The Simplicity of the Gospel
[Taken from The Doctrine of Salvation: By Grace Through Faith, the Gift of God written by Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon, edited by Barbara Lay]
Non-believers tend to get nervous when Christians start mentioning the concept of "being saved." It makes them uncomfortable. They may not understand some of the terminology used, or they may recall images of the less-than-scrupulous TV preachers crying out for them to be "saved" in one breath and then asking for money in the next.
And yet, the truth is that one of the most important concepts contained within the Word of God is the doctrine of salvation. Romans:1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
See All... states: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes...." The gospel is that declaration from God in His Word that very simply tells us that if we truly believe it, we are saved!
What exactly is this gospel? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:15:1-4 [1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
[2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
See All...: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."
Then he continues with a clearer description of just what that gospel comprises: “...how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…." He gets a little more personal then, reminding them that, as proof, after Jesus rose He was seen by Cephas (Peter) and by other witnesses to the resurrection. And that is the gospel! It's a simple message.
In the Book of Acts, we read of the Philippian jailer, who was charged with the responsibility of keeping an eye on Paul and Silas. They had been thrown into prison for causing trouble in the city by teaching customs to the people that were not like what they had known previously. The two were locked up in the inner prison for their "crime," and their and their feet were fastened in the stocks. What did they do while there? Weep and groan? Curse God? Organize a protest? Demand legal representation?
Read the fascinating account: The Bible tells us that around midnight, "Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed. The keeper of the prison, awakening from his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying 'Do thyself no harm: for we are all here!' Then he [the jailer] called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'"
Paul didn't tell him, "Well, you have to get baptized now. You've got to join the church and go through the sacraments...." No, the jailer had asked a straightforward question, and Paul gave him a straightforward answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
To "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" means to believe in what Christ did for us when He died upon the Cross. We must understand and believe in the redemptive work that was finished then and there. If you truly believe this, you are saved! This is the gospel! It's not about works that we have done or might do. In John:3:36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
See All..., Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son has [present tense] everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him [italics added].”
The gospel is just a simple declaration of who Jesus Christ is and how we must receive Him into our hearts. In order to die for all the sins of mankind, He would have to be God. He alone could pay that infinite penalty—death—that His own infinite justice demanded, and then He rose from the grave the third day. He did it all. And He's alive now! We can have eternal life, pardon, and forgiveness as a free gift. The fact that it is a gift means we have to accept it as such. We can't pay for it. We can't earn it—and all of this together is the gospel itself!
T. A. McMahon
President