The Gospel is Good News:
The Gospel is good news – the word gospel in the Greek means – good news. The
joyous good news of salvation is Jesus Christ. It is the fulfillment of God’s plan of
salvation that was declared in Gen 3:15, begun in Israel was completed in Jesus Christ
and is made known by the church. The Gospel is the saving work of God in His Son
Jesus Christ and a call to faith in Him (Rom. 1:16-17). How many agree that the book of
Romans is hard to understand? And Peter said it is the basic for foundational doctrine,
(II Pet 3:15-16). So we are going to do an in-depth study, the theme of the Gospel. Let
the Bible define gospel: Jesus said, as He was telling John’s disciples “the blind see… in
Luke 7:20-22. The gospel is – all of our sins are forgiven and we get to go to heaven
when we die; and that we reign in life by Jesus Christ (Rom 5:17). We are healed, we
are blessed, we are included in the covenant (Gal 3:29). We are redeemed (brought
back to the original state of our creation (Gen 1:26-28). The gospel always produced
praise and worship to God, and increased their numbers. The gospel is like an all you
can have buffet, it is all available, everlasting life, forgiveness of sins, power over sins,
His righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, redemption, justification, healing, prosperity,
the cross provided it all! but some don’t take it all. In Lam 3: 17 it says “You have
removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity”.
People tell others they are going to die and go to hell, but that is not good news and it
scares some people off. The gospel is good news (not bad news) God is not wanting to
send anyone to hell, just receive the good news and except it. God has justified the
ungodly! Jesus died for every sin for every body, but some don’t know the good news
and will go to hell against God’s will. The gospel is obtained by grace through faith. The
gospel and grace is interchangeable (Gal 1:6). The grace of Christ is the gospel.
Religion is based on your own doing, but grace is based on what Jesus did. We don’t
need to prove God’s wrath. What people need to know is the good news that God
placed His wrath for our sins upon His own Son so that we would be completely forgiven.
The good news will draw men to God more than the bad news will ever drive men to God.
(Rom 2:4). The good news is that Jesus came to bring us everything that Adam lost.
Adam lost relationship with God, Jesus restored that relationship. We can talk with God,
in fact God desires it. He said, He will lead us in the path of righteousness, so we need
to hear how. Jesus started His ministry by quoting from Isa 61 in Luke 4;18-19 and
saying “this day the scripture is fulfilled in your ears. Jesus was saying that He was the
jubilee and now everyday is a jubilee. He said in John 17:4 “I have glorified You on the
earth. I have finished the work which You gave Me to do. Adam lost dominion, authority
was given back to us (Luke 10:19). Adam lost life, Adam was put out of the Garden of
Eden, so he lost wealth, Jesus restored it and as long as we remain in Jesus (in Him =
His mind set). The Bible tells us to put on Christ (Rom 13:14). When we are told that
Jesus saves and we will go to heaven when we die (that future). Just like when Adam
fell, he was put out of the Garden that same day. When we come to Jesus we receive
the promises that same day (Eph 1:7). We have to draw it down to this realm by faith.
Faith is now! Faith began where the Word of God is known. Gal 3:29 says “if you be
Christ’s then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. Everything
that Adam lost, Jesus regained at the cross. When Jesus said “it is finished” it was
finished. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, Jesus came that we have life and
have it more abundantly (John 10:10). We have to believe it to receive it. Some people
think on the problems (that keeps them there). Remember Peter as he walked on the
water, keep your focus on Jesus (stay in the word).
The good news is that it’s by grace. The Bible says we were justified as we were
sinners. (Eph 2:5) justified = just as we had never sinned. (restored to Adam’s state
before the fall). Redeemed to recovery (Eph 2:8-9). We are saved by the finished work
Christ did on the cross. People say that God is not fare by condemning all by Adam’s
sin, but they don’t know the gospel (good news). Just like all was condemned by one
man, not considering their deeds, all are made righteous by One, Jesus Christ, without
their deeds. (Rom 5:9-19). All we need do is except and walk in it.
When we encounter someone taking something that belongs to us, we say “that’s mine”
and will fight if we had to.; well, health is ours, “\By His stripes, we are healed” (Isa 53:4-
5; in I Pet 2:24 it states “we were healed” indicating after the cross. Healing is a part of
the gospel. When Jesus sent out the 12; let’s read(Matt 10:1,7-8), then He sent out the
70 in (Luke 10:3-9). Wealth is ours, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus (Rom
8:17). These are a part of the covenant. The Bible says we have a new and better
covenant (Heb 8:6, 10-12). The gospel is the goodness of God coming to every area of
life where the curse had been; remember we are redeemed from the curse.. God gave
us all salvation before we knew to receive it. When we came to ourselves all we had to
do is to except Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we received it. Jesus gave it at the
cross. Remember salvation means free, deliverance, prosperity, safety, aid, health,
victory.
Remember the 4 R’s:
1. Read – read with an open mind, determined because the Bible is true, that you
will believe it. It is a good idea to try to read the Bible through in a year, but it’s more
important to read at a pace, where you understand it (Prov 3:13-18). Jesus said in John
8:31-32) “if you continue in My word then are you My disciple indeed, and you shall know
the truth and the truth shall make you free”. Jesus said in John 15:5-10 abide in Him.
2. Retain – meditate on it (Josh 1:8) meditate = the practice of reflection or
contemplation. Get understanding (Prov 3:1-8,20-23). Jesus explains the parable of the
sower (Matt 13:18-23), James says “if anyone lacks wisdom, ask of God (James 1:5-8).
Set your mind on things above (Col 3:1-2), remember out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34). Remember God has given us all things to enjoy (Rom 8:
32)
3. Recite – speak it – the Bible says “let the poor say I am rich”. What are you
saying? Prov 13:2 says “a man shall eat good by the words of his mouth”. “as a man
thinks in his heart, so it he”. (Prov 23:7). Remember out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaks”. (Matt 12:34). The Bible says “I believed therefore have I spoken” (Ps
116:10, II Cor 4:13). God gave the word, great was the company of them that published
it. (Ps 68:11). Jesus said I only say what I hear the Father say. We must speak the Word
of God. The Bible tells us to call those things that be not, as they were.
4. Rule – take authority- do like Jesus did. Jesus defeated the devil with the word.
The word sown in good ground, (heart) received abundantly (Matt 13:23). Jesus gave
us the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 16:19, 18:18). As Mark 11:22-24 states we
have to speak to the mountain, (trouble) and believe in our heart.