What Is the Gospel?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. (Gen. 1:1-4)

All things were good, without any mistakes and without sin. Adam and Eve lived peacefully in the Garden of Eden without pain or toil. There was no death and humanity was free to live in the presence of God for eternity, provided their obedience to God’s commandment to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2:17). Adam and Eve were  to take of the Tree of Life (Gen. 2:9; 3:22).

This agreement between God and man, that man should obey God and take hold of everlasting life—lest he become disobedient and die—is often referred to as the Covenant of Works. The name Covenant of Works simply refers to the relationship between God and Adam; it was dependent upon Adam’s obedience, and there were blessings and curses associated with that agreement. Two parties, conditions, blessings, and curses are the basic ingredients for any covenant, and they are all present here in the earliest chapters of Genesis. Even though the words “Covenant of Works” are never used, they serve to represent accurately the biblical data of Genesis 2-3.

The Fall of Man

In a jealous attempt to disrupt God’s overall plan, Satan would seek to tempt Eve with the violation of God’s condition: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was to remain untouched, its fruit not to be consumed. Upon the violation of this condition, Adam and Eve would “surely die (Gen. 2:17).”

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:4-6)

Satan would be successful, and humanity—being made in an unstable and mutable state—would choose sin over God. The motive here was that they would “be like God.” Though it is rarely admitted, this covetous attitude is what motivates our sin today—that we would occupy a place of godhood and authority apart from the one true God. This is called idolatry, and it is this sin which ultimately leads to all others (Col. 3:5).

God’s Plan of Redemption

It was not as if this caught God off guard or as if it surprised Him in any way. While God could have killed Adam and Eve immediately while remaining perfectly just and righteous, He did not. Instead, He banished them from His Garden and cursed them (Gen. 3:23). Our Lord graciously promised redemption in Genesis 3:15 where the serpent’s head would eventually be crushed by the seed of the woman. This is what we call the proto-gospel (protoeuangelion) since it gives a glimpse of the good news of Jesus Christ before it actually came into full focus in the New Testament. This was God’s plan all along, since before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).

The Old Testament Promised Jesus

The Old Testament of Scripture progressed, and this promise was revealed further and further until the fullness of time. Revealed in the Old Testament by types and shadows, the Gospel-promise was most clearly given in the New Testament starting in the Gospel Account of Matthew. (Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:10)

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isa. 53:4,5)

Jesus Christ, spoken of throughout the Old Testament Law & prophets as the Messiah, entered into history as a baby boy, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Being conceived by the Spirit and not by an earthly father, Jesus had no original sin and He would go on to remain sinless in all His thoughts and deeds.

Jesus’ Perfect Obedience

Since Jesus—God the Son in the flesh (Jn. 1:1)—was free of inherent sin, and able to fulfill the requirement of obedience to God’s Law, He did what neither Adam nor we could do—lived a perfect life before God His Father, fully pleasing to Him in every way. This is called Christ’s active obedience.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

However, this was not the only requirement of the Father which had to be fulfilled as a result of His people’s sin. God is a perfect judge and in being a perfect judge He will not forsake His justice. Therefore, His justice had to be poured out upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Jesus suffered under His Father’s ineffable wrath upon the cross. This is called Jesus’ passive obedience.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Gal. 3:13)

In fulfilling perfectly both active and passive obedience, Jesus has fully satisfied the conditions of the Father which were originally violated by Adam and the rest of humanity following him. Christ then satisfied His Father’s just wrath on the cross, the wrath we all deserve. Now, if Christ was actively and passively obedient, yet remained in the grave after His death, there would be no salvation of sinners. For if Christ is our new head, in place of the old Adam, He must live to represent us today. Thus, after three days in a garden tomb, Jesus rose to life, vindicating His promises and justifying His people.

How We Are Made Right With God

Because of this, anyone who places true faith in Jesus Christ will be saved. Believers are justified, that is, declared righteous, before a perfect and holy God. Believers are made right with God by virtue of the person and work of Jesus Christ, not by anything within ourselves. (Eph. 2:8,9) If you truly believe in Jesus, you will repent—turning from your old ways in recognition of Christ as Lord and Savior. True faith is a repenting faith. Your desire and willingness to repent and live a Christ-like life is an indication that God has changed your rebellious heart. This is called being born-again (Jn. 3:3). Remember, believing in Jesus Christ is not merely recognizing that He existed or exists, it includes knowing Him as both your Lord and your Savior. You will bow your knee to Him, and rest from your dead works in Him—because in Him, it is finished. The requirements have been fulfilled.

…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Rom. 10:9,10)

in addition to justification, believers are also sanctified. There is a two-fold aspect of sanctification. At the point a believer is effectually called by God and endowed with the gift of saving faith, they are positionally sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11). This just means that true believers are set apart for God’s use, adopted into the family of God. However, believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are also progressively sanctified. This is the process by which God has determined to conform His children into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29, 30).

The Offer of the Gospel

If you are outside of Christ, unrepentant and dead in your sin (Eph. 2:1), trust that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9). Turn from your sin (repent) toward Jesus Christ. Judgment is near, but salvation has come to those who believe! There is nothing you can do to earn your way to heaven. There is nothing you can do in order to reconcile yourself to a just and holy God. But, Christ has earned redemption for those who know and trust in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. If we believe, we are clothed in His righteousness and thus reconciled to a great and holy God. Without Christ’s perfect obedience, without His sacrifice on the cross, and without His resurrection, we are without hope. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (Jn. 14:6).”