What is the “gospel?” The gospel is “good news” that God has provided a way for sinful man to right with Himself. It all began with Adam, God’s first created human being, and placed in a sinless environment with specific instructions on what he could and could not do. Adam disobeyed God and as a result, sin came into the world. The Bible points out that ”just as sin came into the world by one man and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). This means that Adam’s sinful virus has inflicted every human being. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Also, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned everyone to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). King David said, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). No one can escape his or her sinful condition by themselves.
The gospel is about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, as clearly stated in the Bible.The apostle Paul writes: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received; that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Here, Paul states that the gospel is “of first importance” and the fact that he first “received” it; he is in a position to let it be known what this gospel is all about. The fact that Christ was buried is proof of his death. And proof of His resurrection was the many who saw Him alive after His resurrection. Christ also “appeared to Cephas (Simon Peter), then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five-hundred brothers at one time” (1 Corinthians 15:5-6).
The all-wise, all-knowing God, realizing man’s predicament of hopelessness and helplessness, provided the Savior, Jesus Christ who would come into the world to reconcile sinful man to God. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17).
Since the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s good news to a sin-defiled world that “Jesus saves,” why then are some churches presenting “another gospel” to their congregations when it is condemned in the Bible. Paul strongly states, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). Paul also expressed his passion for the gospel this way. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). It is no secret that people are being misled with a false doctrine of “health, wealth, and prosperity” messages as if that will get them into God’s heaven. No one can get to heaven without salvation.
Is there concern for the many who are lost and on their way to a “Christ-less eternity?” Yes. The Bible says, “How then will they call on Him in who they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14). What has happened to our Lord’s instructions, “This is what is written: that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47). May God have mercy on us.