What is the gospel?

The Gospel is primarily information. It is not invitation, appeal or exhortation, though these may be based upon it. It is news, and the evangelist is one who announces it. He is the proclaimer of glad tidings, the bearer of glorious news. He has information to impart; he communicates to men a message from God, telling them how they may be saved.

Firstly, it is well to observe that the gospel is "the gospel of God" — God's message to man; a ministry that makes no demands on man, but communicates glad tidings, which can make him happy (sinner though he may be), and at rest in God's infinitely holy presence. In the gospel God speaks, and it becomes man to listen.

The gospel is "concerning his Son (come of David's seed according to flesh, marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead) Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:3-4). We notice here the gospel primarily concerns God's glory in Christ — not us in our manifest need.

The gospel is the good news of God about His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, for a sinner such as you, that for you, even for such as you, God has forgiveness, peace, glory, a place with Christ where Christ is now… Christ has died, has risen again, is now in glory, the author of eternal salvation to every poor soul that looks to Him.

Then, in the second place, the Person of Christ and His finished work are the only channel through which salvation can possibly flow to the lost and guilty sinner. It is not the Church and her sacraments, religion and its rites and ceremonies — man or his doings in any shape or form. It is the death and resurrection of Christ. "He died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day." This was the gospel which Paul preached, by which the Corinthians were saved, and the apostle declares, with solemn emphasis, "If any man preach any other gospel, let him be accursed."

But, thirdly, the authority on which we receive the salvation is the testimony of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. It is "according to the Scriptures." This is a most solid and comforting truth. It is not a question of feelings, or experiences, or evidences, it is a simple question of faith in God's Word worked in the heart by God's Spirit.

But what is the gospel? It is the revelation of what God is. The law was the declaration of what you ought to be, and you know perfectly you are not what it says you should be… The gospel is the revelation of what God is in the absolute goodness, love, holiness, and righteousness of His nature, made known in the Person of His Son, and through the work of His Son… It shows us what God is in His own nature, and how He has acted in Christ; and, that in righteousness, He has brought blessing and pardon to us just where, and as we are, sinners in our sins.

Under the law it was a question of righteousness on man's part; under the gospel, divine righteousness is revealed on God's part… Under the law man was acting — doing. "Do this and live."… But under the gospel, God is acting — doing; and man has simply to believe.

It is this which is called at one time the Gospel of God (Rom. 1:1), because it comes from Him; at another, the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), because it tells of His grace; at another the Gospel of His Son (Rom. 1:9), of Christ (Rom. 15:19), of our Lord Jesus (2 Thess. 1:8), because it speaks of what He has suffered and done for us. It is also called the Gospel of our salvation (Eph. 1:13), for by it we are saved (1 Cor. 15:2).

Those who preach should look for decided effects, and those who hear would do well to consider whether the gospel has worked a mighty change in them. Why has it not? Because they have not believed. They have heard that Christ shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins, but they have not believed on Him; for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… it is not hearing about Christ only, but believing on Christ, that is the way of salvation.