What is the Gospel? (Part 1)
©2009 Earl Jackson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The term “gospel” is used in all Christian churches. You hear it mentioned by the televangelists and TV preachers. The word seems to be on everyone’s lips. But how many people actually know what it is? How many actually preach it? If we cannot define it accurately, how can we know if it is being faithfully proclaimed? This is an important question because the Bible teaches that the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). If it possesses such awesome, life-transforming and saving power, then it must be protected from pollution, and it must be proclaimed accurately, and in its entirety, just as God intended it in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is dynamic and important truth, not something that we should put on some back burner, not something that we should be unsure about what it is, not something that we would say of somebody, “Well I think he’s preaching the gospel?” We should be immediately able to recognize it if what we are hearing is in fact the gospel. We need to know. We owe it to those we preach to, to know. We owe it to our Lord, who is the heart of it, to know.
The gospel brings man to God, by bringing God to man. The gospel brings the weakness of man to the power of God, by bringing the power of God to the weakest of men. The gospel brings the dead in trespasses and sins, to the life everlasting, by bringing the life everlasting to the dead in trespasses and sin. The gospel takes the worthless and poor and makes them kings and priests unto God, by bringing the King and The Priest of God to the worthless and poor. The gospel transforms because it informs. The gospel transfixes, because it fixes. The gospel enlivens because it is life. It saves, because it is salvation. The sinner is the object of it. The Savior is the substance of it. Redemption is the channel of it. Forgiveness is the blessing that it brings. Justification is the answer to mans crying need for it.
Jesus Himself is in the gospel. He is the heart and core of it. He is the unique person of the universe, who enfleshes Himself in it, to knock on the doors of men’s hearts by it, and to come in to them and sup with them, and they with Him. It represents all the wisdom of God’s eternal plan. It stands for every drop of blood that Christ shed for sinners. It rejuvenates by the mighty power of His resurrection life. It creates faith in the faithless, hope in the hopeless, life in the dead, joy in the sorrowing, peace in the troubled, purpose and direction in the wandering, optimism in the depressed, love in the unloved and in the unlovely.
This gospel is true magic, but not the wizardry of mortals. It is the magic of God’s alchemy for souls. It is the magic of the eternal treasure of the ages in earthen vessels. It is the magic purveyor of the life of God to the soul of man. It is not the magic of religion, but the magic or relationship. The far off are made near to God, by it. And the far off God is made near to men in it. It is all about relationship. It is all about Christ Jesus the Lord. It is about how God can do the impossible for those who are impossibly lost. It is about the streams of ever flowing love that come from the throne of God, whereof the people of God are made glad. It is about hope where there was none, life where there was none, inner peace and inner beauty where there was sackcloth and ashes, joy where there was nothing but tears, life where there was nothing but lifelessness, stability where there was nothing but drifting, wisdom where there was nothing but foolishness. God makes Himself known in it…its thundering justice condemning the sinfulness of sin, its tender mercies embracing the vilest of the vile, the whole of it showing us Him in His entire unimaginable splendor, in all of His stooping bending and pardoning grace.
The gospel, the word in the Greek is εὐαγγέλιον(euaggelion); it means quite simply “good news”, “a good message”. So the actual Greek is rather vague. A thank you note could be “good news”. A sermon on positive thinking could be “a good message”. Telling a spoiled brat kid that he is getting yet another expensive toy could be “good news” as far as he is concerned. But these are certainly not the gospel in a Biblical or theological sense. They are nothing. They are only things that make people “feel good”, but they are not the Gospel! Therefore, when the Bible was first put into English, early on, in Anglo-Saxon the definition of gospel became “the story about God”. That definition gave the term its breadth and depth. It is a comprehensive definition. It embraces “the whole story”, so it is not just a little tidbit thrown in at the end of a sermon, or tossed out in a five minute push to evangelize. It is “the whole story of God”!
I would say that covers a lot! The real gospel is the “story of God, and the story is “history”. Certainly, any insignificant mention of sin and asking Jesus into your heart at the end of a sermon does not qualify as “the gospel”. It is not the gospel, because it is deficient in content about “the story of God”. It is not the gospel, because it produces no contact between men and the God of the story. The story is history, not just a few words aimed at getting a shallow and empty profession of faith. We cannot just tell men to believe in Jesus. That is not the gospel. You may think it is the gospel, but you are deceived. Thinking like that dishonors the very God of the gospel! We must tell them about the Jesus they are to believe in. We must tell His story, His history. We must tell them why, they must believe in Him. Why the story compels the belief. We must explain the story in the light of the revelation of God’s absolute righteousness and anger against sin. The story tells how God sent the Savior, to atone for sin, and make a way…the only way, for sinners to draw near to God and be forgiven.
This is not a five-minute easy road from Romans. That cannot be the gospel, because it has no history of Christ’s story. It has no content. Unfortunately, in our quick and easy world of instant this and instant that, we think the gospel should be just as quick and easy. Tell that to the martyrs who laid their lives down because of it! It was not easy for them. It cost them their lives. It cost Christ His life! What is so quick and easy about that? We are not dishing up instant mashed potatoes here, we are presenting the Gospel! Let us present it correctly. It spans the entire horizon of all of human history. It was first announced in Eden’s perfect garden (Gen 3:15), at the crack of history’s dawn. For 5000 years, it was a story that grew and developed under the providence of God, through prophets and priests, history, types, shadows, laws prophecies and great acts of faith. It cost many their lives back then too. It was not easy to travel the winding, treacherous road from the gates of the dawn, to the craggy hill of Golgotha‘s dark brow. That was no Roman road. That was no instant grits. That was no four spiritual laws. It was the road of salvation, the gospel road. Then into the depths of the earth, it went. Nevertheless, as we know, three days later it emerged, the mighty Resurrected Lord emerged, and the gospel began its march down to our age. However, it was not rushed still. It was not instant. It took two thousand more years to get to us. And all along the way, more people died. What is simple, easy or instant about this story? This story is “history”…“His-story“.
We shortchange our hearers; we do them a grave disservice, when we dish out an empty message of emotional fluff, and instant soup of crackers and bouillon. Nobody is going to be saved like that. We may tell them they are saved, when they pray a repeat-after-me prayer, and we may really believe that they are saved, because we are too stupid to look at the truth ourselves. But how can they be saved without the gospel? What right do we have to tell them they are saved, when we have not given them the gospel? Is there some other way? Am I ignorant of it? Does not faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God? Where does the word of God tell men to pray a repeat-after-me prayer? Where does the word of God tell someone to “ask Jesus into their heart”? A sinful travesty has invaded the church of Jesus Christ. Certainly, God can save some, by any means and in any way, He sees fit. Thank God, He is merciful. However, we dishonor Him gravely if we lead men who are on the road to destruction to imagine themselves to be saved when they know neither the gospel, nor God. We become deceivers when we preach like that. Servants of God are supposed to care about what they preach. Men of God are commanded to preach “the gospel” to every living creature. Why are we preaching instant mashed potatoes? Where is the gospel? How can we do this so nonchalantly? How can we be so oblivious to the plight we put men in when we fail to preach the true gospel? How can we be so careless in our handling of God’s word?
We need to be reminded that we will give an account for every idle word that has come out of our lips, and I must tell you, even trembling, that when we should be preaching the gospel, and something else is coming out of our lips, those are the most dreadful “idle words” that can ever be spoken. They are “idle” because they are empty. They are empty because Christ is not in them. If you are a preacher, you will give account and make full proof of your ministry. You had better be like Paul, and build with gold, silver and precious stones upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, than to follow the money-hungry, ego-centered pied pipers of today’s false gospel easy-get-saved bandwagon.
What resemblances do our modern messages bear to the message of Paul?
“And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:18-24).
I’m sorry dear brothers, but that does not look at all like what we are doing in our evangelism and preaching today. No wonder the modern church is a vacillating fishbowl of jellyfish preachers, spineless men-pleasers, drifting on the currents and tides of popular opinion, following after the applause of men, and craving to get into the mega-churches where big salaries and book deals abound. God have mercy on us. Some of these devils, who lead the pack, will have hell to pay for the way they have trampled under foot the precious blood of Christ, in their mad dash to fame and fortune. The eternal damage to countless souls, caused by these charlatan marauders, this rogue band of Bible thumping bandits, pillaging the tender fields of immortal souls, and sending millions to hell through their half-gospels and lies…the damage is great, and they will pay…they must pay. Jesus died to save men, but they are living to damn them. God help them.
Listen to Paul again.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousnessof men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:16-18).
Paul preached “the gospel” unashamedly, and that included preaching about the “wrath of God revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness”. How does our empty emotional pleas and fast talking salesmanship evangelism stack up to that? Most of the time sin is not even mentioned, for fear of offending someone. Repentance is word that has virtually left the vocabulary of the modern evangelical churches. How can a Cracker-Jacks prize in a shiny slick box, compare to the everlasting gospel, as it came forth from the sanctified lips of the apostle Paul?
Please examine your message dear preacher friend. Don’t flatter yourself. Be harsh and critical. Take a good hard solid look. What are you preaching. You may find it to be nothing but a wet noodle, when God wants it to be the earth-shaking, heaven-bending, life-transforming, miracle-working, supernatural, fire-baptized “power of God unto salvation”. Nothing less will do and nothing more is required, than the gospel. Preach it. Preach it rightly. Preach it truly. Just preach it! It is the faithful and true preaching of the everlasting gospel of the grace and plan, the love and purposes of God. Preach it. It is the Savior and His salvation, urged upon the hearts and consciences of men with heartfelt repentance, deep and committed faith. Preach it. Only that will save men. That is the gospel that conquers souls, and moves mountains. That is the gospel, that penetrates like a two-edged sword. That is the gospel that breaks up the icebergs of frozen lives, and melts them before God. That is the gospel that can raise up children of Abraham from stones. That is the gospel that can resurrect dead men. Preach it. For God’s sake, preach it; nothing more and nothing less.
The gospel brings man to God, by bringing God to man. The gospel brings the weakness of man to the power of God, by bringing the power of God to the weakest of men. The gospel brings the dead in trespasses and sins, to the life everlasting, by bringing the life everlasting to the dead in trespasses and sin. The gospel takes the worthless and poor and makes them kings and priests unto God, by bringing the King and The Priest of God to the worthless and poor. The gospel transforms because it informs. The gospel transfixes, because it fixes. The gospel enlivens because it is life. It saves, because it is salvation. The sinner is the object of it. The Savior is the substance of it. Redemption is the channel of it. Forgiveness is the blessing that it brings. Justification is the answer to mans crying need for it.
Jesus Himself is in the gospel. He is the heart and core of it. He is the unique person of the universe, who enfleshes Himself in it, to knock on the doors of men’s hearts by it, and to come in to them and sup with them, and they with Him. It represents all the wisdom of God’s eternal plan. It stands for every drop of blood that Christ shed for sinners. It rejuvenates by the mighty power of His resurrection life. It creates faith in the faithless, hope in the hopeless, life in the dead, joy in the sorrowing, peace in the troubled, purpose and direction in the wandering, optimism in the depressed, love in the unloved and in the unlovely.
This gospel is true magic, but not the wizardry of mortals. It is the magic of God’s alchemy for souls. It is the magic of the eternal treasure of the ages in earthen vessels. It is the magic purveyor of the life of God to the soul of man. It is not the magic of religion, but the magic or relationship. The far off are made near to God, by it. And the far off God is made near to men in it. It is all about relationship. It is all about Christ Jesus the Lord. It is about how God can do the impossible for those who are impossibly lost. It is about the streams of ever flowing love that come from the throne of God, whereof the people of God are made glad. It is about hope where there was none, life where there was none, inner peace and inner beauty where there was sackcloth and ashes, joy where there was nothing but tears, life where there was nothing but lifelessness, stability where there was nothing but drifting, wisdom where there was nothing but foolishness. God makes Himself known in it…its thundering justice condemning the sinfulness of sin, its tender mercies embracing the vilest of the vile, the whole of it showing us Him in His entire unimaginable splendor, in all of His stooping bending and pardoning grace.
The gospel, the word in the Greek is εὐαγγέλιον(euaggelion); it means quite simply “good news”, “a good message”. So the actual Greek is rather vague. A thank you note could be “good news”. A sermon on positive thinking could be “a good message”. Telling a spoiled brat kid that he is getting yet another expensive toy could be “good news” as far as he is concerned. But these are certainly not the gospel in a Biblical or theological sense. They are nothing. They are only things that make people “feel good”, but they are not the Gospel! Therefore, when the Bible was first put into English, early on, in Anglo-Saxon the definition of gospel became “the story about God”. That definition gave the term its breadth and depth. It is a comprehensive definition. It embraces “the whole story”, so it is not just a little tidbit thrown in at the end of a sermon, or tossed out in a five minute push to evangelize. It is “the whole story of God”!
I would say that covers a lot! The real gospel is the “story of God, and the story is “history”. Certainly, any insignificant mention of sin and asking Jesus into your heart at the end of a sermon does not qualify as “the gospel”. It is not the gospel, because it is deficient in content about “the story of God”. It is not the gospel, because it produces no contact between men and the God of the story. The story is history, not just a few words aimed at getting a shallow and empty profession of faith. We cannot just tell men to believe in Jesus. That is not the gospel. You may think it is the gospel, but you are deceived. Thinking like that dishonors the very God of the gospel! We must tell them about the Jesus they are to believe in. We must tell His story, His history. We must tell them why, they must believe in Him. Why the story compels the belief. We must explain the story in the light of the revelation of God’s absolute righteousness and anger against sin. The story tells how God sent the Savior, to atone for sin, and make a way…the only way, for sinners to draw near to God and be forgiven.
This is not a five-minute easy road from Romans. That cannot be the gospel, because it has no history of Christ’s story. It has no content. Unfortunately, in our quick and easy world of instant this and instant that, we think the gospel should be just as quick and easy. Tell that to the martyrs who laid their lives down because of it! It was not easy for them. It cost them their lives. It cost Christ His life! What is so quick and easy about that? We are not dishing up instant mashed potatoes here, we are presenting the Gospel! Let us present it correctly. It spans the entire horizon of all of human history. It was first announced in Eden’s perfect garden (Gen 3:15), at the crack of history’s dawn. For 5000 years, it was a story that grew and developed under the providence of God, through prophets and priests, history, types, shadows, laws prophecies and great acts of faith. It cost many their lives back then too. It was not easy to travel the winding, treacherous road from the gates of the dawn, to the craggy hill of Golgotha‘s dark brow. That was no Roman road. That was no instant grits. That was no four spiritual laws. It was the road of salvation, the gospel road. Then into the depths of the earth, it went. Nevertheless, as we know, three days later it emerged, the mighty Resurrected Lord emerged, and the gospel began its march down to our age. However, it was not rushed still. It was not instant. It took two thousand more years to get to us. And all along the way, more people died. What is simple, easy or instant about this story? This story is “history”…“His-story“.
We shortchange our hearers; we do them a grave disservice, when we dish out an empty message of emotional fluff, and instant soup of crackers and bouillon. Nobody is going to be saved like that. We may tell them they are saved, when they pray a repeat-after-me prayer, and we may really believe that they are saved, because we are too stupid to look at the truth ourselves. But how can they be saved without the gospel? What right do we have to tell them they are saved, when we have not given them the gospel? Is there some other way? Am I ignorant of it? Does not faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God? Where does the word of God tell men to pray a repeat-after-me prayer? Where does the word of God tell someone to “ask Jesus into their heart”? A sinful travesty has invaded the church of Jesus Christ. Certainly, God can save some, by any means and in any way, He sees fit. Thank God, He is merciful. However, we dishonor Him gravely if we lead men who are on the road to destruction to imagine themselves to be saved when they know neither the gospel, nor God. We become deceivers when we preach like that. Servants of God are supposed to care about what they preach. Men of God are commanded to preach “the gospel” to every living creature. Why are we preaching instant mashed potatoes? Where is the gospel? How can we do this so nonchalantly? How can we be so oblivious to the plight we put men in when we fail to preach the true gospel? How can we be so careless in our handling of God’s word?
We need to be reminded that we will give an account for every idle word that has come out of our lips, and I must tell you, even trembling, that when we should be preaching the gospel, and something else is coming out of our lips, those are the most dreadful “idle words” that can ever be spoken. They are “idle” because they are empty. They are empty because Christ is not in them. If you are a preacher, you will give account and make full proof of your ministry. You had better be like Paul, and build with gold, silver and precious stones upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, than to follow the money-hungry, ego-centered pied pipers of today’s false gospel easy-get-saved bandwagon.
What resemblances do our modern messages bear to the message of Paul?
“And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:18-24).
I’m sorry dear brothers, but that does not look at all like what we are doing in our evangelism and preaching today. No wonder the modern church is a vacillating fishbowl of jellyfish preachers, spineless men-pleasers, drifting on the currents and tides of popular opinion, following after the applause of men, and craving to get into the mega-churches where big salaries and book deals abound. God have mercy on us. Some of these devils, who lead the pack, will have hell to pay for the way they have trampled under foot the precious blood of Christ, in their mad dash to fame and fortune. The eternal damage to countless souls, caused by these charlatan marauders, this rogue band of Bible thumping bandits, pillaging the tender fields of immortal souls, and sending millions to hell through their half-gospels and lies…the damage is great, and they will pay…they must pay. Jesus died to save men, but they are living to damn them. God help them.
Listen to Paul again.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousnessof men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:16-18).
Paul preached “the gospel” unashamedly, and that included preaching about the “wrath of God revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness”. How does our empty emotional pleas and fast talking salesmanship evangelism stack up to that? Most of the time sin is not even mentioned, for fear of offending someone. Repentance is word that has virtually left the vocabulary of the modern evangelical churches. How can a Cracker-Jacks prize in a shiny slick box, compare to the everlasting gospel, as it came forth from the sanctified lips of the apostle Paul?
Please examine your message dear preacher friend. Don’t flatter yourself. Be harsh and critical. Take a good hard solid look. What are you preaching. You may find it to be nothing but a wet noodle, when God wants it to be the earth-shaking, heaven-bending, life-transforming, miracle-working, supernatural, fire-baptized “power of God unto salvation”. Nothing less will do and nothing more is required, than the gospel. Preach it. Preach it rightly. Preach it truly. Just preach it! It is the faithful and true preaching of the everlasting gospel of the grace and plan, the love and purposes of God. Preach it. It is the Savior and His salvation, urged upon the hearts and consciences of men with heartfelt repentance, deep and committed faith. Preach it. Only that will save men. That is the gospel that conquers souls, and moves mountains. That is the gospel, that penetrates like a two-edged sword. That is the gospel that breaks up the icebergs of frozen lives, and melts them before God. That is the gospel that can raise up children of Abraham from stones. That is the gospel that can resurrect dead men. Preach it. For God’s sake, preach it; nothing more and nothing less.
Go to Part Two CLICK HERE
©2012 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
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PERMISSION IS GRANTED to post this article on any website or blog, or other electronic media, provided it is posted in it's entirety without alteration, and a clear link is included back to this website. No permission for hard copy, print, or other use is hereby granted. This article may not be sold or used on for profit websites or projects. CLICK HERE to send us any links to the places where you put this article.
