What is the gospel and why does it matter?
by Robert Krumrey
What is the gospel and why does it matter? This is a really important question. Christians all over the world are using the word “gospel” and are “preaching” what they claim to be that gospel, but what is it and why should I care?
The gospel is news, good news. This is what the word literally means. The greek word that is translated “gospel” in our bibles is “euangelion”. The “eu” part means good. the “angelion” part means message or news. In last Sunday’s sermon (2/16/20) from Austin Kopack we learned that Jesus came to proclaim this good news AND that Jesus himself is that good news - the news that Jesus is the long awaited messianic King who is going to put all things right; the news that he will do that by saving humanity from their sin through his death and resurrection; the news that he is God and worthy to be worshipped in response to all that is contained in this good news. Believing that this is the only way one can be saved from sin and delivered to eternal life (now and forever) is what some Christians mean when they say someone “got saved”. The Apostle Paul writes of the saving power that’s contained in the gospel in Romans 1:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”
This gospel is God’s chosen means for saving sinners like you and me. This is the only thing we can lean on for this kind of saving. Once people experience this initial salvation, they aren’t done with the gospel. When someone becomes a Christian, it’s like they’ve just been born (actually reborn, see John 3). Think about your own physical birth. This was a VERY important part of your journey as a human being. You wouldn’t even be here without it. That said, it was just the beginning. You’ve grown a lot since then which couldn’t have happened had you not been born, but still it’s just the beginning. Your spiritual life is like that as well. Once you have put saving faith in the gospel and become a Christian, you’re just getting started, but that start is the most critical part of the process.
So what’s next for a gospel saved Christian? This gospel that saved you also shapes you. Pastor Tim Keller calls this the “gospel-shaped life”. This kind of life is a natural overflow of a life that has been saved by the gospel. Saved people cease to try to save themselves through their performance of good deeds and now allow the saving power of the gospel to move through them through faith. What does this look like on a daily basis? Take a look at the following scriptures that point to the work of Christ as the origination of what Christians display in daily life.
Love
Jesus says this to his disciples - “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”. (John 13:34). Notice that Jesus sees his love for them as first and then their love for each other as an overflow.
Forgiveness
Paul writes to the Colossians - “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”. (Colossians 3:13b). Paul appeals to the perfect forgiveness that the Christian has obtained in the gospel as the source of ongoing forgiveness between Christians.
Generosity
In 2 Corinthians, Paul is encouraging the church of Corinth to be generous. He writes this as the key motivator - “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Again, the gospel message is front and center. The generosity that Jesus expressed to the Christian in the gospel is now being displayed through the Christian to others in daily life.
These are just a few examples but I think you get point. Jesus is in the business of saving and shaping us. We’ll never be shaped if we’re not saved through faith in the news that Jesus has saved us but once saved, that good news gives us a new paradigm that shapes all of life. We aren’t just following a list of do’s and don’ts but instead we are considering how our lives exemplify the good news of Jesus.