What Is the Gospel?

What Is the Gospel?

Truth #1: Left to myself, I am a sinner against the holy, righteous God; I am dead in my transgressions and sin and a hater of God, deserving of His righteous judgment and eternal condemnation. (Rom. 3:10-23, Eph. 2:1-3, Isa. 64:5-6, Titus 3:3)

Trust #2: God became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life I cannot. He died, though undeservingly, and bore all the punishment that I deserved in His body on the tree. He rose again gaining victory over sin and death and obtaining salvation for all those who will believe. (John 1:14, 2 Cor. 5:21, Rom. 5:8-10)

Truth #3: While entirely undeserving of God’s grace and mercy, He loved me and chose to demonstrate that love by sending Jesus Christ to die for my sin taking the wrath of God that I deserved. God not only washed my sin away in the death of Christ but also made me righteous through His perfect life, and saved me by sending the Holy Spirit to do the work of salvation in my heart and life. (Titus 3:4-7, Rom. 5:6-8, Gal 4:4-5, 2 Tim. 1:9)

Trust #4: The Holy Spirit awakened me to these truths and opened my eyes to see the beauty and preciousness of Christ. He washed and cleansed me with the blood of Christ and transferred to me the perfect righteousness of Christ. This saving faith then led me to repent of my sin and birthed in me the desire to walk in obedience and holiness. It is through faith alone that I obtained salvation and this also was a gift of grace from God. (Titus 3:5, Acts 16:14, 1 Thes. 1:9-10, Eph. 2:8-9)

Truth #5: The Holy Spirit also baptized me into the death of Christ usurping the rule and reign of sin in my life. As a result sin no longer has the right to reign in my life and I am free from its power. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit raised me up with Christ to newness of life in Him so that I am alive in Him and free to serve, love and obey Him. (Eph. 2:4-6, Rom 6:3-6, Col 2:11-15, Gal 5:1)

Trust #6: While complete sanctification has been credited to our account positionally in Christ, the practicality of this truth is not yet realized in the physical realm. It is to be remembered that though Satan and our “old man” have been defeated, they have not stopped fighting and opposing God and all those who belong to Him. The Devil is a master-deceiver and our flesh is what we were naturally born into and we are still prone to sinful habits and to listen to the lies of them both. The flesh and the Devil must be resisted and greater practical sanctification in Christ must be pursued. The truth that I am in Christ, while a reality, is not to be taken for granted. Christ demands obedience from His followers, and we are called to walk in Him and in good works. It is the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives to conform us more and more into the image of Christ and He is faithful to do this. (Col. 2:6, James 1:12-18, Jam 4:7-10, 1 Pet 5:8, John 8:31, Phil 2:12-13, Eph. 2:10, Rom. 8, 1 Thes. 5:23-24)

Truth #7: The truth that I am in Christ is a reality in the spiritual and physical realm. Although the physical has not yet been fully realized (as the world is still under the “sway’ of the Evil One) it is none the less true that in Christ I am physically sustained, kept and protected against all the attacks of the Devil and the effects of sin and death as far as the Lord sees fit. Nothing is beyond His control and I am secure in Him. I am seated in Christ, and all things are under His feet. (1 John 5:18-19, 2 Tim 1:8-10, 2 Tim 4:17-18, Eph. 1:20-22&2:6)

Truth #8: While Christ’s work and victory is completed in the heavenly realm and all things are under His feet, He waits to fulfill this in the physical realm until the day of His choosing. On that day, this mortal body will be clothed with immortality and what is positionally true will also be fully realized in the physical realm. The victory will be complete and all that God has purposed will be fulfilled. In that day, while justified by Christ, we will be called to give an account for how we lived our life on earth. (1 Cor. 15:42-44, 52-55, Rev. 22:20)