The GOSPEL is foundational to Everything!
Who we are and what we do
vs.
Who God is and what He has Done
What is the GOSPEL!? |
What does the GOSPEL mean for us as a church? |
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Understanding the Gospel
The word “gospel” means “good news.” Christ’s death and resurrection are at the center of the gospel. We start with this good news because, as Paul says above, it is “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3). Without the gospel, there is no hope of anyone becoming a disciple. Without it, we remain God’s rebellious enemies. But through the gospel, God takes rebels and turns them into his joyful followers. We notice the centrality of Christ’s substitution in our place when Paul says, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Christ died for our sins, not his own, because he didn’t have any sins. He didn’t deserve any punishment, but he “loved us and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2).
The key word in all the gospel is ‘substitution.’ The gospel in four words is “Jesus in my place.” Jesus went to the cross, not merely to die for you but to die instead of you. He took your burden of sin so you could put on the mantle of his righteousness. That’s the good news of the gospel: Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live and died the death we were condemned to die. We must understand this gospel. Not only that, we want to obey Paul’s command to remember our condition before God rescued us (Ephesians 2:12). Ephesians 2:1–10 guides us as we remember.
Ephesians 2:1–10 (NASB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The key word in all the gospel is ‘substitution.’ The gospel in four words is “Jesus in my place.” Jesus went to the cross, not merely to die for you but to die instead of you. He took your burden of sin so you could put on the mantle of his righteousness. That’s the good news of the gospel: Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live and died the death we were condemned to die. We must understand this gospel. Not only that, we want to obey Paul’s command to remember our condition before God rescued us (Ephesians 2:12). Ephesians 2:1–10 guides us as we remember.
Ephesians 2:1–10 (NASB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
NOT BY WORKS, BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH
Not By Works
How is one saved? We answer first with Paul’s negative affirmation in verse 9: “not by works, so that no one can boast.” It is absolutely essential to understand and believe this if one is to be saved. Salvation does not come by works!
To accept the Bible’s teaching that salvation is “not by works” means to go against the notions of our culture … “Just keep on keeping on and you’ll be alright” — “I’m a good person, not perfect, but there are a whole lot of people worse than I” — “God knows I’m not perfect, but I’m doing my best.” …
Our text gives us one reason salvation is not by works — “so that no one can boast.” If salvation came by works, eternity would spawn a fraternity of rung-dropping, chest-thumping boasters — an endless line of celestial Pharisees: “God, I thank you that I am not like all other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers” (Luke 18:11). In Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, the goats on his left do all the boasting and are sent to judgment (Matthew 25:46; cf. 7:22). The sheep on his right (the saved, who go on to their heavenly reward) cannot even recall their good deeds (Matthew 25:37–39; cf. vv. 40–46), for salvation does not come by works. No one who is saved will have grounds to boast before God — or will even want to.
Important as this reason is, there are even deeper reasons why salvation is not by works — namely, the utter sinfulness of humanity contrasted with God’s transcending standard of righteousness. God is radically righteous (Romans 1:17; 3:21). His righteousness of being is his standard, and no human can attain this because we are all radically sinful beings. The word radical comes from the Latin word radix, which means “root.” The very root of our being, every part of our person, is tainted with sin. This is the foundation of the Apostle Paul’s devastating litany of condemnation in Romans 3:10–18 where Paul employs the rabbinical technique of charaz (Hebrew for “string of pearls”) in putting together an overwhelming list of evidences which prove the universally corrupt character (vv. 10–12) and conduct (vv. 13–18) of man. He concludes there that the entire human race — Jews and Gentiles, religious and irreligious, pious and pagan — suffers from a radical inner corruption. Even our very best works are colored by sin and can never approach the radical righteousness which God demands. No matter how high we climb our moral ladder, it is not high enough. Salvation is “not by works.”
… Suppose I went to a close personal friend and said, “You are a terrific person, but I don’t believe a thing you say.” How would he feel? Yet this is the way some people treat God. “God, I believe you are great. I believe that Jesus is real. I simply can’t believe your Word that salvation is not by works.”
No one has that option. Whoever truly believes salvation is not by works is right at the door, for Jesus says, “Blessed are those who realize that they have nothing within themselves to commend them to God, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (author’s paraphrase of Matthew 5:3).
By Grace
If we are not saved by works, how are we saved? The answer from the Bible is, by grace: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (v. 8).
What is grace? It is unmerited favor — the love of God going out toward the utterly undeserving. It has reference here to forgiveness of sin and the riches which Christ brings. It is a lavish, sumptuous, joyous word. But the great and transcending emphasis of our text is that grace is a free gift. The idea of, “and this not from yourselves” is that “By God’s grace you are people who have been saved through faith, and this whole event and experience is … God’s free gift to you.” 37 How contrary to the spirit of our age this is — especially American culture (“We make our money the old-fashioned way. We earn it!”). Such a mentality is proper to its realm, but in regard to salvation it is deadly! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (v. 8). It is all of grace.
Paul reinforces this in Romans 11:6 — “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” The fact is, as soon as there is a mixture of even the smallest percentage of works, grace is debased and perverted. No one will be saved except for God’s unmerited grace.
Pascal said, “Grace is indeed required to turn a man into a saint; and he who doubts this does not know what either a man or a saint is.” He is so right …
Through Faith
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (v. 8).
If there is no faith there is no grace and no salvation. In Scripture, faith/belief is the thing that God honors more than any single quality: “‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:31). “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “‘Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses’” (Acts 13:39). “[T]o the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). No one has sins forgiven, no one goes to Heaven, no one has peace until there is faith in Jesus Christ.
What, then, is faith? Faith is not the mere intellectual reception of Christian truth, nor is it belief alone. True faith is belief plus trust.
A story which comes from the last century makes this clear. During the 1800s Jean Francois 38 Gravalet, better known by his stage name, Blondin, was a world-famous acrobat. Born in France in 1824, Blondin became well-known while still a child. As he grew older, his skill and showmanship brought him fame throughout Europe and America. Once in London he played the violin on a tightrope 170 feet off the ground and then did a somersault wearing stilts. His most spectacular feats were the crossings of Niagara Falls on a tightrope 1,100 feet long and 160 feet above the water. On one occasion he took a stove onto the tightrope and cooked an omelette above the roaring falls. “Bon appétit!” On another occasion he pushed a wheelbarrow across while blindfolded. On still another he stood on his head on the precarious wire. That is why today in London there are Niagara and Blondin Avenues.
Once, in an unusual demonstration of skill, Blondin carried a man across Niagara Falls on his back. After putting his rider down he turned to the large crowd and asked a man close by, “Do you believe I could do that with you?” “Of course,” the man answered, “I’ve just seen you do it.” “Hop on,” said Blondin, “I’ll carry you across.” “Not on your life!” the man called back. There is no real faith without trust. To be truthful, I would not have hopped onto Blondin’s back either. In fact, I would not do it if the rope was more than ten feet off the ground, for three reasons: There is the me factor. What if I “lost it”? Down we would go. There is the chance factor. What if the rope broke? There is the Blondin factor. What if the only time he made a mistake in his whole life was with me? I believe with all my heart he could do it, but I just would not trust him with my life!
But it is a universe of difference between the tightrope walker and Jesus! He cannot drop me. I cannot even drop myself. And there is no such thing as chance. Do we believe Jesus is who he says he is? Do we believe he died for our sins? Do we believe he was resurrected and lives today? Have we trusted him to save us?”
-R. Kent Hughes
Not By Works
How is one saved? We answer first with Paul’s negative affirmation in verse 9: “not by works, so that no one can boast.” It is absolutely essential to understand and believe this if one is to be saved. Salvation does not come by works!
To accept the Bible’s teaching that salvation is “not by works” means to go against the notions of our culture … “Just keep on keeping on and you’ll be alright” — “I’m a good person, not perfect, but there are a whole lot of people worse than I” — “God knows I’m not perfect, but I’m doing my best.” …
Our text gives us one reason salvation is not by works — “so that no one can boast.” If salvation came by works, eternity would spawn a fraternity of rung-dropping, chest-thumping boasters — an endless line of celestial Pharisees: “God, I thank you that I am not like all other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers” (Luke 18:11). In Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, the goats on his left do all the boasting and are sent to judgment (Matthew 25:46; cf. 7:22). The sheep on his right (the saved, who go on to their heavenly reward) cannot even recall their good deeds (Matthew 25:37–39; cf. vv. 40–46), for salvation does not come by works. No one who is saved will have grounds to boast before God — or will even want to.
Important as this reason is, there are even deeper reasons why salvation is not by works — namely, the utter sinfulness of humanity contrasted with God’s transcending standard of righteousness. God is radically righteous (Romans 1:17; 3:21). His righteousness of being is his standard, and no human can attain this because we are all radically sinful beings. The word radical comes from the Latin word radix, which means “root.” The very root of our being, every part of our person, is tainted with sin. This is the foundation of the Apostle Paul’s devastating litany of condemnation in Romans 3:10–18 where Paul employs the rabbinical technique of charaz (Hebrew for “string of pearls”) in putting together an overwhelming list of evidences which prove the universally corrupt character (vv. 10–12) and conduct (vv. 13–18) of man. He concludes there that the entire human race — Jews and Gentiles, religious and irreligious, pious and pagan — suffers from a radical inner corruption. Even our very best works are colored by sin and can never approach the radical righteousness which God demands. No matter how high we climb our moral ladder, it is not high enough. Salvation is “not by works.”
… Suppose I went to a close personal friend and said, “You are a terrific person, but I don’t believe a thing you say.” How would he feel? Yet this is the way some people treat God. “God, I believe you are great. I believe that Jesus is real. I simply can’t believe your Word that salvation is not by works.”
No one has that option. Whoever truly believes salvation is not by works is right at the door, for Jesus says, “Blessed are those who realize that they have nothing within themselves to commend them to God, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (author’s paraphrase of Matthew 5:3).
By Grace
If we are not saved by works, how are we saved? The answer from the Bible is, by grace: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (v. 8).
What is grace? It is unmerited favor — the love of God going out toward the utterly undeserving. It has reference here to forgiveness of sin and the riches which Christ brings. It is a lavish, sumptuous, joyous word. But the great and transcending emphasis of our text is that grace is a free gift. The idea of, “and this not from yourselves” is that “By God’s grace you are people who have been saved through faith, and this whole event and experience is … God’s free gift to you.” 37 How contrary to the spirit of our age this is — especially American culture (“We make our money the old-fashioned way. We earn it!”). Such a mentality is proper to its realm, but in regard to salvation it is deadly! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (v. 8). It is all of grace.
Paul reinforces this in Romans 11:6 — “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” The fact is, as soon as there is a mixture of even the smallest percentage of works, grace is debased and perverted. No one will be saved except for God’s unmerited grace.
Pascal said, “Grace is indeed required to turn a man into a saint; and he who doubts this does not know what either a man or a saint is.” He is so right …
Through Faith
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (v. 8).
If there is no faith there is no grace and no salvation. In Scripture, faith/belief is the thing that God honors more than any single quality: “‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:31). “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “‘Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses’” (Acts 13:39). “[T]o the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). No one has sins forgiven, no one goes to Heaven, no one has peace until there is faith in Jesus Christ.
What, then, is faith? Faith is not the mere intellectual reception of Christian truth, nor is it belief alone. True faith is belief plus trust.
A story which comes from the last century makes this clear. During the 1800s Jean Francois 38 Gravalet, better known by his stage name, Blondin, was a world-famous acrobat. Born in France in 1824, Blondin became well-known while still a child. As he grew older, his skill and showmanship brought him fame throughout Europe and America. Once in London he played the violin on a tightrope 170 feet off the ground and then did a somersault wearing stilts. His most spectacular feats were the crossings of Niagara Falls on a tightrope 1,100 feet long and 160 feet above the water. On one occasion he took a stove onto the tightrope and cooked an omelette above the roaring falls. “Bon appétit!” On another occasion he pushed a wheelbarrow across while blindfolded. On still another he stood on his head on the precarious wire. That is why today in London there are Niagara and Blondin Avenues.
Once, in an unusual demonstration of skill, Blondin carried a man across Niagara Falls on his back. After putting his rider down he turned to the large crowd and asked a man close by, “Do you believe I could do that with you?” “Of course,” the man answered, “I’ve just seen you do it.” “Hop on,” said Blondin, “I’ll carry you across.” “Not on your life!” the man called back. There is no real faith without trust. To be truthful, I would not have hopped onto Blondin’s back either. In fact, I would not do it if the rope was more than ten feet off the ground, for three reasons: There is the me factor. What if I “lost it”? Down we would go. There is the chance factor. What if the rope broke? There is the Blondin factor. What if the only time he made a mistake in his whole life was with me? I believe with all my heart he could do it, but I just would not trust him with my life!
But it is a universe of difference between the tightrope walker and Jesus! He cannot drop me. I cannot even drop myself. And there is no such thing as chance. Do we believe Jesus is who he says he is? Do we believe he died for our sins? Do we believe he was resurrected and lives today? Have we trusted him to save us?”
-R. Kent Hughes
God
The just and gracious God created us and we are accountable to Him.
Gen. 1:1.26-27 | Ex. 34:6-7
Man
Man has rebelled against God, deserving eternal death. We are helpless in this and can do nothing on our own to reverse this
Rom. 3:10,23 | Rom. 6:23 | Ex. 20
Jesus
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that all who repent and believe in Him will be reconciled to God forever.
John 1:14 | 2 Cor. 5:21| Isa. 53:6
Response
By a God-Given repentance (a change of mind…a new heart), and faith in the finished work of Christ, we are saved.
Mark 1:15 | Acts 20:21 | Eph. 2:8-9