Acts 20:24, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and Ephesians 1:13
Introduction: The Good News God Has Given
The word “gospel” means good news. It is not advice about how sinners may improve themselves, nor is it a religious program by which people climb their way up to God. The gospel is the glad announcement that God has acted in grace, through His Son Jesus Christ, to save guilty sinners, reconcile rebels, forgive sin, give eternal life, and bring glory to Himself.
In Acts 20:24, Paul described his ministry as testifying “the gospel of the grace of God.” In 2 Corinthians 4:4, he called it “the gospel of the glory of Christ.” In Ephesians 1:13, he called it “the gospel of your salvation.” These three phrases show us the basic gospel message: its character is grace, its subject is Christ, and its purpose is salvation.
- The Gospel of the Grace of God: Its Character and Message
Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry…to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Grace is the character of the gospel. It tells us that salvation begins in God, is provided by God, is offered by God, and is received as a gift from God.
Grace means that God saves the undeserving. The Bible declares, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). No person can stand before God based on personal merit, religious effort, moral reform, or good works. Sin has separated us from God, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet the gospel announces that God has not left sinners without hope.
The message of grace is that Jesus Christ died for sinners. “God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). At the cross, the holy Son of God bore the judgment that sinners deserved. He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Grace does not ignore sin; grace answers sin through the finished work of Christ. Therefore, the gospel is not “do your best and hope God accepts you.” The gospel is “Christ has done what you could never do, and God now commands you to repent and believe.”
Salvation is “by grace…through faith,” “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). The grace of God humbles human pride, removes every excuse, and opens the door of mercy to every sinner who will come to Christ.
- The Gospel of the Glory of Christ: The Subject and Its Object
Second Corinthians 4:4 speaks of “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” The subject of the gospel is not a church, a preacher, a denomination, a tradition, or a human philosophy. The subject of the gospel is Jesus Christ Himself.
The gospel reveals who Christ is. He is the eternal Word who “was with God” and “was God” (John 1:1). He is the Son of God who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He is the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He is the crucified Savior, the risen Lord, and the only mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).
The gospel also reveals why people must be awakened by God’s truth. Paul says that the god of this age blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they do not see the light of Christ’s glory. Sin darkens the mind, hardens the heart, and deceives the soul. People may be religious and still lost. They may be moral and still unforgiven. They may know facts about Jesus and still refuse to bow before Him as Lord.
But God shines light into darkness. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The object of the gospel is that sinners might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, turn from every false hope, and trust in Him alone. We do not preach ourselves; we preach “Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5).
If you would be saved, you must not merely admire Jesus as a teacher or respect Him as a religious figure. You must receive Him as the crucified and risen Lord. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The glory of the gospel is the glory of Christ, and the sinner’s only hope is found in Him.
- The Gospel of Our Salvation: Its Purpose and Power
Ephesians 1:13 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” The gospel is not only a message to be heard; it is a message to be believed. Its purpose is salvation, and its power is found in God Himself.
Salvation means deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin. It includes forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, adoption, new birth, eternal life, and the sealing work of the Holy Spirit. The sinner who trusts Christ is not merely improved; he is made new. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The power of the gospel is not in human persuasion, emotional pressure, or religious ceremony. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16). The gospel carries divine power because it is God’s appointed message concerning God’s Son and God’s saving work.
Notice the order in Ephesians 1:13: they heard the word of truth, they trusted in Christ, and they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. No one is saved apart from hearing the truth of the gospel. No one is saved apart from faith in Christ. And no one who truly belongs to Christ is left without the Spirit’s seal as the guarantee of God’s promise.
This is why the gospel demands a personal response. It is not enough to know that Christ died. It is not enough to agree that the Bible is true. The question is: Have you trusted Christ? Have you turned from sin and self-righteousness? Have you received the Savior whom God has provided?
Conclusion: The Call for Response
Today you have heard the basic gospel message. It is the gospel of the grace of God: salvation is a gift, not a wage. It is the gospel of the glory of Christ: Jesus is the Son of God, the crucified Savior, and the risen Lord. It is the gospel of our salvation: God saves all who hear the truth and trust in Christ.
The Bible says, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not delay. Do not hide behind religion, pride, fear, excuses, or the false comfort of tomorrow. Your sin is real, judgment is certain, eternity is near, and Christ is sufficient.
Come to Christ now. Confess your sin before God. Turn from your own way. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Call upon Him in faith, for “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
If the Spirit of God is convicting your heart, respond today. Trust Christ as Savior and Lord. Receive the grace of God, behold the glory of Christ, and enter the salvation that God freely gives to all who believe.
https://drwhitchardteaches.wordpress.com
www.youtube.com/@drdonaldwhitchard
The post The Basic Gospel Message :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard appeared first on Rapture Ready.
Leave a Reply