The Gospel of the Bible Explained!

Four Points Need to be Understood!

POINT #1. GOD IS LOVE (see John 3:16). Most people would like to believe this about God, and few will argue with it. They say God is love, then quit, as if that is the end of the story. It is as though their image of God is of a kindly grandfather who pats us on the head and says, "I don’t care what you do, you’re okay because I love you." HOWEVER,

GOD IS HOLY.   This means that God is without sin. Anything impure stands in stark contrast to God, since He is without sin or impurity of any kind. The brilliant, shining light of His holiness exposes and rejects anything that falls short of His perfect standard. (see Habakkuk 1:13 and Psalm 99:9). IN ADDITION,

GOD IS JUST. This means that God is a good and perfect judge. Not only does God’s holiness expose and reject anything impure or sinful, but His justice has to deal with it. He must punish rebellion, sin, and imperfection because a good judge does not let lawbreakers go without paying for their misdeeds. (see Psalm 7:11)

POINT #2. US (SINNERS). The human race was originally created good, but became sinful as a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God’s law. But it did not stop with them. All of us continue to rebel against God and break His laws. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

The debt we owe God requires payment, and that payment is our death. (see Romans 6:23) This death is not just physical, it is also spiritual. It is separation from God for all eternity in a place the Bible refers to as hell. (see Hebrews 9:27 and Matthew25:46)

Sinners are HELPLESS, or "morally bankrupt." All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts, (done before we are “born again”) are like filthy rags. (see Isaiah 64:6 and Ephesians 2:8-9)

We have incurred a debt which must be paid, and there are no funds in our moral bank account to buy our way off death row. (see Psalm 49:7-8)

So far, the news is entirely bad. But it is important to understand that we all face this same prospect apart from Christ.

POINT #3. This is where the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel fits in. The word Gospel actually means "good news," and refers to what Christ did for us.

Christ is the one who provides the opportunity for forgiveness and reconciliation between God and Us, the lawbreakers. He is the only one who can solve our dilemma. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Remember that: CHRIST IS GOD, WHO ALSO BECAME MAN.

John 1:1 and 14 states,”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

It is important to understand who Jesus is. As we celebrate at Christmas, He is "God incarnate," both divine and human. He is not only the Creator of the universe but He also became a human being. God actually became one of us and lived among us.

Next, CHRIST DIED AS OUR SUBSTITUTE.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

This is the central idea of the Gospel. The debt of death that we owe was paid for by Christ who died in our place. He made it possible to offer us the greatest gift in the world. He will give us His righteousness, forgiveness, and life in exchange for our sins, guilt, and death sentence.

Some may ask: “Couldn’t God have just forgiven us?” Remember God is JUST and a just judge cannot just wink at sin and let it go unpunished.

Another question some ask, “Why did Christ have to die?” He is not some unwilling bystander who God forced onto the scene as a whipping boy to take our punishment. He is actually the God we have sinned against, who says to us, "I love you, I’m willing to forgive you, and I’ll pay the death penalty that you owe.”

CHRIST OFFERS HIS FORGIVENESS AS A GIFT.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In spite of the enormity of our debt and the high cost Jesus paid to buy us forgiveness and new life, the whole package is offered to us freely. It is literally a gift waiting to be opened.

POINT #4. YOU. This relates to YOU and me and all our friends and family.

Individually, each of us decides the outcome of our own story, which is whether or not we will end up being reconciled to the Loving Father.

Each of us has to make a decision. We can know all about the first three points, yet still not be taken off death row if we do not respond to the Gospel. That is why this final point is so vitally important.

YOU AND I MUST RESPOND.

John 1:12 says: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (see also Romans 10:13)

The gift has been offered, but each of us must respond by receiving it. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:21-23 that on Judgment Day many people will be shocked to discover that their religious knowledge and activity will not gain them God’s acceptance.

It is not enough to hear the Gospel, simply understand it, or even intellectually agree with it.

You and I must ASK Christ to be our FORGIVER and LEADER.

1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will FORGIVE us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 Peter 3:15 says: “But in your heart set apart Christ as LORD (LEADER)…(see also John 10:27 and Luke 13:5)

This explains how we need to respond. As "FORGIVER," Christ takes away our death sentence and gives us eternal life with Him.

As our "LEADER," Christ has control of our life. It is important for you to understand that you are coming to Him not only for forgiveness of past sins, but also for the strength and guidance you will need to make a fresh start and to begin living the way God wants you to live.

Finally, the result is a SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION (being BORN AGAIN) by the Holy Spirit. (see John 3:3,7 and 1 Peter 1:3) The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and changes us from the inside out so that we begin to desire to follow Christ (whereas before receiving him, this was probably the farthest thing from our mind).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Gospel of the Watch Tower Explained is here.

Thanks to Sermon Central and Mike Wilkins, "How to Explain The Gospel to A Friend," May 2002, which can be found here.