Why do Christians put so much emphasis on the Gospel? What is it about the Gospel that makes it so special? The answer to these questions is quite simple; the Gospel is important and special because God saves man through the Gospel (Rom. 1:16). The Gospel is simply the death, burial, and resurrection Jesus Christ. It is because of this “good news” that we can be saved. The power of the Gospel is seen when we understand its implications. You see, the Gospel implies some things that you and I need to know.
Implications to show why the Gospel is so powerful
The gospel implies God’s foreknowledge
Things have changed drastically since the 1 st Century. However, man’s basic needs have not changed. Man still needs forgiveness, reconciliation to God, and a real purpose in life. The gospel still meets all of these basic spiritual needs of man. God knew how things would change from the 1 st Century to the 21 st Century. Just as He knew centuries before what would happen when Christ came to earth (1 Peter 1:2). Since God foreknew all of these things, we still have a gospel that will fulfill the needs of man throughout time.
The gospel implies that God loves man
The facts of the gospel are found in 1 Cor. 15. Jesus died, was buried, and then resurrected on the third day. These fundamental facts of the gospel demonstrate the love that God has for man. Why else would He send His Only Begotten Son to die (John 3:16)? This is how God commended His love towards man (Rom. 5:6-8).
The gospel implies that man is incapable of saving himself
Contemporary man often emphasized humanism. This has been a problem since the beginning of time (Gen. 3:5). Despite how highly man thinks of himself, man cannot save himself (Titus 3:5). Man needs the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Man needs to live in obedience to the will of God (Matt. 7:21). Nothing else is able to save man.
The gospel implies that man has the ability to respond to the gospel
The gospel places confidence in man. Sin does not make men incapable of responding. One can never become a Christian without hearing the gospel (Rom. 10:17). When the gospel is preached, it can move one to obedience (Acts 18:8). How does the gospel move a man to obedience? The gospel is a revealer; it convicts one of the sins that are in that person’s life. Once convicted, the gospel reveals how to receive forgiveness from those sins.
The gospel still very much applies to us. Are we going to allow the gospel to save? If the gospel is going to save the lost, then it must be preached. Have you been obedient to the gospel? If so, are you mindful of those who are lost and need to hear the gospel? We all have a choice when it comes to how we regard the gospel; whether to obey it, or whether or not to share it.