What do we mean by ‘the Gospel’?

The Gospel is the ‘good news’ that Jesus Christ, during his time in the world, provided us with a pathway to the presence of God. The path is open to us; Jesus has done the work for us. It is clearly waymarked in the Bible. All we have to do is truly understand, and believe, what Jesus did for us, say goodbye to our old self and – with a renewed heart and purpose - commit to walking the path with Jesus at our side. Here is what happened:

In the very beginning, God created a good world and was delighted with it. There was nothing bad in the world. Neither sin nor evil nor shame nor disharmony existed. Mankind was in peaceful communion with God, its creator. This was how things were meant to be.

However, our ancestors, Adam and Eve, on being tempted by the serpent, disobeyed God. Basically, they had wanted to become gods themselves: to know about evil. Mankind has thus become sinful.

God, being entirely just, like any good judge, acted to punish this disobedience. The punishment was to expel mankind from his presence so that they would suffer hardship in their lives and become mortal. This was the Fall of mankind.

Yet God had not stopped loving us – his creation - deeply. He did not want us to die and spend forever away from his presence (ie. in hell). Indeed, he is forever calling out to us to turn from our sinfulness and come back to a close relationship with Him. But, how could he carry out the punishment on mankind while at the same time loving them?

God’s answer was to send his own Son to live on Earth as Jesus Christ who then, at the appointed time, was sacrificed by being executed on the Cross. Jesus had thereby paid the penalty on behalf the guilty mankind. God was so pleased with his Son, that three days after he died, he raised him from the dead and seated him at his side, where he now reigns.

Because of what Jesus Christ did, God is now able to forgive sinners and welcome them into relationship with him. But more than that, he invites us into his family. And all we have to do to experience this forgiveness and salvation is to trust in Jesus Christ and what de did for us. We must turn from our rebellion against God and submit our lives to the authority of the one who died for us.

To all who trust in Christ for their salvation and submit their lives to his authority, he promises to give them his Holy Spirit and a new heart, to forgive their sins and make them children of God so that they are saved until they arrive in God's presence.