How do you explain the Gospel? The question came up twice for me in the same week, and low and behold I’ve never articulated the thought in writing… so I thought I better have at it!
Bilbo B. wasn’t exactly gifted for an adventure… he simply went along with a game-changing calling.
Here’s my go at the Gospel:
God created the world. He also created man in his image. When he created man, he gave us a gift: free will, or the freedom to make choices. “The fall of man” occurred in the Garden of Eden shortly thereafter when Adam and Eve exercised their free will and sinned, following the instruction of satan disguised as a snake, and disobeying God. Therein lies the problem – the wage for disobedience or sin is death and eternal separation from God. We, as humanity, have royally messed up. Since Adam and Eve, all of humanity has fallen short… we’re all sinners in need of a Savior… there is no other way.
Fortunately, our God is a loving God. So, he sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect, sinless life on earth in the flesh as a man and to die on a cross as a substitute for our sin, thus providing an opportunity for us. Again, there is no other way. Jesus didn’t come into our world to make bad men good. He came into our world so that dead men can live. Thankful.
Jesus reigns in heaven at this time called the church age and offers us forgiveness for our sins. When we repent from our sins and believe in him we all can have eternal life… If that is our choice. Here’s another cool part of the story: when we belong to God and are a part of His family the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Our human body actually becomes a temple where our living God dwells.
Can you dig it? Or maybe I should say can you feel Him within?
How would you explain the Gospel?
Image courtesy of Jim Pennucci on creativecommons.org
Nice and concise.
I spent some time this year doing much the same. Then it morphed into trying to explain doctrine and got way too cumbersome.
Better to make the basic points and leave it at that…Like you’ve done.
Good job.
That’s funny Carol… so I get accused of trying to write a book when explaining something that apparently does not require so much detail. I guess that comes with the territory right? LOL… 🙂
Good job of getting to the point, Chris! I’ll highlight this on the Christian Poets & Writers blog – http://christianpoetsandwriters.blogspot.com.
Thank you Mary and God bless!!
“Jesus didn’t come into the world to make bad men good.” That is a popular half truth that I have heard on television recently. Jesus told us to call none good, but God. In that respect it is a true statement, but Jesus did come so that bad men would stop being bad and strive for the good. Jesus came to this Earth and died showing us how to live righteously towards God the Father and our neighbor. http://saltwaterheart.com
Thanks for your thoughtful comments Dean, I really appreciate you stopping by and sharing here!
Your welcome. It was otherwise an excellent summation of the gospel. I think the only thing I would have added was a sentence about water baptism for the remission of sins.
Interesting timing…I was confronted with this question last week.
My answer mimics yours.
Makes me wonder what other peoples answers are?
I was listening to Christian radio this morning and they were discussing a study that said some in the millennial generation are seeking simpler church services and sanctuaries over big productions and “shows”.
I am thinking that God is calling His church back to the basics- the foundation our faith.
Indeed TC. Like we’ve talked about before even the Old Testament points toward the Gospel – it all comes back to the Gospel. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here today!