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What is the Gospel?

I asked a friend this question in high school, and all she could think of was a genre of music. She’d never heard or understood the gospel in all of her 17 years of growing up in the Bible belt.

It’s a question worth answering (and an answer worth proclaiming). While I may spend the majority of my time in this space focused on encouraging women devotionally or practically in their homes, in education, and in church life, it would be a shame to teach the practical things without directly clarifying the most essential thing—the work of God that inspires and empowers all the rest.

The Gospel is Good News

The word “gospel,” as some of you may already know, means “good news.” This good news has been summarized by believers at times in very simple terms: “Jesus died to save sinners—believe in Him and be saved.” That’s a 100% true statement! But it’s also just a handle for what the Bible proclaims as the gospel. It’s perhaps a good introduction for children or for those with whom we’re having a spiritual conversation.

The gospel contained in Scripture invites us in to know more. To know Jesus more. Here is food for our souls, not merely a once-and-done sample-snack.

We can know and accept the basics and dive deeper.

The Gospel is Both Simple and Profound

The truth is a river
Where the strong can swim down deep
The weak and the broken
Can walk across so easily

—”Beautiful Mystery,” Back Home album by Caedmon’s Call

The word “gospel” doesn’t merely refer to our shortest-possible summaries. It also refers to the first four books of the New Testament: The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Luke, The Gospel of John. These books contain the historical record of the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So the whole story of Jesus’s coming to earth through His return to heaven is good news.

Even the letter of Paul to the Romans is regarded by most scholars as a deep-dive on the gospel. That makes five whole books!

In the Scriptures, we have both the story of Jesus (narrative history) and the theological truths about who He is and what He’s done (propositional truth), and beyond these we’re told how we are to respond (call to action, or rather call to faith). All of these can rightly be called “gospel.”

Whether it’s short and to the point (“Jesus saves”) or a lengthy narrative or treatise (like John or Romans), it’s all good news for those who know their need of it. Sometimes we need the simple reminder. Sometimes we need to go further up and further in.

Here is my two-sentence summary of the gospel:

The gospel is the good news about the kingdom of God advancing in the world through the person and work of Jesus Christ His Son, the promised Messiah who was born to a virgin, lived a perfect life on this earth, performed many miracles, died in the place of sinners, and rose again from the grave defeating sin and death and hell. It is a good news that calls sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus so that they can be saved from the wrath of God against their sin and rebellion, enter into the kingdom and family of God and the hope of eternal life, and live lives that demonstrate and proclaim Jesus’ reign until He comes again.

The Gospel Is For You

The gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t just some historical information or abstract theological statement. The gospel is deeply personal–centering on a personal God who came in person to call people to Himself. It’s a call that demands a personal response.

This good news isn’t merely an announcement, asking you to raise your eyebrows, shrug your shoulders, and move on with your life, perhaps sprinkling a little religion in here and there going forward. No. The good news is also a calling: to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

“Repent and believe the good news!”

Repentance is a turning from—from sin, from your old way of life, from your previous way of thinking about yourself and God; and a turning to—to faith in Christ, to agreement with God (confession) about what is right and wrong, to seeing all of life through new eyes informed by the Word of God.

Faith is much the same, but it’s not merely a change in your thinking, it’s a deep trust. Faith doesn’t just look at a chair and say, “That looks like a nice chair. I bet it can hold me.” Faith sits down in the chair and rests.

So you, friend, if you have not already, believe the good news about Jesus proclaimed in the Bible. Confess your own sin, confess that God is good and true. Believe that Jesus died and rose again and confess that He is Lord (meaning you aren’t). And rest in the work that Jesus has done on your behalf to save your from your sin and bring you to God.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!”

Get the Gospel from the Source

If you’d like to start reading the gospels, just pick one and jump right in. While the goal for followers of Jesus ought to be to read each of the gospels over and over throughout our lifetime to continually grow in our understanding and knowledge of Christ, you can start with a book that seems most accessible to you. I really enjoy the big ideas in the gospel of John. My husband loves the fast-moving narrative of Mark. But there is no wrong choice here—it’s all the inspired Word of God, true food for our souls. So just get reading and be blessed. 🙂

To better understand the technical realities of the good news of salvation through Christ, read one of the epistles. Romans is a treatise on the gospel, but Ephesians is a shorter book that may be more accessible if you’re just getting started. You won’t understand everything right away (no one has it all figured out!). But God’s Word is powerful. Cling to what you do understand and pray for the Lord to help you grow in your understanding the more you read, hear faithful teaching in a local church, and are discipled by other believers along the way.

Other Suggested Reading

If you’re already a student of the Word, here are some books that can aid in your meditation on the person and work of Christ:

A Gospel Primer for Believers by Milton Vincent

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper

Basic Christianity by John Stott

Who was the first person to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with you? How did you respond to the good news?