What is the Gospel?
How would you answer that question? You would have thought that evangelical Christians, at least, would know the answer. We are, after all, gospel people – ‘evangel’ is an old English word for ‘gospel’. But it’s good to be reminded of the fundamentals.
Some of us were able to hear that question being answered this week by Greg Gilbert, an American pastor who has also written a book with the same title. He helpfully points out that in Romans 1-4, where he is introducing the gospel he preaches to the Christians in Rome, Paul is answering four fundamental questions:
• Who made us, and to whom are we accountable? (We are accountable to the God who created us).
• What is our problem? In other words, are we in trouble and why? (We have sinned against that God and will be judged).
• What is God’s solution to that problem? How has he acted to save us from it? (God has acted in Jesus Christ to save us – by dying for our sins and rising from the dead).
• How do I come to be included in that salvation? What makes this good news for me? (We take hold of that salvation by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus).
Simple, isn’t it? And good! Let’s be sure that this is the gospel we believe and proclaim.