What Is The Gospel of Jesus Christ - How Can I Be Saved?

What Is The Gospel of Jesus Christ - How Can I Be Saved?

The number one bestselling book of all time is the Bible. And the Bible says “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Some questions might arise from that little portion of scripture, like who is Jesus? Who are these sinners, and what do they need to be saved from?

These are fair questions. And to adequately answer them, we should go back to the first few pages of that bestselling book.

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. He spent six days creating a beautiful world with stars in the skies, land and water, plants, trees, animals, birds, and even bugs.

Then on the sixth day, the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. He called the man Adam, and on the seventh day, God rested from all his labor.

Adam was different from the animals and unique in all creation because God created him in his own image. But Adam was alone, and God thought it not good for him to live that way, so he put Adam into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and from that rib made a woman for Adam to be a help for him. Adam called her Eve, and she became his wife. And they lived together, naked and unashamed, having fellowship with God in a beautiful paradise called the garden of Eden.

God had only one commandment for them to enjoy this beautiful heaven on earth. He said of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Life was good for a while. But there came a day when a serpent tempted Eve to eat of that tree they weren’t supposed to. Instead of holding fast to the word of God, she believed the lies of the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. She gave also unto her husband with her, and he ate too.

In that very moment, everything changed. Their disobedience brought sin into the world. They lost their innocence, their paradise, ultimately their lives, and the lives of every single soul born after them. The death God warned about was now an inescapable part of their existence. Not just physical death but spiritual death as well because they disobeyed God’s word.

Suddenly, Adam and Eve were riddled with guilt at their nakedness and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. Leaves may cover the flesh, but they won’t cover sin. For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul and reconciliation with God. So, God killed some animals and made coats of skins to clothe them. 

• Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” 

We are all sinners and doomed to die. All of us have come short of the glory of God. And because of sin, death is now the natural course of life. We’re born, we live, we die, and after this, the judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds.

But God still loves us all and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. In his mercy, he made way for us to be saved from death and the fiery judgment to come after. That way and the only way is through Jesus Christ. So let’s get to know who he is.

The Almighty God is an invisible Spirit who fills heaven and earth. He is our immortal, all-powerful Creator and Heavenly Father. Nothing escapes him, and nothing is too hard for him. In the fullness of time, he became mortal flesh and blood to take away the sins of the world.

Isaiah foretold of his coming this way, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

In the first chapter of Matthew, verses 21-23, we read more about this prophecy: 

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Jesus Christ is that Son of God who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. He preached repentance and forgiveness of sins, but because people loved darkness rather than light, his own people killed him. They put him in the ground after his death, hoping to never hear about him again. But it was all part of God’s plan to save mankind from their sins.

Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus died for our sins, according to the scriptures. His blood was shed to make an atonement for our souls and reconcile us back to God. He was buried and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures, defeating every enemy and securing eternal life for all who believe on him.

Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Most people today living busy digital lives don’t think much about Jesus. If they do, it’s a passing thought of a babe in a manger or a distant Sunday School memory. They don’t view him as the Resurrected King or Righteous Judge. They may have heard that God is love, which is true. But he is also a consuming fire.

And the day is fast approaching when he will judge the world in righteousness and in a way very few can fathom. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. He said, “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.”

That is exactly what Jesus Christ came to save sinners from. He came to save people from sin, from themselves, costly decisions, and everlasting destruction. 

So how can we escape the wrath of God that’s coming? What is this way of salvation that Jesus offers?

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-26, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

This new life in Christ isn’t a club we join or the result of being a good person. It’s a process of losing ourselves and dying out to this life. To be reborn into a new life in Christ and a member of God’s family. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So, how are we born again? What does this process look like? Here’s what the apostle Peter preached to the very people who had Jesus executed in Acts 2:28-41:

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The way of salvation Peter preached follows the same pattern of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. 

We die to ourselves and obtain mercy from God through repentance when we confess and forsake our sins.

Then we are baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins. They’re all washed away and covered by the blood of Christ and will no longer be remembered against us. This is how we identify with Christ’s burial. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.”

And when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we receive the Spirit of Christ, that resurrection power, to walk in ways and please him. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. It is the singular most life-changing experience that alters the trajectory of the soul from death and destruction to life everlasting. And the Lord Jesus Christ wants the whole world to know! 

Centuries ago, He sent out his disciples with the words in Mark 16:15-18…

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The truth is that Jesus Christ did come into this world to save sinners. But the time is growing short. Let us not foolishly disregard the word of the Lord as Adam and Eve did or unwisely think we have all the time in the world to get right with God because we don’t.

Here’s what we read in Revelation 21:11-14 on the last page of that global bestselling book, the Bible:

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Let’s seek the LORD today while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near: Let’s forsake our wicked ways, and turn unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon us; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon!