Paul’s entire view was dominated by Christ as the Son of God.

But it must also be noted in verse 4 that Paul says it was not only the Resurection which declared Christ’s divinity, but it was also substantiated “Through the Spirit [or, his spirit] of holiness”—that is, the holiness of his human nature. James Denny put it this way: “… the sonship, which was declared by the resurrection, corresponded to … the spirit of holiness which was the deepest reality in the Person and life of Jesus.” The Resurrection verified with power that Christ’s perfect life came from his being divine. Paul wanted the Romans to know that his task in sharing the Good News was to preach that Jesus, in accord with the ancient Scriptures, was the resurrected human/divine Savior.

Here Paul’s life and task come together. He is appointed by God, he is divinely set apart, he is above all a servant—and his message is “horizoned” before him by the resurrection of Jesus who was both human and divine. The entire sky is filled with this reality. It is this vision which drives Paul to such supreme heights of service.

Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven (pp. 18–19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Explore:

Paul’s main argument was that there were still eyewitnesses to the Resurrection. That Christ died and was really raised from the dead was a fact that could be corroborated by individuals who were still living at the time 1 Corinthians was being written. While acknowledging that some who had been eyewitnesses had died, Paul estimated that there were approximately five hundred persons living at the time he wrote who could verify the fact of the Resurrection. He identifies Cephas and the Twelve (v. 5), James and all the apostles (v. 7), and himself. While Paul confessed his unworthiness for having “persecuted the church” (v. 9) and that his meeting with Christ came later, he made no distinction between the Christ who was seen by Cephas and the Christ who appeared to him on the road to Damascus. These are all powerful witnesses.

Chafin, K. L., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1985). 1, 2 Corinthians (Vol. 30, p. 177). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Question 1 of 5

When did the sons of God rebell against God? Was it before the fall of man or afterward? Why?

Question 2 of 5

How would you describe sin to someone not brought up in church?

Question 3 of 5

Why is being honest with our own sin important to realizing we need the Gospel?

Question 4 of 5

Explain the elements of the Gospel.

Question 5 of 5

Why can’t we earn our way into heaven?