The gospel is not complicated, but every part of it matters. If we leave out any essential piece, we no longer have the true Gospel. So, what are the key truths at its core?
Paul lays it out in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
The Gospel is then built on three essential questions:
- Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. He was not just a good teacher or a prophet but God in the flesh.
- What did He do? He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.
- Why did He do it? Because sin separates us from God, and we could never save ourselves. Jesus took our place, paying the penalty for our sin, so that through Him, we could be made right with God.
In Luke 24:46-47, Jesus Himself explains it: “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'”
This is the gospel in its purest form. If we try to add anything to it or take anything away, we lose the very message that has the power to save. We must know, cherish, and protect the essence of the Gospel always.
You can write the Pastor at pastorbilly@findtruelife.com