In evangelism you may have different methods or “tools” that you prefer to use compared to someone else when sharing your faith. If there is one “tool” that should not differ in any Christian’s arsenal, it is the message we are called to deliver. This message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Contrary to modern belief, there is only one gospel for all of humanity. There isn’t a special gospel for a certain people group or subculture. My gospel should not differ from your gospel. “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek.” So Scripture says we can have confidence that this gospel is powerful to bring salvation to anyone. In its purest form, the gospel has power to redeem the hardiest of hearts. The Apostles believed that since they obeyed the command by Jesus to preach this message in His name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. A commission that was not only assigned to the Apostles in the early church.

The gospel we’ve been given must be handled with care and respect. There is a purity that must be defended and preserved for this pearl of hope to shine. Paul warns us of the dangers of failing to do so in Galatians 1:6-8 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” Just to get the point across, Paul repeats it again in verse 9 “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” Paul is saying if anyone tampers with the gospel let him be accursed, in other words let him be damned to hell. We are to be ever watchful for false gospels and to even examine if the gospel we preach is the true gospel. New methods and pragmatic ways are unacceptable. There is no room for compromise. In our response to be obedient to the command of the Lord, to be a witness for Him, we have a high responsibility to protect and preserve this good news as ambassadors. In a sense, when the Secretary of State visits another country, he or she represents the United States in all that he or she does. As well are we, who are aliens and strangers to this world, we represent the King. We are on a mission from this Great King, to obey and fulfill His every command. Are we about our Father’s business? Are we being faithful ambassadors? Are we being true witnesses to what we have seen and heard? If we’re to proclaim the excellencies of the gospel, we must know what it is.

So what is the Gospel? The question of what the biblical gospel is must be especially important to ‘evangelicals’, whose very label includes the word ‘evangel’, the English transliteration of the Greek word for ‘gospel’ (euangelion). The word ‘gospel’ when properly translated means ‘good tidings’ or ‘good news’. In non-biblical sources before the NT period, euangelion customarily referred to the reward given to a messenger who brought good news—of military victory, perhaps, or of escape from danger. By an obvious transfer, it came to refer to the good news itself. It is by experience that I believe a high percentage of Americans assume the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many have been inoculated into Christianity, but have never been transformed by the gospel because they have never heard it presented to them rightly as to understand it and believe on it. The blame is on us. We are failing in our responsibility to effectively share the gospel of grace. We are guilty of negligence. I find this to be true because when I question Christians “What is the Gospel?” I get a variety of answers ranging from “the Bible and the commands of God” to “the way of life to God” to “how to be saved” but rarely the true biblical gospel given to us. The same gospel that saved us. So you’re probably thinking, “Come on! Tell us what is the Gospel? I want to assure myself that I have it right” You’re correct in asking that since we want to be responsible and effective evangelists.

An effective approach that has worked in sharing my faith is to hand someone a gospel tract. After receiving the tract the individual usually asks “What it is?”. I reply “It’s a gospel tract. Do you know what the gospel is? Have you ever heard the gospel clearly explained to you?” I find it to be a simple and honest transition from the natural to the spiritual.

The gospel is called the “good news” because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have. God is holy and we’re not. We are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are to be image bearers of God; little prisms reflecting God’s light. Sadly we’re not proper image bearers of the One who made us. We are at enmity with God in our mind through wicked works. Our goodness, or shall I say, lack of goodness in thought, word, and deed, is rebellious to God’s holiness. Out of our heart comes evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile us. We all fall short of the glory of God by exchanging His glory for another that will not profit. We are storing up wrath for the Day of Judgment. For it is appointed for man to die once, then comes the judgment. How will the Judge of the universe deal with us? We are justly objects of His wrath. God is not a judge that can be easily bribed. He cannot wink at sin. He will not have it in His presence. Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. Justice will be satisfied. God will sentence the guilty to hell for breaking His commandments. Hell is a prison reserved for satan and his angels, a place of eternal conscience torment, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. An offense against an eternal God deserves an eternal punishment. Hell is for lawbreakers.

But wait! That sounds like a lot of bad news. You’re correct. When left to ourselves, we are utterly helpless, totally depraved. It’s only when we get downwind of ourselves and see ourselves the way God sees us, does that leave us with a broken spirit and a contrite heart crying out for mercy. That is what God desires from all of us.

The gospel is the announcement of what God has done for His people to rescue them. It is the proclamation of the historical event that God stepped down from His throne and stepped into history as the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, enters into His creation as the God-Man Jesus to make what is impossible with man be possible with God. Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. Not only has He lived the perfect life of obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and righteousness of God. The Father deemed the perfect sacrifice of His Son worthy and sufficient that He pronounced it valuable by raising Jesus from the dead. So amazing that God would give His Son to bear our sin, our shame, our guilt on the cross to suffer and die and three days later rise triumphant from the dead defeating sin and death and now offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who would repent and believe the gospel. So now we can be set free from the penalty and power of sin and now be justified and seen innocent on the account of the finished work of Jesus Christ because God will be just and the justifier.

Many religions that claim to be Christian assure you salvation that if you “do your best, Jesus does the rest”. The biblical gospel is news about what God has already done for you, rather than instruction and advice about what you are to do for God. The objective focus of the gospel is on Christ’s work, not ours. In other religions, God reveals to us how we can achieve salvation. In Christianity, God accomplishes salvation for us. This should surprise nobody since salvation is of the Lord. So, in response to God’s mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love and faithfulness fully displayed in the gospel, what do we do? We cannot add to anything that Christ has done. All we can do is respond to this truth by repenting of our sins and putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Next month, we look at why this response is both biblical and necessary. This is what we are to proclaim among our neighbors and the nations. All these things are important to understand rightly when doing evangelism.