When I talk with religious friends about becoming a Christian, I hear people say things like “I accepted Christ,” or “I joined the church,” or “l was saved.” I seldom hear people talk about obeying the gospel, however. That is unfortunate, because Paul tells us, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). From these words, we see that it is a serious thing if we do not obey the gospel. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:17-18).
I. WHAT IS “GOSPEL”?
The basic meaning of the word “gospel” is “good news,” or “glad tidings.” The word “Gospel” is not found in the KJV Old Testament, but the concept of “glad tidings” is found several times. Isaiah looked to the age of Christ as a time of gospel, or good tidings: “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9). What we are specifically concerned about however, is the glad tidings, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1 :8).
II. WHAT IS THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST?
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23). It was good news about His kingdom, the church. Mark begins his account of the life of Christ as “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). His message of glad tidings to the world was a message of hope. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
Paul explains that the heart of the gospel, the glad tidings about Jesus, is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 1 5: 1-4).
III. HOW DO WE OBEY THE GOSPEL?
Paul recognized a change that the Roman Christians had experienced: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6: 17-18).
Obeying the gospel was what changed them from being servants of sin to servants of righteousness. Paul reminded them of what they had done. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:3-6).
They realized that they needed the forgiveness of sin available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that came through obeying Christ in baptism. Since His blood was shed in His death, we make contact with His atoning blood when we are buried with Him in baptism.
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Jesus warned, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). He told some very religious people, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Works of merit cannot save us, but we avail ourselves of God’s grace by obeying the gospel. Have you obeyed the gospel? Please let us know if we can assist you in obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
