In our culture today, we have many varying and mixed messages as to the definition or content of the gospel. These messages come at us from scores of sources such as television, newspapers, magazines, social media, the Internet and even highway billboards. For some, the essence of the gospel is “don’t smoke,” “don’t drink alcohol,” “don’t use foul language,” “don’t take illegal drugs” (illicit prescription drugs, as well), women should have “short” hair, men should not have “long” hair, women should not wear make-up or pants, men should wear a coat and tie to church, “don’t go to the movies” (especially R-rated or worse), and be in the church building every time the doors open for anything. Regardless of where you come down on these issues, none of these reveal the content of the gospel. Most of this gets into legalism, reducing Christianity to a bunch of do’s and don’ts.
Two of my favorite ones are short hair/long hair. I love to ask people holding this view, “How long is long, and how short is short?” I tell churches that, whatever else the short or long hair means, you should be able to look at a man and know he is a man, or look at a woman and know she is a woman.
None of this is the gospel. I believe 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 has the best definition of the gospel. Paul concisely tells us the four essentials of the gospel. The first thing he mentions is: “He died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” The Bible tells us that all mankind has one common problem: We are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We all have to admit the reality of sin in our lives in order for us to approach the throne of God for salvation. But some people object by saying, “I am not a bad person.” By the world’s standard, that may be true. But it doesn’t matter if you have sinned one time or a million-plus times, you and I are sinners! And the reason we are hopeless in our sin is found in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death.”
The second element of the gospel is that Jesus Christ “died for our sins and was buried.” The sinless person of Christ (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21) and the work of Christ (2 Timothy 1:8-10) are indispensable components of the gospel. Jesus is both God (Colossians 2:9) and man (John 1:14). Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life and died the substitutionary death for sinners. In other words, the perfect man died for all humans who are sinful, and there was nothing limited about Christ’s substitutionary death and atonement (John 1:29; 1 Timothy 3:4). Christ went to the cross to die for our sin and for all who will repent (that is, admit sinfulness and be willing to turn life around) and receive Him into their lives and have their sins covered by His sacrifice and inherit the kingdom of God as sons of the King (John 1:12, 3:15-18).
The third essential element of the gospel is the resurrection of Christ. Paul says that Christ “died for our sins … was buried … and rose again on the third day.” When Christ rose from the dead, He provided proof of the power of God for man to overcome his greatest enemy, which is death! Only the God who created life and caused death to fall upon all mankind (and every living creature, for that matter) can reverse the “sting of death” and the “victory that is the grave’s” through the resurrection of Christ, and, therefore, for all who put their faith in Him (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). Unlike all other religions of the earth, Christianity alone possesses a Founder who overcame death, rose from the dead, and promises that His followers will do the same. All other religions were founded by men and so-called prophets whose end was the grave. Christ truly rose from the dead, walked around on the earth for 40 days, ascended to the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us (1 Corinthians 15:20-24) and is soon coming again (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 8:34). This is the hope of all who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Finally, once we understand the gospel, we know from the Bible that the Lord Jesus Christ offers salvation as a free gift (Romans 5:15, 6:23). This gift is received by faith (John 3:16) and truly becomes the “evangelion” … the good news … the gospel of love, grace and mercy of the finished work of God through Jesus Christ, and all of our salvation is apart from any works or merit on our part (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul tells us “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Every single human can be saved from their sin into abundant, eternal life if they will do as Paul exhorts: “Confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-13).
So, for all of us who have received the good news of the gospel, we have a privilege and a responsibility to proclaim this glorious message to anyone and everyone across South Carolina and to the ends of the earth by way of life and word of mouth! Let’s do it! Let’s tell the good news!
— Richard Harris is interim executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.