What Is the Gospel?

In Jesus Christ, and only in Him, complete reconciliation with God is now freely available. I’m starting with my conclusion. Everything that follows is for context and clarity.

Skye Jethani did a 44-minute YouTube presentation on What Is The Gospel? and used an approach that I found helpful, though I think he missed the mark in a few areas. His approach was to use the text in 1 Cor. 15 to identify the key points in the gospel message, and then illustrate using the gospel as it was proclaimed in Acts 2, 3, 4, 10, 13 and 17. His conclusion, distilled down to just four words, was “Jesus Christ Is Lord.”

Now, there’s a lot to be unpacked from this succinct statement on the Lordship of Christ, but let’s face it: this statement on a tract or on a T-shirt does not effectively communicate the gospel. Skye identified five common elements in the gospel message: sin (2), Jesus’ life (4), Jesus’ death (9), Jesus’ resurrection (15), and Jesus’ Lordship (10). You might conclude that because sin is only mentioned twice that it’s not really essential to the gospel message.

Skye only considered Acts and 1 Corinthians. Jesus and His disciples were preaching the “gospel of the kingdom” from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. That foundational message was that the kingdom was near, and that repentance was in order. That is to say, “God is offering reconciliation.” We read in Luke’s gospel that after His resurrection, Jesus said to His disciples:

“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Luke 24:46-47 (emphasis added)

This commission makes repentance and remission of sins the centerpiece of the message. It presumes, of course, that those hearing the message are aware of their sin problem.

And that, I’ve come to believe, is closer to the real issue regarding evangelism. Paul stated in Romans 1:20 that all men are left “without excuse.” Men know both from nature (Psalm 19) and their internal hard-wiring that God exists, that He has eternal power, and that He fully deserves to be thanked and glorified. We all KNOW we have rebelled against our Creator. For those who acknowledge this, the gospel makes sense. God, in Christ, is reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus Christ is both willing and able to effect the reconciliation. For those who choose denial, the message of the gospel is foolishness, because their foolish hearts are darkened. People aren’t unbelievers because of ignorance; they’re unbelievers because of suppression.

We are called to be ministers of reconciliation:

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Cor. 5:18-21

I bring this up for several reasons. First, as His ambassadors, we need to be clear on what our message and assignment is. We are NOT expected to “win the world to Christ.” The vast majority of people (Matthew 7:13) are not interested in Jesus or reconciliation with God. They don’t even want to hear about it. Militant atheism has nothing reasonable to stand on, but they prefer ignoring God over being reconciled with Him. However, their recalcitrance does not frustrate our obedience. It is NOT our calling to tell everyone about Jesus. We are to tell anyone who will listen that 1) reconciliation with God is available, and 2) that reconciliation is effected in Jesus Christ, by virtue of His death, burial and resurrection. If they reject this message at any point, they have been evangelized and we have still been obedient.

Second, Jesus said “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The gospel of the kingdom is “repent; the kingdom of God is at hand.” It’s a warning and a statement of fact. This is not an “invitation to receive Christ” or a global altar call. It’s simply the announcement that reconciliation with God is available. Some have made this into a guilt trip for Christians, suggesting that because there are people you know who you haven’t talked to about Jesus, you have disobeyed the Great Commission and your disobedience prevents the return of Christ. This sort of thing is spiritual abuse.

Finally, the main reason for our remaining here is to “grow up in all things in Christ.” (Eph. 4:13-16) There is a reason why we do not get “instantly taken home” as soon as we believe. Jesus deserves a mature bride, and spiritual growth takes time; for some of us, a LOT of time. We need to learn patience. We need to grow in faith when having faith is difficult or frightening. We need to learn obedience. We need to out-grow our own carnality. It is simply not God’s will that we remain babies forever.

Taking the emphasis off maturity and placing it on evangelism has stunted the growth of the church. We think Christianity is a to-do list, and that evangelism is more like sales. We try to increase our Bible head-knowledge in order to be ready for any “objections” that a “prospect” might raise. Do you see a problem with this?

Preaching the gospel is NOT about “overcoming objections.” It’s simply stating that in Jesus Christ, and only in Him, remission of sins and complete reconciliation with God are now freely available. Evangelism adds the challenging question, “what are you going to do about it?” What they do about it is, of course, between them and God. By His grace, they will repent, be baptized, and submit to the Lordship of Christ the King in everything.

If we are growing up in Him, evangelism will happen. Some who see Christ in us will be attracted; some will be repulsed. Those in the first group may ask you the reason for the hope that is in you, and they deserve a clear and honest answer. Now, hopefully, you have one.