For years I was confused about defining the gospel.
I once spoke to someone I thought knew more about the Bible than I did. He said “gospel” meant “good news,” not how to be saved. This definition confused me. As a young Christian trying to understand God’s opinions, I had heard I was to preach the gospel, meaning lead people to salvation.
I did not receive much help clearing things up when I started studying Greek and learned that the word for gospel was euaggelion, which meant “good news.” The active forms of this word mean “to preach the good news.”
This understanding still did not answer my question since I knew of at least two usages of the word: the gospel of salvation and the good news about a believer’s relationship with Jesus.
Finally, I came across a clear passage declaring the gospel of salvation. Through Paul’s words, I knew what the Spirit preached through the apostles: that people are saved through the gospel of salvation.
This understanding freed my heart to study what the other good news was. The good news about Jesus is that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus Himself is everything we need to have a relationship with God.
The gospel of salvation we must believe entails acknowledging the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, who is the complete and satisfying payment for our sins.
After accepting the good news, we enter a personal relationship with the One who became God incarnate, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, without whom we can do nothing.
Accept Jesus, the divine best friend of all who receive His payment for their sin.
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
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The Rev. Dr. Bob Segress served as a licensed psychological clinician for twenty-five years. Upon retiring, he served for fifteen years as a prison minister. Retiring again, he began writing full-time after a period of boredom. He has written: The Biblical Approach To Psychology while serving as a college educator, The Shelton Series, and, in 2012, Ten Years Inside Shelton Prison. Currently, he writes for several publications such as Halo Magazine.