The word "gospel" appears hundreds of times in the New Testament. Christians use it constantly. But ask ten people what it means and you'll get ten different answers — some correct, some missing the point, some tragically incomplete.
Paul gave the clearest summary in 1 Corinthians 15: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." That's the gospel. But to understand it, you need four things.
1. God — who he is
The gospel starts not with you, but with God. God is the Creator of everything. He is completely holy — morally perfect, without any corruption. He is also just — which means wrong things have consequences. Everything flows from who God is.
2. Sin — what went wrong
Every human being has turned away from God (Romans 3:23). We've chosen our own way over his. This isn't just bad behavior — it's a broken relationship and a real debt. The consequence of sin is death: spiritual separation from God, and ultimately physical death (Romans 6:23).
3. Christ — what God did about it
This is the center of everything. God didn't ignore the problem or minimize it. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ — fully God, fully human — to live the perfect life we couldn't live, and to die the death we deserved. On the cross, the debt of sin was paid. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, proving the payment was accepted and death was defeated.
4. Faith — how you receive it
The gospel isn't just information to know — it's a gift to receive. Repentance means turning from your own way. Faith means trusting Jesus' death and resurrection as the basis of your standing before God. Not your church attendance. Not your good behavior. His finished work.
That's the gospel. Want to know more? Read the full presentation on our Gospel page.
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