Alan Lewis
Elon, North Carolina
February 2011
Today, we come to the most important message in the world. It is the most important message that you will ever hear. Your eternity depends on your response to this message. Paul called it a message of FIRST importance (I Corinthians 15:3 NIV).
There are essential doctrines and non-essential doctrines of the faith. This is an essential doctrine. There are many doctrines that are minor and you can be off on and still go to heaven.
A person can be wrong on speaking in tongues and still be a Christian. A person can be wrong on the Millennium and still be a Christian.
A person can be wrong on when the rapture takes place and still be a Christian. If you are wrong on the gospel, you can’t go to heaven. You need this message to be saved. It is the message of the gospel.
What is the gospel? What is this message that Paul devoted his life to preach? There is a lot of confusion today about this topic. Many misunderstand and misrepresent this message. There are false gospels today, just as there were false gospels in Paul’s day.
Facts about the Gospel
1) The gospel is God’s idea
This message came from God. The gospel was not Paul’s idea. He did not come up with (Galatians 1:11-12). No human ever came up with the gospel. In fact, not only was it was God’s idea from the start but it goes completely against human ways of thinking.
Man did not come up with this message and never would have come up with this message because it completely goes against human ways of thinking. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The message of the cross is foolish to the world (I Corinthians 1:18; 2:14). It is completely ridiculous to the unbeliever.
2) The gospel cannot be changed
This message is unchangeable. It was unalterable. There are no modern revisions to it. Apostles cannot change it. Angels cannot change it. Church leaders cannot change it. Denominations cannot change it.
Preachers cannot change it. Scholars cannot change it, even if they teach at Harvard or Cambridge. This message does not need to be revised or updated for the modern era. It does not need to be changed. It is just as valid today as it was then.
3) The gospel is for everyone
It is universal. It is global. It is God’s message to every country, culture and people. The rest of the world may think that Christianity is America’s religion. The gospel is not a message just for America or just for the Western World. It actually began in the Far East.
Christianity is an Asian religion. Israel is part of the continent of Asia. The promise of eternal life is for EVERYONE who believes (John 3:16). God does not want ANYONE to perish (II Peter 3:9). He wants ALL people to be saved (I Timothy 2:3-4).
4) The gospel is unique
There is only ONE true gospel. Many preach a different gospel but there is only one gospel. The Judaizers preached another gospel which Paul said “is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:7). The idea that man could be saved by grace and not works is unique. All the religions of the world preach some form of works salvation.
5) The gospel is powerful
Paul said that the gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone (not just to some people) who believes (Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 1:18). Every preacher likes to point out that the Greek word for “power” is the word δυναμις from which we get the word “dynamite”.
The only problem is that dynamite is destructive. It blows things up. The gospel has the power to save, not destroy. It has the power to save the worst sinner from the wrath of God (I Timothy 1:13-16; I Corinthians 15:9-10).
6) The gospel is good news
It is good news, not bad news. There are some bad news contained in the message (people are sinners, God judges sin, Hell is real and people must repent), but the gospel message is positive.
It is a message of grace to sinners. It is NOT a message of hopelessness but of hope. It is a message of grace and mercy. It is called “the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).
Sinners who deserve hell, because of their sins against a holy God, can now be saved because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
7) The gospel is about Jesus
The message is about Jesus. It is based on three historical events, Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (I Corinthians 2:1-2; 15:1-8). Paul uses four verbs to describe the facts of the gospel (died, buried, raised, and appeared).
Jesus died and the proof that he died is that he was buried. Jesus rose from the dead and the proof that he rose was the appearances. Paul doesn’t appeal to circumstantial evidence (empty tomb). He limits the evidence to the appearances. Let’s briefly look at these two points.
First, Jesus died. The proof of his death was his burial. What makes the death of Jesus good news? Normally someone’s death is bad news. This is not just the death of any man but the God-Man, the Messiah (the “Christ”) and it is the death “for our sins.” The gospel message is that Jesus died as a sacrifice for sins. He died in our place as our substitute.
Second, Jesus rose from the dead. Paul proves that Jesus rose from the dead. He gives six groups of witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus – Cephas (I Corinthians 15:5), The Twelve without Judas and Thomas (I Corinthians 15:5) , Five hundred (I Corinthians 15:6), James (I Corinthians 15:7), The Apostles (I Corinthians 15:7) and the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 15:8).
It is one thing to have two or three witnesses to a murder. It is another thing if five hundred people who saw it take place. How many events in ancient history do we have that five hundred people could verify? Not many.
8) The gospel is biblical
It did not start in the NT. The gospel is that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Many gospels today are not biblical. They do not come from Scripture at all. They are humanistic.
9) The gospel requires a response
The gospel has to be obeyed (II Thessalonians 1:8; I Peter 4:17). It requires a response from people. Salvation is conditional. It is conditioned on faith.
You do not have to do anything to earn this gospel but you do have to accept it. You have to receive it. If you not believe, you can’t be saved. If you do not believe, you will not be saved.
“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. … 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:39-40, 43 NIV)
38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38-39 NIV)
[1] Catherine Ponder, The Millionaire from Nazareth: His Prosperity Secrets for You (1979).
[2] John MacArthur, Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003). p. 2.
[3] https://ntwrightpage.com/2005/01/03/paul-in-different-perspectives/
Glory to Jesus for thru Him we are made partakers of the eternal inheritance…the condition .you outlined it…if we believe not other gospels but the real gospel.
I am full joy.My spirit wasnot at rest because,there has been an unanswered question within me.
which one is the real gospel?
now I know,and that put my spirit at rest in Jesus.
amen
Hello darlings! I live in Brazil and the thing here is ugly too!
The false gospel is everywhere, but I thank God that there are still people who seek to know the truth!
May God bless you all! I wrote an article concerning the false gospel that has been preached today! May God always wake up your children to the truth!
Jesus is the only way to heaven. The gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s gracious gift that He is offering to everyone without partiality.
I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for this article. May God bless you. Let it reach to many people who are not saved yet.