2. The Gospel is the proclamation of the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior

The early church preached that Jesus died for our sin on the cross and that through faith in Him we can have forgiveness of sin and be made right with God. It isn’t what we can do to save ourselves; it’s what He has already done. If we enlarge the core of the Gospel to five words it would be: Jesus is Lord and Savior.

A. They preached that Jesus died on the cross, for our sins and in our place.

The apostle Peter addressed the crowd at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and said – “Him (Jesus), being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death…” – Acts 2:23.In Peter’s second sermon he stated – “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus who was preached to you…” – Acts 3:18-20.Peter and the other apostles told the leaders of the Jewish Sanhedrin –

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” – Acts 5:30-32.Peter stated in his first letter – “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed” – I Peter 2:24. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” – I Peter 3:18.

The apostle Paul described the love of Christ that was displayed on the cross for us – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.

The Gospel simply stated is that Jesus died for us; He took the penalty and judgment for our sin on the cross. It is not what we need to do to save ourselves. It is what He has done. The apostles preached and defended this fact as recorded throughout the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament.

Jesus Christ lived a perfect sinless life. He faced all of the temptations that we face and yet He never sinned. I Peter 2:21-23

– “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who when He was reviled did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously”.Hebrews 4:15

– “He (Jesus) was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”.Jesus Christ faced huge temptations (Matthew 4:1-11 – temptations by Satan in the wilderness; Matthew 26:36-46 – temptations to give up under the weight of sin’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane; Matthew 26:57-27:26 – temptations to defend Himself against His accusers at His trial, yet not once did He fail or yield to self-centered human impulses. Hebrews 7:26

– Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…”He associated and lived among sinners, yet He was separate in His character. He often would go to the temple but never did He offer sacrifice. He prayed on the cross “Father forgive them” but He never said Father forgive Me. He said of Himself and His relationship with the Father – John 3:29

– “I do always those things that please Him”. He said to those who accuseH him – John 8:46

– “Which of you can convict me of sin?”.Why is this important? Because only the sinless can substitute for the sinner. Jesus died in our place on our behalf and He could do this because He was guiltless with no judgment that could be addressed to Him. He was the “perfect Sacrifice”, fully qualified to bear our sin.Jesus Christ chose to take our sin. He went to the cross willingly and there He died a cruel death, bore the wrath and judgment for sin so that we could be forgiven. He became our substitute, He took our place.II Corinthians 5:19

– “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (the Gospel)”.Verse 21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.

Jesus said:

John 10:15 – “…I lay down My life for the sheep (you and I)”.Matthew 20:28 – “the Son of Man came….. to give His life a ransom for many”.John 6:51 – “the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”Luke 22:19-20 – “This is My body which is given for you….this cup is the new testament in My blood which is shed for you”.The Apostle Paul stated – Galatians 1:3-4 “Jesus Christ…..gave Himself for our sins…”Galatians 2:20 – “the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me”.Galatians 3:13 – “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us…”.Ephesians 5:2 – “Christ also has loved us and has given Himself for us…”.The Apostle Peter stated in I Peter 2:24 – that Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree..” I Peter 3:18

– “Christ also has suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God”.Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God through His death on the cross. The New Testament teaches that we are enemies of God and that we have chosen contrary to Him. God is not our enemy, He has not ceased to love us but we have ceased to love Him and have chosen by default to be His enemy. The sin and discord that started in the garden of Eden with the first human beings Adam and Eve, separated them from God and this alienation between God and men has continued on with us. What was true for Adam and Eve is true for us. We are separated from God and need to be reconciled to Him.

It is here that we see the great love of God. God did not send someone else or some created being to save us and reconcile us to a relationship with Him. He came Himself – He became our substitute and reconciled us to Himself. Romans 5:8-10 –“But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified (made just or righteous) by His blood, we will be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we will be saved by His life.”

Colossians 1:20,21 states- “… having made peace through the blood of the cross…you who once were alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works ,yet now He has reconciled….”

B. They preached that our sins are forgiven by faith in Christ alone, not by anything that we can do.

When Philip had preached the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27-35, the response of the eunuch was that he wanted to know how to receive Christ and be baptized. Philip told him – “if you believe with all your heart you may. And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God”. The account continues and relates how Philip baptized him and the eunuch went away “rejoicing” -Acts 8:36-40

The apostle Paul told the people at Antioch – “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep (died), was buried with his fathers and saw corruption (decay in a tomb); but He whom God raised up (Jesus) saw no corruption (no decay in a tomb). Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses” – Acts 13:36-39.In Acts 15, there is a very important record of a meeting of the apostles and church leaders where they discussed the matter of the basis of salvation in Christ. There were certain “Jewish Christian” teachers who were claiming that in order for a person to be saved and have forgiveness of their sin and come into a right relationship with God, one must believe in Jesus and keep the law of Moses.

This was something that was contrary to the Gospel and a meeting was called at the church in Jerusalem to settle this issue. These teachers were referred to as “Judaizers” and they affirmed regarding new believers in Christ that – “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses” – Acts 15:5.After much debate and discussion among these former Pharisee groups, the apostles and church leaders, Peter stood up and stated – “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles (non-Jews) should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. So God, Who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” – Acts 15:7-11.The result of this church council was that the apostles rejected this claim that believers in Jesus needed to keep the law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and the other missionary preachers went all over Asia and preached that faith in Jesus Christ alone is what saves. It’s not what we can do, it is what Jesus Christ has done. Any “gospel” that taught that salvation is by faith in Christ plus works, was clearly a “false gospel” and was exposed as such in numerous contexts in the New Testament.The apostle Paul dealt with this issue a few years later with the churches in the area of Galatia in Asia Minor.

These same Jewish Christian teachers had come to these new believers (non-Jews) and told them that they were saved by faith in Christ’s work on the cross, by keeping the law of Moses, and by doing good works.

Paul’s response to this is recorded in his letter to the Galatians. He says – “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God the Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:4-9.Paul continues in this same chapter and explains in very clear terms what constitutes salvation in Christ – “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we (Jews) have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law (law of Moses); for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” – Galatians 2:16.The apostle Paul and a co-worker named Silas, were put into prison in the city of Philippi.

A miracle took place in which an earthquake literally damaged the jail to such a degree so that the doors to the cells were opened. The jailer thought that Paul, Silas and the other prisoners had escaped and because of the fear of what would befall him from his superiors, he was about to kill himself with his sword. At this point – “Paul called to him with a loud voice saying, “ Do yourself no harm, for we are all here’. Then he called for a light, ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said to him ‘ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household’. Then they spoke the word of the Lord (the Gospel) to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes(wounds from the beating). And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced having believed in God with all his household”. – Acts 16:28-34.This is the message that is repeated over and over again in the book of Acts and throughout the New Testament. We are saved from our sins and brought into a right relationship with God through faith in Christ alone. The apostle Paul stated this in the most clear and simple terms –“ For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” – Ephesians 2:8-10.We are saved by grace, through faith, in Christ alone. Performing good works is important because God desires that our lives should display His workmanship in us. But the truth is that we not saved by works; we are saved based on the accomplishment and work of Jesus Christ on the cross as presented to us in numerous passages of the Old and New Testaments.

Here are some examples:

Salvation by Grace Alone

A. He gave Himself for our sin – Galatians 1:4

B. He suffered for our sin – I Peter 3:18

C. He was offered once to bear the sins of many – Hebrews 9:28.

D. He bore our sins in His own body – I Peter 2:24.

E. He became a curse (sin) in order to redeem us – Galatians 3:13.

F. He is the propitiation for sins (appeasement or satisfaction). His sacrifice for us on the cross satisfied the demands of God’s righteous standard for the punishment for sin. Jesus propitiated or satisfied God – I John 2:2.

G. He took the iniquity and sin of all of us on Himself – Isaiah 53:6.

H. He became sin for us so that we could become righteous – II Corinthians 5:21.

I. He gave Himself as a ransom ( to secure the release) for us – Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28.

J. He was delivered up for sin – Romans 4:25.

K. He died for sinners – Romans 5:6,8.

How complete is the forgiveness that God gives us through faith in Jesus Christ?

A. He casts our sins into the depth of the seas – Micah 7:19.

B. He removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west – Psalm 103:12.

C. He remembers our sins no more – Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34.

D. He casts our sins behind His back – Isaiah 38:17.

E. He nailed a certificate marked –“paid in full” to the cross of Christ – Colossians 2:13,14.

C. They preached that we must respond by faith and receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

The apostles taught that we receive this gift offered to us by faith. We have to believe that it is not what we can do, it is absolutely what He has already done. We simply respond in faith and obedience to His invitation. This is the apostolic message of the Gospel – Jesus Saves.Jesus invites us to believe in Him and receive Him as Lord. The cross of Christ is a mystery, one that is beyond our mental ability to fully understand. Yet it is the way that God has chosen to save us and to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. Jesus Christ came to earth to destroy and abolish the power of sin and He did this by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. He rose from the dead with the power and the authority to provide forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who will call on Him. This is the greatest message that could ever be proclaimed. The cross is God’s power and God’s way of saving us. Our responsibility is to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to Me all of you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”. John 6:37 – “ ….the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out”.

How to Become a Christian

Becoming a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ is in many ways like a marriage. Biblically speaking, marriage was designed by God to be a surrender of self-independence and a commitment to one another. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, there must be a willingness to surrender our independent ways and commit our lives to Him. This is not a dominating, evil kind of “lordship” but instead is a Lordship rooted in love and a knowledge of what is best for us in every way.This Jesus Who is the Lord and Savior is the King of love, Who loved us so much that He gave Himself for us on the cross even when we wanted nothing to do with Him. Someone once asked: “Why do the majority of intelligent people not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” The answer that was given: “For the same reason the majority of unintelligent people don’t believe – they are not willing to”. This is really where most of us are. It’s not a matter of the mind but rather one of our will. We tend to lean away from God and His love for us and lean instead toward our sin and our own self seeking will.The nature of our sin, in the simplest of terms, is “living independent from God”. When we trust Christ as our Savior we turn from our sin – our “independent self centered life” and we receive the merits of the cross and His Lordship. We place Him as King of our heart, a throne that we once occupied in our sin. This is what the Gospel calls for.

“But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8.The apostle Paul’s testimony was – “This is a faithful (trustworthy) saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (the worst).” – I Timothy 1:15.“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration (new life in Christ) and renewing (being made new) of the Holy Spirit” – Titus 3:5.

“For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” – Ephesians 2:8,9.“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1.“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” – John 3:16.“But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name” – John 1:12.