Discovering the Gospel 

What is the Gospel?

This Gospel is the central teaching of Christianity. The term literally means “Good News” and specifically this refers to the Good News of God revealed through Jesus Christ.

The Good News of the Gospel is the solution to the bad news of the world. The bad news of the world goes back to the beginning when God created the heavens, the earth, mankind (Genesis 1:26-27), and all things. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31).  

In this very good world, God put man and woman as the Image bearers of God to have dominion over the earth, to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28), and to eat from any tree except one (Genesis 2:16-17). God gave mankind a choice of obedience to God or disobedience to God. God revealed that obedience would lead to life and disobedience to death. 

That first couple rebelled against God, choosing disobedience. They ate of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-7) and chose rebellion against God, resulting in death spreading to all of their descendants (Romans 5:12). Thus, all of mankind are now sinners by nature and by choice. Being corrupted in our natures, we actively choose to rebel against God in our lives and hearts. The Bible calls this rebellion sin (Romans 3:23). The problem is not just that we do bad things, but that we actively choose and pursue evil from our hearts (Matthew 15:19-20). We delight and choose that which brings destruction. This is the bad news for the world because it reveals that the biggest problem in the world is the sin of mankind.

The consequence of our sin is death (Romans 6:23), both spiritual (Isaiah 59:2) and physical. This consequence is not just for this age (Hebrews 9:27) but extends into eternity, where God will render to each person according to their deeds (Matthew 16:27). There is a literal heaven where those saved in Jesus will enjoy God’s joy and presence for all of eternity. There is a literal hell, and those who reject God depart there to experience everlasting conscious torment for their sins (John 5:27-39). 

The challenge is that our deeds will not justify us before God, because the standard of God’s righteousness is not to view us as mostly good or mostly bad. To sin against God and His Word in a single act is to become accountable for all of God’s commands (James 2:10) because God’s standard of righteousness is not partial goodness but perfection. 

This is the conclusion of the bad news, we are sinners by nature and by choice and merit the wrath of God for our sin (Exodus 34:6-7), but the Good News is greater than the bad news. The Good news is that God, in His lovingkindness sent His only Begotten Son (John 3:16-17), born of a virgin, to live the righteous life that we should have lived and die the death we deserved to die, to atone for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). 

In Jesus, mankind can be forgiven all of their sins (Romans 5:1), born again by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), adopted into the family of God (John 1:12), and sanctified for God’s purposes in our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is an offer of salvation for all, but it is not automatically applied to all people. It is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) to be received by faith.

How can we receive this gift and experience forgiveness and salvation? 

The Bible says in Mark 1:14-15: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”

All people are called to repent and believe in Jesus, and the apostles continued to teach this.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Bible confirms this saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

For there is no other means of being saved from the wrath of God and cleansed from sin. In John 14:6, it reads, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Believing means to accept Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection as truth in faith and surrender one’s entire self to His Lordship and rule in their lives. 

Romans 10:9-10 says, “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

You can be saved of your sins in Jesus’ name today. Confess with your mouth before the Lord that you are a sinner needing forgiveness in Jesus’ name, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and call upon God the Father to save you from your sins in Jesus’ name. 

We hope and pray that you would Discover the Gospel of Jesus Christ by believing in Him as your Savior and Lord! If you have questions, we would love to share the truth of Jesus with you. 

If you made a decision to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, please contact us and let us help you get started on the road to discovering Him more by emailing pastor.jason.dcbc@gmail.com or calling the church office at 703-670-8118. 

In Christ,

Pastor Jason and the Elders of DCBC