The Gospel is Not Confusing?

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.”  The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Galatia because they were being offered a distorted view of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ by false teachers. False teaching makes the Gospel confusing.

If this warning about a false gospel was necessary in the 1^st Century, how much more is clarification needed today regarding the very message that will determine a person’s eternal destination?  The word “gospel” comes from the Greek word, “euaggelion,” which means “a good message” or “good news.”

The four short biographies of the life of Jesus that we find in the beginning of the New Testament, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are also referred to as “the Gospels.” Certainly, the life of Jesus is to be considered good news in its entirety. However, this is not the subject of Paul’s warning.

The Gospel is Good News

So, what is the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation? Salvation, by the way, has to do with being saved – saved from spending an eternity in Hell. Therefore, it’s vital that people have an accurate understanding of the Gospel and not be confused.

The simplest expression of the Gospel (John 3:16) was made by Jesus to a man, who was both a Pharisee and ruling member of the Sanhedrin. His name was Nicodemus and he served as a religious and civil ruler in Israel. If anyone should have known the way of salvation, it should have been him. Nevertheless, religious leader though he was, he too was ignorant of the “good message” of eternal life (salvation).

Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” This is the Gospel of salvation. It’s a short, but wonderful good message.

The verse says that God loves everyone, and He sent His Son so that no one would ever have to go to Hell. The only requirement of the individual is that he or she must believe in Jesus (the Son). The message is clear, concise, and to the point. But, what does it mean to “believe in Jesus”? Well, these three words are wide open for interpretation. Nevertheless, the Gospel is not confusing.

The Gospel is a Message of Salvation

So, let’s dig a little deeper into the word “believe.” In the Greek, the word is “pisteuō.” This word is much more than a casual, intellectual assent to believe in someone or something. Lack of understanding Nearly every major religion refers to Jesus in one way or another, but their reference has nothing to do with salvation. It’s no wonder the Gospel can appear confusing.

Pisteuō means to “trust,” “have faith in,” “commit to.” This is a lot more than our understanding for the word “believe.” So, what is it that we must “trust in” about Jesus? If the cross was to be removed from the accounts of Jesus’ life, we are just left with another great man that walked the earth, did extraordinary miracles, and taught like no other.

The reason that we all need salvation is our sin. We are not worthy to be in the presence of God for a nanosecond, let alone an eternity. The truth is that we can do nothing to solve this dilemma. No amount of regret, remorse, good works, good intentions, or any other effort by us can remedy this hopeless condition.

The loving God of verse 16 wants to resolve this situation, but the Holy God of Romans 6:23 demands payment for our sins. Our sins, not even the smallest, will be overlooked or dismissed by God. The solution is found in 1 Peter 2:24:  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

The Gospel is Not Confusing

This verse means that Jesus took our sins upon Himself, on the cross, and bore the full punishment (wrath) of God in our place. If we put just these two verses together (John 3:16 and 1 Peter 2:24) we have all that is needed for salvation. The loving nature of God and the Holy nature of God are both perfectly satisfied in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. This is the truth that we must “trust in” about Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” If we hold out our hands and take this gift we are saved. Here’s how we take the gift:

• God said He did it out of love for you – trust Him that He does love you (pisteuo)
• God said that Jesus paid the full penalty for your sins – trust Jesus that He did make this payment (pisteuo)
• God said that this payment was sufficient for the forgiveness of all your sins – trust Him that this is true and you are no longer under the penalty for your sins

We have the historic time and place of this redemptive plan – It took place 1,900 + years ago on a small hill (Calvary) outside the city of Jerusalem, in Israel.

Not to trust what God said He did is to reject His Gift of salvation. God has completely resolved the dilemma of our reconciliation with Him. If you have not done so already, Take the Gift!

There is no other solution to your sin condition and being made right with God. If there is another way, then Jesus would not have had to come and suffer in our place. A rational person cannot deny this reasoning.

Accept no other gospel, no other message because there is no other way to be saved. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name [Jesus] under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

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