Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-5.
The essence of the gospel was passed down to Paul who passed it down to us: that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead. Continuing on in the chapter, Paul discusses our own resurrection. This is all good news for us, His children. It is a simple message really, and yet it can be a very difficult one to convey simply. If someone asked you to explain the gospel, could you?
Here is one way (and there are many) to keep it simple and brief. It is wrapped up in just a few verses:
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Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- 1. Our sin has a penalty, and it is death – eternal death apart from God and heaven. (The issue of sin is usually accepted. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t believe they aren’t guilty of sin.)
- 2. But God paid that penalty with the gift of Jesus Christ. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin and give us eternal life. It was a gift, therefore eternal life cannot be earned.
John 1:12
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Romans 10:9
“…if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- 3. You can receive the gift of eternal life by placing your trust in Jesus for your salvation and then striving to follow Christ in your life. When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and believe he was raised from the dead, the Bible says we can be saved from God’s wrath, the penalty of sin.
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Certainly there are other ways to share the gospel, and perhaps there are things that could be introduced that aren’t introduced here. But the gospel is simple at its core. It is God saving mankind from the wrath of sin by giving and taking the life of His only Son for the payment of the just penalty of our sin, and raising Him to life to give us life with Him forever. Give thought to the gospel message – it is good news.