There are a number of good ways to answer that. The Bible, of course gives us a the best definition. I love the summary of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When I think of the Gospel, I think of Gospel terms. They are:
- Incarnation.
- Imputation.
- Substitution
- Resurrection
- Ascension
- Glorification
When I discuss this with some people I find a confusion of ideas. First of all, the Gospel is not our testimony. Secondly, the Gospel is not the plan of salvation. (That is what I often get.) The Gospel is not the Roman Road, or the A,B,C's of salvation. No! The Gospel is "good news". It should be proclaimed that way. It's like, "We won!" "Victory". It's transliterated from the Greek: euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον). The English word "gospel," i.e. "good message," is the equivalence.
So what is the Gospel?
God, in Christ, took on human flesh and lived a perfectly sinless life. Freely, by grace, God the Father gives to all who believe, the credit of the righteous life of His Son. Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross and there in the place of all who would believe He bore the wrath of God for all our sin: past, present and future. On the third day He rose again as evidence that God the Righteous Judge approved of His work and the curse of sin was forever vanquished. After many days the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect God-Man, ascended as triumphal King and Lord of All. He granted to all who believe the gift of the Holy Spirit as a deposit for an eternal inheritance reserved for them. The Holy Spirit work is to prepare the saints for Christlikeness. This semblance of the Lord Jesus Christ will be accomplished in totality when He returns and all the saved will be forever glorified and reign with Him forever in His eternal kingdom.
Now that's good news! So knowing that, how are we to live? I will deal with that in the next blog on this subject. :-)
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