The Apostle, Saint Paul, summarized the Gospel in this way:
“Now I make known to you* brethren, the good-news . . through which you are also saved, if you are holding onto the word which I proclaimed to you–. . .
- 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, 11 Christ died on behalf of our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he has been raised up on the third day according to the Scriptures.. . so we preach and so you believed.”
With reference to this and the rest of the Bible, we can summarize the Gospel briefly in terms of this simple question and answer:
- Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Christ, which means Anointed One. Anointed means chosen by God.
- What did He do? Christ died on behalf of our sins, as foretold by the Hebrew Scriptures, was buried, and on the third day rose again as those scriptures foretold.
- Why did He do it? So you may believe, and go on believing, and be saved.
- Why do we need saving? Without Christ we are separated from God by our sins, for God is holy and just and must judge sin. But Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, so we may claim the life God offers us, despite our sin, by believing in Christ and so be no longer separated but brought into the Kingdom of God
- Do I have to earn salvation? No, no one can. What we must do is believe in what God has done through Christ?
- Why did Christ rise from the dead? To demonstrate that He is, in fact, divine and that he has conquered death, and by so doing has demonstrated that he is the divine righteous sacrifice purchasing our forgiveness with His own blood.
- So who therefore is Christ? He is the Son of God, the visible image of the invisible God. He is the Redeemer who has made the way by which God and man can be reconciled.
- Once I believe what then? Imitate the love with which Christ love the Father and loved us, and become a disciple, learning to do all that God has taught us through His word.
- Is anyone excluded from being saved? None. All are invited to believe what Jesus has done for them.
- Is there any sin Christ cannot forgive? None. All who come to Christ trusting in Him will be saved.