The G.O.S.P.E.L.
The good news of the Gospel is simple and relevant: The God of the universe, who is just & gracious, loved us hopelessly sinful people so much, that although we deserved death, sent His son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins so that all who turn and believe in Him will be reconciled to God forever.
G | God's Character
What this means:
God, the creator of all things, is perfect, holy, loving, just & gracious.
Application:
Because He created us to glorify Him, we are accountable to Him with our life.
Scriptures:
"He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!"
"The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love."
"O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
O | Our Sin
What this means:
We are all corrupted by sin & have acted in direct opposition to God.
Application:
Be honest with yourself about your sinful nature and need for a saviour.
Scriptures:
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard."
"Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen."
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.”
Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."
S | Sin = Death
What this means:
Sin has earthly consequences and leads to eternal death & destruction.
Application:
Recognize the dangers of sin and your inability to be “good enough”.
Scriptures:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
"These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."
"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."
"At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. "
P | Paid By Jesus
What this means:
Jesus alone has the power to take away your sin and bring you back into right-standing with God.
Application:
Understand that Jesus died for you and that there is no way to be reconciled to God without Jesus.
Scriptures:
"But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past"
"We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him."
"Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone."
"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."
E | Enter By Faith
What this means:
Faith in Jesus is required to be reconciled to God. There is no amount of good works that could ever accomplish this.
Application:
Place your trust in Jesus means confessing Him as your Lord and Saviour and becoming more like Jesus as you mature in your relationship with Him.
Scriptures:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
"Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." Read more.
"Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."
"And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."
L | Live For Eternity
What this means:
You can only have eternal life if you place your trust in Jesus.
Application:
Humble yourself and plead with God to save you through Jesus Christ by placing your trust in Him and confessing Him as your Lord and Saviour.
Scriptures:
"So that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
"“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
"And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth."
"And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him."
G
God's Character
O
Our Sin
S
Sin = Death
P
Paid By Jesus
E
Enter By Faith
L
Live For Eternity
Now What?
Romans 10: 8-10
Acts 16:30-31
Practical Next Steps:
Find a local church that has sound theology. See more about why this is so important at: https://www.gotquestions.org/sound-doctrine.html
In most churches you should be able to connect to people in your life stage. Community is crucial since this is where life happens. The dangers of not living in authentic and transparent community is isolation.
Baptism is not necessary for salvation, however it is a commandment to show the world that you are a new creation. See John Pipers article on it: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/go-and-make-disciples-baptizing-them
It is so important to find a mentor who will disciple you. Ultimately this should be the Holy Spirit but its is extremely helpful to have a mentor to hold you accountable and talk to about what the Lord is teaching you.