by R. L. Morrison

Just previous to his ascension, Jesus commanded the apostles to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). It follows then, that every creature in all the world needs the gospel. There are several reasons for mankind (every creature) needing to hear the gospel. One of the reasons is found in Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith." When one understands this, there should be no difficulty in recognizing that God's saving power has been placed in the gospel.

Another reason everyone needs to hear the gospel is because all have sinned: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). It is easily understood that every responsible person is guilty of sin. Since sin is an act of choice, and transgression of God's law, only those who can act deliberately of their own volition can be guilty of sin.

It is also apparent that the gospel saves from the consequences of past sin. "But God be thanked that though you were the servants of sin, yet you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:17-18). The people to whom Paul wrote had been sinners, but the gospel, which reveals God's righteousness, was preached unto them. Their faith led them to obey the gospel when they heard it. In their obedience, they were baptized into Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:3), and freed from the guilt of past sins.

Since all have sinned, the need for forgiveness and righteousness is universal: everyone needs it. The gospel is God's plan for making all men righteous. However, there are many who refuse to recognize this, and many others who do not know it. There are those who set aside God's law and seek to establish their own righteousness separate and apart from the righteousness of God. Anyone who does so refuses God and His plan for men. Paul said the Jews of his day were guilty of it (Rom. 10:1-3).

What is the gospel? The word "gospel" means "good news" or "glad tidings". The "good news" Jesus commanded the apostles to preach concerned man's relationship to God. Mankind was separated from God by sin. He could not save himself from that sin. The "good news" was a message from God which told men HOW to be saved, to receive the forgiveness of sins. In other words, the apostles told sinners exactly what to do in order to be reconciled to God. Paul explained this to the church in Corinth: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also ye have received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Paul reminded them of what he had preached to them, that they had received it, were living by it, and were saved by it. Paul wrote to these same people that "God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 5:18). He also said: He (God) has given to us (apostles) the ministry of reconciliation. The preaching of the "good news" is the ministry of reconciliation. This "good news" was promised by God, the prophets foretold it, the apostles preached it, making it fully known to man.

This gospel is God's plan. It is not the product of human wisdom. Hear Paul again: "But I make known unto you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12). Since man sinned against God, man has neither the right or the ability to determine the means of reconciliation, nor the authority to change the terms God has decreed. Since the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the basis of the gospel, and since Christ died only once (Heb. 10:10), there can be only one gospel, or message of salvation. This message is for all mankind. It reveals the same message and requires the same obedience of every sinner who is reconciled to God. Paul wrote: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8-9).

But to save one, this gospel must be obeyed (Rom. 6:17). Perhaps the question arises, "How can one obey this good news?" The gospel consists of facts to be believed, commands to be obeyed, and promises to be received. When one believes the facts and obeys the commands, he receives the promise, the forgiveness of sins. This is what Paul wrote in Romans 6:17-18. These people heard and believed the gospel, they obeyed its commands, and their past sins were forgiven.

But what are the commands to be obeyed? Jesus said: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). When the apostles preached the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on Pentecost (Acts 2), many who heard them believed that Jesus was the Christ. Peter told them they were guilty of his death. They cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" In so asking, they confessed their faith in what they had heard: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Peter answered their question: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39). Here, in Jerusalem, in the very beginning of the preaching of the gospel, we find every act of obedience set forth. The apostles began preaching. Sinners heard the gospel they preached, believed it, confessed their faith, were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. In verse 41, Luke tells us, "Those who gladly received his word were baptized and the same day about three thousand souls were added to them."

Among religious people today, there is much disagreement about the gospel and its power. For example, some teach that the Holy Spirit must in some way touch the sinner’s heart to save him. This is done, they say, in some miraculous manner, in which the gospel has no part. Others do not believe or teach everything the apostles taught about the power of the gospel. However, when Paul wrote the church in Thessalonica about their salvation, he said, "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 2:14). None should deny the work of the Holy Spirit in their conversion. It was not by direct action, but by preaching the word which the Holy Spirit revealed through the apostles. "Now we (apostles) have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:12-13). The Holy Spirit revealed God's will, the gospel, which men must hear.

Jesus, instructing the apostles regarding the gospel, said, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:20). The gospel, then, consists of all things Jesus commanded or all things the Holy Spirit revealed. No man has the power or authority to add to or subtract from it. You will remember that even an angel from heaven can preach no other gospel, or he is accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). We should be very careful in our study and application of the gospel, lest we bring the wrath of God upon us.

The gospel of Christ today is the same as it was then: God's plan to reconcile sinners to Himself. It will do for a sinner today what it did for those who believed and obeyed almost two thousand years ago. Sinners who obeyed then were saved, reconciled to God, and added by the Lord to the church (Acts 2:47). It has not lost its power. If you are a sinner, you can do what those people who heard the first gospel sermon did and obtain the same result.

Have you been saved by obedience to the gospel of Christ?