Every writer writes an article or content with an idea he hopes to enlighten his reader on. In the same vein, the gospel is a concluded project in God’s mind delivered to man. This means man is not allowed to innovate because it did not originate from him rather he receives that which was given.

The gospel is a fundamental concept in the Christian Faith. With the authority of the scriptures, it is safe to say, salvation is by the gospel of Christ.

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans says, “A man can not be saved without a preacher and the preacher is sent with the message called the gospel of peace.” Romans 1:14 – 16 (paraphrased).

It is therefore necessary to understand this gospel by which men are saved.

Understanding The Gospel

The Gospel is God’s project. Apostle Paul called it God’s power to save men. The Gospel is God at work. To understand the Gospel, we have to check what God says it is.

God cannot be engaged in a face-to-face conversation to get his perspective but we have his Word to serve as our guide to understanding him and all he has done!

2 Timothy 3:16 calls the scriptures the inspiration of God. Apostle Peter refers to the scriptures as the sure word of prophecy.

Every letter penned in the holy scriptures is not ordinary words of men but inspired utterances by the spirit of God.

In 2 Timothy 3:15, Apostle Paul acknowledged that the gospel makes a man wise. It makes wise unto salvation. This makes the scriptures a resource for learning about salvation, God’s Kingdom, and the gospel.

The scriptures are the authority upon which convictions about any Christian subject are built.

Let’s explore the scriptures together to understand God’s project.

The Gospel: What God’s Word Says The Gospel Is

God’s words (the Old and New Testaments) are originally written in Hebrew and Greek respectively. Referring to the original word and meaning helps in our understanding of a biblical concept.

The word Gospel appears only in the new testament segment of the scriptures. The Greek word for Gospel is Euagelizō and it means to announce good things or glad tidings. The gospel is associated with speaking!

It is not an abstract reality, it is a word; the word of truth (Ephesians 1:13), a specific message. In 1 Corinthians 15, Apostle Paul gave a detailed explanation of what the gospel is. Let’s read the first five verses together.

1. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,

2. by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4. and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

5. and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:1-5 NKJV

The words in this scripture are emphatic. Paraphrasing vs 1, I would write it as The gospel I preached to you is this.

Apostle Paul was not giving a suggestion of what the gospel can be or mean but a convinced “definition” of the gospel. In order words, he meant, the succeeding verses are explanations of what the gospel is… Verse 2.

Further explaining the gospel, he emphasized a cogent reason to understand the gospel for the believer which is; it is by this gospel a man is saved. Only those who have heard and believed the words in the subsequent verses are saved!… Verse 3.

An important thing in this verse is that this gospel did not originate from Apostle Paul, he spoke explicitly that he received the gospel. The gospel is a work of God carried out through men.

Another thing to note is that the Apostle Paul drew his definition from Scriptures. “…that Jesus died according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 3:15. It was not just a fancy definition from his mind but from the Scriptures (The Old Testament).

Throughout the old Testament you would not find the word Gospel, the books of the old testament (the law, the prophets, the psalms spoke concerning the Christ). Luke 24:44.

Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost got the “definition” of the Gospel from the inspired utterances in the Old Testament, this makes this definition safe to adopt. Verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 15.

In the concluding part of verse 3, the Apostle began “defining” what the gospel is. The gospel is; Christ died for our sins, He was buried, He rose on the third day according to the scriptures.

Jesus was seen alive after His resurrection by the early Apostles and he gave them the assignment to witness all they had seen to other men who became disciples of Jesus when they believed.

As a present day believer, although I didn’t see Jesus alive physically, I believe the truth of the gospel by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and God’s word.

Also Read 2 Timothy 2:8, 1: 8 – 10. What the Gospel does to a man.

Reiterating what has been said, I have established from scriptures that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Importance Of The Gospel To A Man

Let’s explore this concept together.

The Gospel Saves

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 NKJV. Read John 10:10, John 3:16.

The Gospel saves, it delivers a man from the dominion of darkness into the light provided in Christ for those who are in Him. Every man who has not heard nor believed the truth of the Gospel is alienated from the life of God but all who believe in the gospel have life.

How Is A Man Saved?

A man receives this Gospel by believing in the Gospel preached to him. A man is not saved by only hearing the gospel but by believing.

A man must believe with his heart and confess with His mouth that God raised Jesus from the dead to be saved. Read – Romans 10: 10 – 11, Mark 16:16, Acts 16:13.

The Gospel is not a fairy tale, it is powered by the Holy Ghost. It is true and it is only by believing the gospel that a man is saved from sin and death.

The Gospel – An Assignment For All Believers

The Christian Faith has remained till the present day because faithful men across centuries and generations have proclaimed the truth of the gospel to other men who became disciples of Jesus and preached to others.

It’s pertinent for every believer to reach the unsaved with the gospel because it is a disciple’s assignment to raise other disciples.

2 Corinthians 4: 3 – 5 NKJV

3. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

4. whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

5. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants.

The unsaved are isolated from the life of God in Christ and they dwell in darkness but in 1 Timothy 1:4, God’s desire is expressed, which is; to have all men saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

God wants every man on earth saved but he would do that himself, he sends men to reach other men with the same message that saved them.

Read also 2 Corinthians 5:15 – 19, Matthew 28:18 – 20, Mark 13:10, Ephesians 6:16

Every saved man has the responsibility to preach the gospel and can fulfill this responsibility by the help of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, ensure you reach out to others with this glad tidings that saves.

Conclusion

Believing the gospel is what makes a man saved. The gospel is the good news of the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus.

All who believe the gospel have passed from death to life, have the spirit of God indwelling, life eternal and many beautiful things beyond gold or Earth’s treasures. Ephesians 1: 3 – 14

This is understanding; to believe in Jesus Christ whom God has sent!