The Gospel simply means “good news.” It is the good news that God has provided a way through His Son Jesus Christ to reconcile rebellious sinners to Himself.
God is Holy Creator. The Bible teaches that God is the creator of all things, and therefore owns and rules over everything (Gen. 1:1). He is perfectly holy, worthy of worship by His creatures, and must punish sin (1 John 1:5, Rev. 4:11, Rom. 2:5–8).
Man is a sinner and stands under the wrath of God. The Bible explains that as a result of our very first parents, Adam and Eve’s sin against God, all people are now born sinners. (Gen. 1:26–28, Ps. 51:5, Rom. 3:23). Our natural bent is now not toward God, but toward sin and rebellion against God’s laws. From birth, each and every person exists in alienation from God, is hostile to Him, and subject to His just and holy wrath (Eph. 2:1–3).
Jesus Christ came to provide a way for sinners to be reconciled to God. The Bible declares that God in His great love sent Jesus, His Son into our world (John 3:16). Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to bear God’s wrath in the place of sinners, and rose from the grave in order to secure salvation for those who trust Him (John 1:1, 1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 7:26, Rom. 3:21–26, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Cor. 15:20–22).
The Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection demands our response. God calls everyone everywhere to repent of their sin and trust in Jesus Christ in order to be saved from the wrath of God and reconciled to their Creator (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21, Rom. 10:9–10). To repent means to turn from one’s life of rebellion against God, and to trust in Christ is to fully embrace Jesus for who He really is, Lord and Savior.