WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

Everyone talks about the gospel but what really is the gospel? A good news, you say? The bible talks about different gospels. The gospel of the kingdom of God. The gospel of the kingdom of heaven. The gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul talks about a gospel he preaches. The gospel we are interested in is the one which, Jesus Christ talks about, a gospel HE said, that must reach out to all the world before He comes back. But We know that all these gospels that we mentioned are supposed to mean the same because Jesus asked us to preach the same gospel He preached.

And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.Mat 24:14 [Amp] (Emphasis mine)

Jesus asked us to preach exactly the same gospel He preached. Now, what was that?

The gospel is not something new that just came up, when the Lord Jesus, walked the earth. It was not something that just came up, so evangelists would have a job. The bible says that the gospel was preached way back, to Abraham by God the Father.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Gal 3:8

This is definitely talking about Jesus Christ who would come through the line of Abraham and be a blessing to the world.

Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah). Gal 3:16[Amp]

And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. Gal 3:29 [Amp]

Now what really was this good news that God promised Abraham? Was it just material blessing? Abraham already had a lot of possession when God called him out of Haran.

Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the persons [servants] that they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan. Gen 12:5

So then what was this promise? The promise of God initially looks materialistic in nature.

1. I will make you a great nation.
2. I will bless you and make your name great.
3. All the families of the earth shall be blessed in you (Genesis 12).

When Abraham was first called out of his home in Haran, God gave Abraham a broad run down of the benefits he would receive if Abraham obeyed God,which was sufficient motivation to Abraham at that time. But it was only later, that God revealed His plan in greater detail to Abraham. The uncovering of a plan set out in eternity for the redemption of humanity.

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. Gen 17:8

At first glance it looks like theres nothing too deep in this statement of God. But how can Abraham have an everlasting possession? How can any mortal have an everlasting possession? This is the where God tells Abraham about the promise of an everlasting life in a land or kingdom that is given to him and his seeds for an everlasting possession. Paul makes it clear that this land which the author of Genesis mentions as "all the land of Canaan" was actually the whole world.

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Rom 4:13 

The truth was, God offered Abraham and his seed the whole world for an everlasting possession. Abraham believed God at His word. There was nothing in the natural that could make Abraham really believe it. But he believed God. Abraham is not called the father of faith because he trusted God would give him a son when he was very old. His lack of great faith is evidently seen in Ishmael. There would never have been an Isaac if things were all left to the faith of Abraham. Paul calls Abraham a hero of faith in Hebrews and we know why. What God promised Abraham was something no eye had seen and no ear had heard. Paul gives us more revelation in Hebrews on the same, when he explains why Abraham was a great man of faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Heb 11:8-16

Let me tell you what Paul is saying here. He is saying, When God first called Abraham out of his home with the promise of a land that he would inherit, he went out and even though he came to the land Caanan, he stayed there in tents, like a visitor, because Abraham knew that God was not speaking literally about Caanan. He knew that the promise of God was the kingdom of God on earth. Paul says that even though promises were made, Abraham died without receiving the promise. If the promise Paul was talking about was the land of Caanan, Abraham was already living in it. He may have been able to acquire it. If the promise was worldly riches and blessings, he already had it. If the promise was a son, he had already received it. Abraham although had a lot of wealth never owned any property. So much so that when Sarah died, Abraham had no place even to bury her.

And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burial place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. Gen 23:2-4

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.16And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. Gen 23:12-19

The promise was not given only to Abraham. It was given to Isaac, Jacob and their seeds. The Lord says to Isaac :

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Gen 26:3-4

This promise was not the physical Israel. Not the promised-land that Joshua led the Israelites to. Gods promise was not something that was for a small period of time. Through history we know that Israel never had the fulfillment of this promise till date of an everlasting kingdom. Israel never ruled the whole world. Its most glorious time till date was the rule of David.

Keeping this in mind, let us go back to the initial promise of God to Abraham.

1. I will make you a great nation. What can truly be a great nation in the sight of God? Rule over a few countries? This will truly be completed when Jesus Christ returns to make the kingdoms of this world, the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. (Rev 11:15)

2. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. The only way Abraham could be a blessing to many was through his seed, Jesus, who in turn was a blessing to the whole world. If Jesus was not the promised seed through Abraham, no body would have probably even have heard of Abraham. But even the fulfillment of this is when Jesus comes back to take over the kingdoms of this world. See the article "The hope of your calling" , for more on the fulfillment of promises of God and why the only hope for all humanity is the second coming of Christ.

3. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Again set into motion at the first coming of Christ and completely fulfilled at the second.

Now back to our topic on what really is the gospel then. The Gospel was preached to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They were told about a Kingdom of God, a city whose builder and maker is God.

Let us now see the gospel Jesus and His disciples preached. 

John the baptist came heralding the arrival of The Messiah, a fore runner preparing the way for Jesus's ministry on earth. The bible introduces John the baptist thus :

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Mat 3:1-2

And immediately following that, we have the Master Himself being introduced in a similar way.

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mat 4:17

Mark, marks the beginning of the Lord's ministry thus :

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mar 1:15

Towards the end of Jesus's ministry, the Lord Jesus asked His disciples to preach the same gospel He preached, before the end must come.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The apostles preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Mat 24:14

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Act 8:12

The apostles taught about the kingdom of God.

strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Act 14:22

Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom of God

And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. Act 19:8

“And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Act 20:25

So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. Act 28:23

After this Paul lived there for two entire years [at his own expense] in his own rented lodging, and he welcomed all who came to him, Act 28:30

Preaching to them the kingdom of God and teaching them about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and quite openly, and without being molested or hindered. Act 28:31

So right from the very beginning, the gospel has always been about God's kingdom being established on earth,where God would have complete rule and authority, and God would live with man. For the complete redemption of man - his spirit, soul and body
But for the fulfillment of this great redemption, God had to re-establish what was lost to Adam. Spiritual death. Spiritual death is nothing more than the absence of God's Spirit in man. When God lives in man, there is life. When His Spirit is absent, there is death. But death came through sin, as the bible says " The wages of sin is death".Therefore, death of man was absolute.

Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned. Rom 5:12

So God came as a man and bore the death of all man. As the scripture says

Well then, as one man's trespass [one man's false step and falling away led] to condemnation for all men, so one Man's act of righteousness [leads] to acquittal and right standing with God and life for all men. 19 For just as by one man's disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man's obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him). Rom 5:18 -19

Since all men were contaminated with sin, no man could take the punishment of sin that was not his own. All men were bound to death already. So God came as a man, to bear the sin of man and thus the death of man, once for all.

For the gospel of the kingdom of God to be fulfilled, to prepare us for the kingdom of God, the greatest sacrifice of all time had to be made. Without this, nothing was possible. The first coming of the Lord Jesus, is therefore the pivotal hinge on which the whole story of salvation hangs. But the good news (the gospel) is not just that Jesus died in our stead. But also that He is coming again and He will change everything. The kingdom of God will be established when He comes. Just look around you and tell me, look at where this world is going. Look at the crime. The disasters. The tears of innocent children and women. Poverty. Hunger. Perversion. Cruelty. Every kind of abomination. This is not heaven. But there is a good news for you and me. Jesus has paved the way for all mankind. He has done it all. And He is coming soon to bring all rule and dominion under Him. There is a good news for the world. Jesus Christ is coming soon. And He will wipe every tear. There is a good news for the world. Jesus Christ is coming soon. And He will take away every disease. There is a good news for the world. Jesus Christ is coming soon. He will take away your hunger and poverty. There is a good news for the world. Jesus Christ is coming soon. And He will bring down every rebellion. The restoration of all things is at hand. The glory of God is coming to cover the earth soon.

The gospel. 

And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatted domestic animal together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed side by side, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isa 11:6-9)

He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it. Isa 25:8

Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 1011 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Mat 5:3-12

In short based on Mathew 5, Jesus said the gospel is that, the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Those who cry will be comforted. The meek will inherit the earth. Those who seek justice and right judgment shall be filled. People will obtain mercy. The good hearted, the peace lovers will see God. The persecuted will be rewarded. It would truly be heaven on earth.

Jesus died to bring heaven on earth. This is the gospel. The gospel is the restoration of all things. The restoration of animal life, plant life, and every living creation. The restoration of all the glory. The restoration and the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:22-23). If our spirit has been redeemed when we accepted Christ, we are now waiting for the restoration of our soul and our bodies. A Heavenly body. A glorious body. Without sin and death, where immortality is no more a hope but the fulfillment of faith. The gospel is the restoration and manifestation of the sons of God.

Jesus came first to fulfill all that was prophesied by the prophets about His first coming. He is coming soon again. He is retained in the heavens until that time, that was appointed, for the restoration of all things, which has also been prophesied by the prophets.

Thus has God fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (the Messiah) should undergo ill treatment and be afflicted and suffer. Act 3:19 So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of [d] reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; Act 3:20 And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you--even Jesus, Act 3:21 Whom heaven must receive [and retain] until the time for the complete restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets for ages past [from the most ancient time in the memory of man]. Act 3:18 - 21

So, is the gospel all about the future? An Emphatic NO. While the world lives without a hope, every believer lives with the hope of resurrection to eternal life and also lives this life in absolute victory over the world and the things of this world. If you could picture how Jesus walked the earth, His power and nature, How He cast out demons and healed the sick, how He calmed to wind and the seas. How He raised dead people, and how He had power over every element. If you could just see how He walked the earth...

When He died and raised from the dead, He has given us this same power to every believer. Every believer is expected to do everything Jesus did and more. It is His natural state. Look at His nature. There was no sin in Him. He loved us so much that He gave Himself to us. Though He was the King, He came and lived to serve. He was the epitome of meekness. Lying on that cross, He subjected His all to the will of the Father. He lay there on that cross helpless, while even just a thought in Him at that time, to destroy everyone there would have done just that. All the power in the world was at His calling at that time. But He did something only God could do.  Dear brothers and sisters, we are not ordinary. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and worked in Him, lives on the inside of us, from the time you took that step in faith to receive Christ, the Lord of Lords, in to your life. You cannot have an ordinary life. You can only have a life that He lived. And we are waiting for His coming, when He will take us into that glory He is in now. You are living now, to live like how He lived and you are waiting in faith to live like how He lives Now, a state where sin and death is completely defeated and we would have a glorious body and life with Him. Oh well, this truly is the best news.