What Is The Gospel?

Okay, today we are going to look at this topic, what is the gospel? What is the gospel? A while ago in a church that I used to attend, there was a man who was very passionate about evangelizing and talking to people about God. So on a Christmas day, a couple came and sat in the pews to pray in the church. And you know that on Christmas a lot of non-Christians just visit the church, right? So in that way a couple came and sat to just pray. So this man went and spoke with them for a while and came back rejoicing. So there’s a big smile on his face. He — I asked him what happened. So he said that he shared the gospel with them and they responded to it and they are saved. Now I was a bit surprised. It was so quick, in two minutes just happened then

I asked him what it was that he shared with them. He said the gospel. So I probed him a bit more lived to be the gospel. After discussing with him for a while, he shared what had happened. So, he went to the couple and asked them what they wanted from God.

And they said they were praying for a house. And he told them that if they put their trust in God, he would certainly give them a house as they desired it. Then he asked them whether they want to believe in this God. They said, “Yes.”

Why not if he’s giving a house? So they prayed with him and he prayed with them and he came back rejoicing saying, “They are saved.” Do you think that they are really saved? Did he really preach the gospel to them? So I was a bit taken aback by that confession and I got a bit curious about his own story.

So I asked him how he got saved. So he said there was a time that he was jobless. He was looking out for a job. So he came to the city of Hyderabad. And he was doing his job trials. So one day he was traveling somewhere and he asked for a lift.

And he got a lift. And as they were going, the person who gave him lift started a conversation with him. So when the biker heard that this man was jobless and I was looking for a job, he immediately shared with this man that if he trusted in Jesus then he would certainly get a job just as it happened to him.

So that day, this man said he trusted Jesus for a job and became a Christian. Do you think he’s really a Christian? And I really tried to open the word of God to help him see the truth, but he said, “We do not need the Bible. If we love God from our hearts, that’s more than enough.” So sad, isn’t it? In another instance I met a family and while talking to them I asked them whether they are saved. They confidently said that they were. And I asked them how. Wow.

They said they were, they said they are Christians by birth and that they have been attending their local church regularly. And even their kids grew up in the church. So they said they are also saved. Then I asked the person, I asked him, if he were to die today, will he go to heaven to be with Jesus?

When I asked him that question, very disappointed and with a sad face, he said this. He said he still needed to change a lot and that he was trying to become a good person so that he can get to heaven. Do you think a person becomes a Christian by being born in a Christian family or attending church regularly?

Can someone be saved by their good works, including daily Bible reading, praying, and giving alms and thanks? Can those things make a person Christian? So I come across a lot of people who call themselves Christians but have no knowledge of who God is, why Jesus died on the cross, and what it means to be a Christian.

But still, but still, they call themselves Christians. How about you? Is there anyone like that here? Well, I’m glad that you’re here. But I want you to get things right and be a true and genuine Christian. So in a lot of places, especially in India, in a lot of our states, many pastors baptize people who do not have any proper understanding of God, sin, and salvation.

There is a belief that baptism itself saves — I mean the water baptism. That is what they’re taught, so people take it and think that they are Christians. Now I know these days people take baptism because of marriage, because you have to fulfill this obligation in the church.

So do you think such kind of people are really baptized Christians? These are just a few of many cases. Some people think that the gospel is all about healing, some think that it’s all about wealth or prosperity, some think it’s all about liberation.

They think that it is all about having a better life now, a better society now in this world. They only think in terms of physical and not spiritual at all. So there is a lot of confusion about what the gospel is and what it means to be a Christian.

Last week we have seen what it means to be a Christian. And this week we will see what truly the gospel is. So there are many ways people are defining these terms. Unless we define those words or concepts properly, understanding them is impossible for us. For example, while talking to you, if I use the word cell, C-E-L-L, cell, what comes to your mind?

One of you thinks it’s a cell phone, the other thinks it’s a prison cell, while someone else thinks it’s a battery cell, right? But if I have in mind blood cell, do we all, are we all on the same page? If we have different understanding of this word cell in our minds, we cannot be right. It’s impossible. So we must have clarity to communicate properly. If that is true even in little cases like this, how much more clarity do we need to have about things that matter to us deeply and affect us eternally?

So I see a greater need to clarify those terms that we generally use even in our churches today. Like what is the gospel? What is baptism? What is sin? What is salvation? What is the Christian? So today we will deal with one such question. What is the gospel?

This is a sermon that I never grow tired of preaching. So let’s see what the gospel is. So instead of asking people their opinion about the gospel, let us turn to God and see what He says about it in His word, the Bible. So we believe that the Bible is God’s holy word. All 66 books in the Bible are inspired by God. That is, they are written by people who are moved by the Holy Spirit in that what they wrote is exactly what God wanted them to write.

That's how we got this Bible. So we believe that there are no errors in the Bible. We believe that the Bible is trustworthy because God is trustworthy and He never misleads anybody. He speaks the truth and we must listen to Him. He is a sovereign God with all authority on everything created. So we must obey Him and when we open the Bible it is God speaking to us. So the Bible is sufficient for us in the matters of faith and life.

We do not have to look to other means or sources for guidance. God graciously gave us his word in a language that we can read and understand even today. Aren’t we grateful to God for that? So we show our gratefulness by taking his word seriously and studying it deeply. Now where do we find a clear and basic explanation of the gospel in the Bible? It is in the epistle of Romans, epistle of Romans chapter 1 through 4, we see Paul clearly laying down what the gospel is. So if we turn to Romans, we’ll quickly go through chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and then we’ll just wait on chapter 3 for some time to see and understand what the gospel is. So Paul was an apostle writing to Christians in Rome to introduce himself, his ministry, and what he believed in chapter

1 from verses 1 through 17 he uses the word gospel at least four times. We see the God’s the here. Verse 1 he says that he is set apart by God for the gospel of God. Verse 9 he says he serves God in the gospel of his son.

Verse 15 he is eager to preach the gospel and verse 16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel. So he's eager to gospel to the Christians in Rome and in verse 17 he says that famous verse right the righteous shall live by faith what does that mean we look at that so then from chapter 1 verse 18 through chapter 2 3 verse 26 he explains what the gospel is in detail he addresses question like who is God what is man's problem what is a solution to man's problem and what should man do about it so in the rest of chapter 1 from verse 18 Paul shows that there is a God in heaven who revealed himself to people look at verse 18 of chapter

1. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Verse 19, “What can be known about God is plain to them.” Why is it plain to them continuingly? Because God has shown it to them. So who showed it to people that there is a God, God himself showed it to people that there is God. So he says, Paul says that it is plain in the creation and it can be clearly perceived through reason. If you look at this, if we read this passage, we’ll see that.

If you continue to read in verse 20, he says, “for his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made.” So people through reason can know that there is a God in heaven, and they’re also aware of God’s law. We see that in verse 32, because God has put that law in the hearts of men, will see that. However people in spite of knowing the truth about God, they chose to suppress the truth and they deliberately chose to dishonor God. That’s what this rest of the

chapter talks about. Instead of worshiping God they worshiped the things created by God. They not only practiced evil but also led other people into it and approved their sin. So Paul says that God revealed his wrath against all sinners. Wrath, the intense anger of the Lord. It’s his displeasure towards sin and those who commit it. So and he gave them up to their own sins. That’s the most terrifying verses in the Bible, I— look at verse 24, 26 and 28. It is mentioned three times here. Verse 24 of chapter 1. “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.”

Verse 26. “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.” Verse 28. “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” And it’s a dangerous thing. It’s a terrible thing.

So God gave them time to repent. God gave them evidence through creation that there is a God that they might repent. But they chose not to. Instead, they suppressed it. So God gave them up. We see that in the life of Pharaoh, right? The times of Moses, God gave up Pharaoh to his own wickedness, to his own sinful heart. And there was no hope for him.

Since this is the case, there is no excuse for anyone. Verse 20, look at verse 20. That’s what it says. So they are without excuse. Excuse. Without excuse. Nobody can plead ignorance before God. Nobody can plead ignorance. So in the States, it is said that when cops catch you speeding in the streets or highway, it says you cannot plead ignorance with them.

You cannot say that I do not know about this rule or the speed limit. You ought to know it. Similarly on that final day when everybody stands before God, nobody can stand before God and say, “you did not give me enough evidence for me to believe in you, that’s why I did not follow you.” Nobody can say that. God has given plenty of evidence in the creation to believe. So we should note one thing here. It means that everybody in this world is accountable to God. He or she must give an account of their lives, how they lived it out and what they had believed and why.

Do we realize that we are in that group too? You and I who are sitting here are accountable to God. So now, let's ask this question, what kind of a God is He? Based on these verses. So He is a God who loves righteousness and hates ungodliness and unrighteousness. He hates sin, He hates wickedness, but He loves holiness and righteousness. He is a God of eternal power and divine nature, as we see in these verses. He is a God who judges people for their actions and has authority to punish sinners by casting them into eternal hell which burns forever and ever.

Because he has made everything, because he has made you and me, he has complete final authority over us. And he has authority to judge us based on our actions and our beliefs. So the Bible teaches that God is sovereign, eternal, holy, righteous and just.

So God must punish those who have sinned against him. He just cannot ignore sin or just leave it or shrug it. Now the question is, who has sinned? In chapters 2 and 3, Paul builds his case in Romans, showing that both Jews and Gentiles have sinned against God’s law. Gentiles are those who are other than Jews. It is like saying, you know, from our perspective we are Indians, right? And Indians are desis, and everybody who’s not an Indian is a paradesi, right? So for Jewish people it’s from their perspective, so they are Jews, and everybody else for not use are Gentiles for them. It’s like Greeks and barbarians in that way. So Gentiles, and these Gentiles had law in their hearts and Jews had law in their

hearts and hands too. That’s only difference. The Bible is clear, saying that, you know, God has put the law in the hearts of men and women. So why do everybody know that there is something called right and wrong? It’s intuitive, right? We know it because the Bible says God has put that law in our hearts. And for Jewish people, they have an addition thing. They have the law in their hands too. God has written it to them and gave them. That’s the only difference.

So no matter what, both the groups or all of them have failed to keep the law perfectly. All have sinned against this holy God. And that is why Paul says, in chapter 3 verse 10, what does it say? “As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside together, they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one.” Is there anyone, at least one in this room who can do what is good?

Or in this world? The Bible says none. That means you and I are also included in that none. So no one by our own nature, by our own self cannot do what is good. We all have sinned against God. So our first parents Adam and Eve, they have sinned against God and all those who came through him into this world are born with that sinful nature. And because of that sinful nature, we commit sin.

So none is righteous before God, that leaves no one, not even you and me. Now what is sin? How serious is it before God? Sin. Now we have a lot of ways to define sin, right? Sin is missing the mark of God’s law. It’s a transgressing of the law, or simply disobeying or offending God and despising God. We can also say that not giving glory that is due to God is sin.

Adam and Eve sinned by eating that forbidden fruit. By doing that they have challenged God and his authority over them. They have challenged him and his authority over them. Now we are all born with that attitude towards God. Every day, every moment of life we challenge his authority, right? The way we live, the way we think, the way we act, we challenge his authority. When we look at sin only in the external actions, like sinning with eyes, mouths and hands, we might miss a point. Sometimes we are sinful by nature. That’s our nature. We did not become sinners because we have

sinned. We are born sinners. That’s why we sin. So that’s the difference. So we are sinful by nature. We are born in sin. Sin is in the deepest part of parts of our hearts and comes out like springs of water, affecting every part of a being. Every part of a being, it affects us. That is why we get dirty thoughts, that is why we lust with our eyes, that is why we have itching ears to listen to bad stuff, that is why we curse with our mouths and hurt, and hurt others with our hands. We have evil intentions in our hearts towards worse others.

Is it not true of us? Is it not true of us? Sin is more dangerous than we always think it is. It kills. That is why Bible says that we are dead in our sins and trespasses. It also says that the wages of sin is death, not just a physical one but an eternal one away from God. We need to understand that the intensity of the punishment for sin depends upon the value and authority of the person against whom the sin is committed.

So we need to get this statement right. Let me repeat that. We need to understand that the intensity of the punishment for our sin depends upon the value and authority of the person against whom sin is committed. We have sinned against the eternal sovereign God who is of infinite value and worth. Just think about who God is, the one uncreated one who lives from eternity to eternity and is morally perfect. He is a perfect being in all sense. There is nothing sinful in him. There is no darkness in him. He is the light, and he is of infinite value and worth. There’s no such being like God. There’s no such being like God.

in all his splendor and glory and worth. So even a small sin, small sin in our perspective, even a small sin against him is worthy of eternal and infinite punishment. Do we see the weight of that? So for us a small lie may be okay, it’s a small thing, right? But for him it’s a serious thing, because we are commenting against him who is of infinite value and worth. And in relation to that, our punishment that we need to get will be much greater than one than we think. So that is why hell is eternal and infinitely torturous place. And you and I and everybody

in this world rightly deserves that. Do we understand this? We all rightly deserves. You know, when we go to God and shout for justice, we go to God and say, “Lord, give us justice,” you know what he gives us? Eternal hell. That’s what we deserve. If sin then we can understand the need for forgiveness, the depth of God’s love and the height of his mercy and grace. Now looking at our miserable state, what did God do? That’s our state, it’s a miserable state. And looking at us in that state, what did God do? So Paul talks about it in

the second part of chapter 3 and chapter 4, but we’ll be focusing more on chapter 3, verses 21 to 26. Romans chapter 3, 21 to 26. And this is the most beautiful passage in the Bible that gives hope for the lost sinners, and I love this passage. So Romans 3:21 through 26, we’ll just read it. “But now the righteousness God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and prophets bear witness to it. The righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward his blood to be

received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” What a beautiful passage it is. Now look at verse 21. What has been manifested here? What has been manifested? And the Bible says, this verse says, the righteousness of God. How was it manifested? Apart from the law. That’s interesting, right? So normally we have this understanding, right? If we keep the law we become righteous. So if we want to be morally perfect, then from the time of birth till the time of death we have to keep this law

perfectly. Even if we break it a single moment, even if a single commandment we break it for a single moment, then nothing else counts. It’s either 100% or zero. There’s no between. So do you think is there any human in this world that can keep the law 100% and be righteous before God?

It’s impossible, right? So this verse, now we see that there is this righteousness of God that was revealed. And this verse is not saying that God is showing himself as his righteous. God is not showing us that he is righteous. But he’s showing us his righteousness. We need to understand this thing. He’s not — God is not revealing himself as a righteous God here, but he’s saying God is revealing his righteousness as if it is an object. Now as if he’s pulling something out of him and showing it to us. And Paul goes on to say that this righteousness is apart from the law.

It’s not from the law. It’s outside the law. Now we know that righteousness generally comes by keeping the law, right? But here it is different. God is showing us a righteousness that is not from the law but from himself. To what end is he showing that? Look at verse 22. It says, it is for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

God is giving his righteousness to those who trust in Jesus. This is what we call imputed righteousness. A righteousness not our own but a borrowed one. We are borrowing this righteousness from God by putting our faith in Jesus. And all those who trust in God justifies them. That means he treats them as righteous before God. He treats them as if they have never sinned in their life.

And that they are perfectly righteous before him. Why? Because of his righteousness that we get through faith. And it is by grace alone that we receive it. It is a gift from God for their faith in Jesus. So we can see from this that this holy, righteous, just God is also gracious, merciful and loving too.

So God gives his righteousness to sinners and declares him. How does he do that? How does he do that? By sending Jesus into this world and unto that cross. By sending Jesus into this world and unto that cross. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the one who is equal with God and the Father and God the Spirit, who existed from eternity, took upon Himself flesh and came into this world through the Virgin Mary.

He is truly God and truly man in one person. He lived a perfect and holy life on this earth. Why? Here is the question. Why did Jesus live a perfect life, a holy life in this world? We may say that because he is God and man both in one person — that's true as well — but the other reason is that because you and I, that because we have failed to live a perfect and holy life before God, Jesus lived it on our behalf. He lived it on our behalf. That “on our behalf” is a key word here. Then he took all our sin upon him and died on that cross on our behalf. He lived on our behalf and he died on our behalf. That is, all the sins he took upon the cross are sins.

All the sins of all those who trust him at all times. So all the sins were put on him. Just imagine the weight of this. So Jesus, one person, is bearing the sins of everybody who is going to trust him. The sins that have come to all their lives, so all the cumulative sin, all that sin, when it's summed up, how much will it be? So even if you take one person and count all the sins in his life, it's too much, right? Then take all the people who trust in Jesus and add up all their sins together, that would be a, an unimaginable sin, and Jesus alone bears that sin on that cross.

Just imagine that. Jesus bore our sins on that cross and he experienced the wrath of God on our behalf. The wrath that we ought to experience, it is ours. God should have poured it upon us, but instead he poured it on Jesus on that cross. Jesus, he took our punishment. Now because he's God in flesh who is of infinite value and worth, the few hours of punishment that he bore on that cross was enough to pay for all our sins, eternally, eternally. He died on that cross. He was buried in a grave. But on the third day, he rose again from the grave, defeating sin and death that kept us in chains for a long time.

Now God is calling everyone everywhere to repent of the wicked ways and turn to Him in faith. To all those who repent of their sins and believe that Jesus lived on their behalf and died on their behalf and rose again from the grave, God grants them the forgiveness of sins and gives them eternal life. That is the good news, that is the gospel that we believe.

So he forgives our sins, not some, not many, all of them. All the sins that we have committed, that we are committing, that we will commit until we die, all of them are forgiven. On the cross Jesus had paid the price for them on that cross. So there is a wonderful song that I like and it says, “forgiven forever, forgiven forever, forgiven forever.” No more God will remind them to us again. No more God will bring up our sins again and says, “You have sinned.” No more, no more. And the Bible says that he has separated our sin from us as far as east is

from the west. How far is it? Can we see the other side being on one side? If we cannot see, then we cannot see our sin as well. God has separated our sin from us so far. That's the good news. It happens when we put our trust in Jesus. It happens when you come to God and say, “Lord, I am sinned against you.

Now repent of it. I turn away from it. I want to follow you. Forgive me of my sins.” The moment you say that from the bottom of your heart, He is ready to forgive your sins. He is ready to separate them from you and is ready to call you my righteous.

He'll declare you as righteous and no more will He bring up your sins again, our sins again. What a hope we have in this God. What a precious thing it is for us. And the opposite of that is eternal damnation and hell forever and ever and ever. There will be burning and hell.

And that's the punishment that we all rightly deserve it. And all those who do not deal with and put their trust in Jesus, repent of their sins, will have to end up in that place of eternal torment. And they rightly deserve that. Because God is holy, righteous, and just. Because God is a good God. He will have to punish sin.

Either that punishment happens in the person himself or herself, or it happens in the person of Christ on that cross. So it is through faith we receive this forgiveness and eternal life from God. It is God's gift for those who repent and trust in Jesus. That is salvation or redemption that the Bible talks about.

So finally, my friend, did you repent of your sins and believe in Jesus and his work on the cross to save you from your sins? If not, please, I urge you to turn from your sins, turn away from your sins and consider Jesus and trust him alone for forgiveness and eternal life. There is no other way. There is no other mediator between God and man. He is the only way to the Father. So trust him alone. He is the only way to eternal life.

And if you are here and if you have a lot of questions about it, please talk to the friend who brought you here and know more about this gospel or talk to anyone you see on this stage or talk to a pastor here. Please do not leave this place without clarity on these things. Go with answers. And if you are already believing in Jesus, please continue to hold on to him life. Keep trusting him. Keep following him. Never forsake him or trade him for anything in this world. Jesus is worth everything, is worth everything. He’s all we need in life. He, Jesus

is enough for us. He is our life. He is our salvation. He is our only hope, ultimate joy, and in him we find our ultimate satisfaction. And there is no other. Everything else is temporary. It will be here for some time and go away. But Jesus, he remains forever. And our satisfaction is in him. So keep looking to him and keep sharing this gospel to others that they might join us and praise the Savior. And may He receive all the glory, honor, and praise. Amen? Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we want to thank You for this time that You’ve given us to come and worship You as a church. We want to thank you Lord for once again that you have reminded us from your word, the gospel. Thank you for sending your son Jesus into this world to die on the cross for our sins.

And Lord only in him and only through him we have hope. Only through him, only in him we have forgiveness and eternal life. want to thank you for that, Lord. And I pray if there is anyone who is here who still haven’t put their trust in you, Holy Spirit, may you work in their hearts. And just draw them to Christ, that they might, Lord, enjoy the blessing of salvation.

Turn their hearts towards you, Lord, Father. Father, I pray that you just all those whom Lord have trusted in you, have trusted in you. May we all continue to believe in Jesus. May we all continue to trust you for everything. And may we continue to, Lord, remind ourselves of this gospel every day of our lives and every moment of life. And may you help us, Lord, to apply this gospel to every aspect of our life as well. Changes from inside out.

Father, help us to keep looking to Jesus as we run this race in this world. Father, open our eyes that we may see and behold the beauty of Christ, that we may desire him, that we long for him Lord. And may we find our joy and satisfaction in him alone who died on the cross for us. And we ask all these things in his name. Amen.