I’m always amazed at how God’s Spirit inspires these devotionals! This week, as He has laid upon my heart the urgency to share the gift of salvation with everyone, He has also been teaching me how to better explain the Gospel because its CRITICAL message is called “the power of God unto salvation.” (Romans 1:16) Paul clearly explains the message of the Gospel:
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.”
Romans 1:1-5
The “gospel of God” is used approximately 60 times in Romans. The Greek word for “gospel” means “good news.” Thus, the “gospel of God” is literally “God’s message of good news!” In this short devotional we cover the What, When, and How about the Gospel.
WHAT is the Gospel?
In a nutshell, it is that God purchased our redemption through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; thus, when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, God forgives our sins, delivers us from sin’s power, and bestows upon us the gift of eternal life.
What Jesus did for our redemption is the Gospel. Jesus was conceived in a virgin’s womb by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14) He was fully human—as well as fully God—and thus, was qualified to serve as our substitute for sin. (John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15–16). Christ voluntarily submitted himself to do the will of the Father through the direction, agency, and power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Luke 4:1) His victory over death was the supreme demonstration and most conclusive evidence that He is the Son of God. (Acts 13:29–33) He paid the price for our sin because we could not! That is good news indeed! See also God’s Response to Human Anxiety.
WHEN did God give the Gospel to mankind?
Many people don’t realize that the SAME New Testament Gospel message was given in the Old Testament. It is a common misbelief that before Christ died, people were justified through the law and the sacrifices. This belief is false. In the book of Romans, Paul makes it abundantly clear that the Gospel was “promised BEFORE through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Since the fall of man in Eden, the Gospel was always God’s way to reconcile people to Himself. People were saved BEFORE Jesus came because they believed the Savior WOULD come and pay the price; and people are saved AFTER Jesus came because they believe the Savior DID come and paid the price for their sins. The Old Testament saints were redeemed through accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation.
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”
I Peter 1:10-12
In fact, the prophets spoke of the Messiah who would make their salvation possible.
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7
God said to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah:
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:22
HOW does one appropriate the Gospel?
For a more detailed explanation, please see How to Receive God’s Gift and “Can You Explain Your Salvation?” But put most simply:
The Spirit of God uses the Gospel and the gift of faith to convict us of the guilt of our sin and show us our need for Christ. When we believe the truth of the Gospel, the guilt of our own personal sin, and recognize our desperate need for mercy and salvation in Jesus Christ, we repent (change our mind about what we believe) and turn our life over to Christ. Repentance is also a gift from God.
Ah, my friend, there are no more important words that will ever enter your mind or be spoken by your tongue than the Gospel. The Gospel provides the way to reconcile every person to God. The Gospel is the only message standing between each person and an eternity separated from the presence of God. Please share!
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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