What is the Gospel?

Have you ever heard the term "the Gospel" and wondered what it was all about?

The answer is simple.

The Gospel is the good news about Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. He has come to set us free from all sin and shame.

Why does He need to set us free from sin and shame?

Because we are sinners and we could not stop sinning.

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18–19, ESV)

"I am sinning?! But what is sin?"

Sin is breaking God's law (called His Torah).

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4, NKJV)

Just ask yourself, have you ever looked at a woman or man lustfully, have you ever been bitter against someone, held a grudge, gossiped, lied, or stolen?

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10, NASB95)

We cannot say that other sin, but we do not. The truth is that all of us have sinned.

“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:10, 23, ESV)

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12, NKJV)

Because we sin, we have the wrath of God on us. Sin is an offense, and we have spent our lives offending God.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Romans 1:18, NASB95)

We sin because we have a carnal mind, and we are in rebellion against God.

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7, NKJV)

Because of this wrath, we were destined for death.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, ESV)

But what of death? Is death the end? The simple answer is no, because justice demands judgment.

We die because of our sins, but if this was all that happened then we could not say that God is just.

For He has differentiated between sins leading to death and sins not leading to death.

“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.” (1 John 5:16–17, NASB95)

How then can the judgment for these sins be the same? How can a man who steals be judged in the same way as someone who is a serial killer?

Not only this, but if all that happens is death, and all sins are treated equally, then what motivation does man have for not committing grievous sins?

Why not murder, commit adultery, or any other sin leading to death?

We can see then that justice demands more. Justice demands a judgment other than the first death.

However, in order to be judged, we must be alive.

Could God judge part of our life or must He judge it all? He must judge it all. It must cover our entire life.

God must have a way to judge a person’s entire life, at the end of their life, where all their actions are judged.

There is only one way to do this, resurrection. Judgment requires a resurrection.

Because justice demands equal treatment, all of humanity must be resurrected and face judgment.

We must be judged for the actions of our entire life. In other words, we will be judged by our works.

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.” (Revelation 20:12–13, ESV)

What judgment is suffered if we are found guilty?

The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death.

The first death is a general judgment, because of sin. The second death is specific, for distinct sins.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NKJV)

The Bible also says that death is the punishment at judgment.

Thus, the resurrection requires a second death if we are found guilty.

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14–15, NASB95)

As we can see, the second death is a worse judgment, because those who suffer it are thrown into the lake of fire.

But what can be done to save us from the lake of fire and from this judgment?

In order to be saved from the lake of fire, we must first be saved from our sins.

If we continue to walk in our sins, we will eventually suffer the wrath of God.

“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” (Romans 2:5–8, ESV)

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5–6, NKJV)

Yeshua was crucified on a cross and died in order to suffer the wrath of God that was supposed to go to us.

“He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:3–11, NASB95)

This wrath was only poured out on one person, Yeshua (Jesus), and He is the only way we can be saved from our sin.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:12, ESV)

How can we be saved by Yeshua? We are saved because of the work He did on the cross and His resurrection.

Once Yeshua rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven and presented His blood as an offering for our sin.

“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:26, NKJV)

“but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,” (Hebrews 10:12, NASB95)

This sacrifice allows us to be forgiven of our sins.

“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:30–31, ESV)

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7, NKJV)

Because we are forgiven of our sins, the resurrection no longer leads to a second death, but instead, gives us life!

“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28–29, NASB95)

If you have read and understood everything above, and want to be saved and become a disciple of Yeshua, pray the following prayer out loud.

Do NOT whisper it, or try to hide what you are doing. You must not be ashamed of your Savior. Pray the following,

Father in heaven, may your name be blessed forever.

I confess that Yeshua (Jesus) is my Lord, my Master, my King.

I will serve Him forever, for the rest of my life.

I will obey Him, I will love Him, I will seek Him.

I will put Him above everything else and everyone else.

I believe that He died because of my sins, and for me, so that I might be redeemed.

I confess that I am a sinner, wicked and full of evil.

But you are good, and I want to be good with you. Help me to obey you.

I believe that Yeshua was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

Come into my life, give me a new mind and a new heart.

Fill me with the Holy Spirit.

In the name of Yeshua, amen.

If you have just prayed this prayer, you have now become a member of the house of Israel, a son of Yahweh.

Welcome to the family of Yahweh! Your sins are behind you. You are forgiven and washed clean.

Please email me through the contact form and let me know that you are now a Christian.

May you be blessed!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26, ESV)