What is the Gospel?

gospel

 

 

We are a gospel-centered church. It’s even in the name of our denomination, the Evangelical Free Church of America. The term “evangelical” is related to the word “evangelium” which means “gospel” or “good news”. Christians believe a story of good news.

 At the birth of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angel announced to the shepherds. “…behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. (Lk. 2:10b ESV) And, he told them the content of that good news. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:11 ESV)

 Jesus, the savior, is the focus of the gospel. In fact, the scripture routinely refers to the gospel as the gospel of Christ. It concerns him. He is its focus.

 When Paul goes to remind the Corinthians of the gospel he proclaimed he encapsulates it this way, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

 (1 Cor. 15:3 ESV)

 So, the gospel is good news of our savior Jesus Christ. It is news of his death for sins just as God had foretold. He was put to death, buried and raised again. This we are to believe and upon this we take our stand. In fact, Paul says in 1Corinthians 15, that it is “the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved.” (1 Cor. 15:1 ESV)

 This is our confession of faith. This is also, our mission. We are to preach the gospel to all nations. Matt. 24:14

 That is our starting point and our endpoint. There are many good things God has done. God is, the Bible says, the giver of every good and perfect gift. But when we speak about “the good news”, the gospel, there is only one. This is what we proclaim in Great Bend and to the ends of the earth.