In a day where black and white has turned to indefinite gray, there are some truths we need to make sure we have right. One of those truths is the Gospel. The only way we can define the Gospel is by the Word of God.
What is the Gospel? The apostle Paul defines this for us in a letter to the Corinthians where he says:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Paul declares that the Gospel is Christ’s death for our sins at Calvary because were all sinners (Romans 3:23), it is the burial of His lifeless body in a borrowed tomb, and His being raised again the third day.
Now what? You and I must see our need for this Gospel and this is granted to us by the work of the Holy Spirit. Here is how Jesus put it:
“And when he [the Holy Spirit]
is come, he will reprove [convict, convince]
the world of sin [singular]
, and of righteousness [our need to be right with God
], and of judgment [that is to come upon all who reject Jesus]
: Of sin, because they [the world]
believe not on me [this is that singular sin that Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts of]
” (John 16:8-9).
Now that we know what the Gospel is and how we see our need for the Gospel, the next question is how do we receive the benefits of it? The answer to that question is we
believe the Gospel. The Bible calls this faith and faith is being convinced that something is true. When you and I believe that Jesus’ death was for our sins and that His burial and resurrection were for us (Romans 4:25), we are saved from the penalty of sin [judgement], given new life in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and are made right [righteous] before God (Romans 3:21-22).
If you have read this and trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, please send us an email at westlafollettebc@gmail.com or give us a call at (423) 562-9871 so we can rejoice with you!
