What is the Gospel? Part One

What is the Gospel? It sounds like an easy question, but is it? If you were asked to define the Gospel, what would you say? The Bible warns us in Galatians chapter one, that there is but one Gospel, and to distort it or get it wrong, is a curse and can be damning to the one hearing it. Verse 8 says,” But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." The warning is so strong that it is repeated in verse 9, so it is imperative that we get the Gospel right. It truly is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. We cannot afford to get this wrong, because wrong belief will effect your eternal destiny. There is NOTHING more important, so what is the Gospel? First, let's look at what the Gospel is not. The Gospel is not works based (be or do enough good to earn it). It is not religion (being a member of a church) or mere belief (just believe and you will be saved). It is not if you become a Christian, all things in your life will become better. I believe that the Gospel today has been reduced down to a few Christian cliches that go something like this, "just repeat this prayer", "ask Jesus into your heart", " invite Jesus into your life", "make a decision for Jesus", "accept Jesus into your life", "make Christ Lord of your life", and " God has a wonderful plan for your life and if you just believe that you will be saved". Nowhere in the Bible will you find that any of those phrases are a means of salvation or the Gospel. I know what you are thinking. "Royce that sounds like semantics to me", or "you are just playing on words". I am not saying a person cannot come to faith in Christ by hearing those phrases. I am saying they are not the complete Gospel. I think R.C. Sproul said it best,

"People think they're preaching the Gospel to you when they tell you, "you can have a purpose to your life", or that "you can have meaning to your life", or that "you can have a personal relationship with Jesus." All of those things are true, and they're all important, but they don't get to the heart of the Gospel."