The Gospel. A contraction of two words, good and spiel. The Good News. God’s appointed method through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe (1 Cor 1:21). The Lord, Christ Jesus who died and was buried, and rose again, according to the scriptures for the redemption of sins. This is the Gospel, repent from your sins and believe in the finished work of the Lord, Christ Jesus and you shall be saved.

Thus saying, let me address this message in two parts. First, those the Gospel is preached to, and second, those who preach the Gospel.

1. To the Unbeliever.

What will you do with Jesus, dear unbeliever? Is it not true that it is just to call you a sinner, Mr. Unbeliever? Aside from the popular cliche, “Every one is a sinner”, is it not true that this is the state of your soul? You, sir, are a sinner. Your very nature cries out against God. In every thought, word, and deed you have rebelled and broken His law. You know this is true. Your conscience testifies against you. You may condone your actions by justifying yourself through your good works, but to God, as you are dead in your trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), your good works, and all your righteousness are as filthy bloody rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6).

Up to this day, dear sinner, you have lived your life for the glory of your self. You live by the latin phrase “Seipsum facit persona”, “man makes himself.” You’re a self made man. You live by your own rules and decisions. And as it is your nature, truly, your rules and decisions are sinful in and of itself. Sir, you are not a sinner because you have sinned. You sin because you are a sinner. I hope so far you are convinced of the weight of your predicament. This issue is in no way a light thing.

The question, “What will you do with Jesus”, for you dear sinner, is the wrong question to be asked. Because, as the law of the most holy God and the justice of His requirements cries out against you, it matters not what you do with the Lord, Christ Jesus. The question to be asked is this, “What will Christ do with you?”

You may decide whatever you like with the Lord. You may consider Him all you want. You may think about Him. You may try to make a change for the better and try to fulfill His law. But then, you must realize, that you can do nothing. How can you? You who have lived in moral anarchy and abject rebellion against God? Sin is not a minor aberration that you can eventually fix. Neither is it simply a moral “problem” that can be psychologically remedied. Sin is the death of the soul. Sin is an utter rejection of God. It is the action of saying: “I know better than God.” It is the action that reeks of hatred against the God of the universe. A willful denial of what is true and what is just.

Thus, in you and your sin, to ask the question, “What will you do with Jesus”? The question matters little to you. Throughout your life you have done so much with the Lord, Christ Jesus. Through each and every sinful thought and action you have conjured, you have done so much with and to Him. You have disregarded His law. You have blasphemed His name. You have esteemed creation more than Him, the Creator. You put yourself upon the pedestal of pride and glory. I won’t dare ask you even now, “What will you do with Jesus?”

The question to be asked is,

“What will the Lord, Christ Jesus do with you?”

The message of the Gospel is not a proposal or suggestion. The message of the Gospel is not a matter of opinion. The message that was proclaimed by the Lord, Christ Jesus and the Apostles is, “Repent and believe!” (Mark 1:15) The message is not something to be considered. It is a command. Unless you repent you will likewise perish (Luke 13:5).

Repent. Count the cost. Salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ, it is a gift of God, by God, by His grace alone. And that faith is preceded and followed by repentance. That repentance is not something either from your self. Repentance is not an effect of suddenly being wiser than the crowd and deciding to change. Neither is repentance simply crying and desiring to change and become a better person. Repentance is not making efforts to please God. Repentance is none of that.

Repentance is a state of brokenness. Repentance is a state wherin you realize that there is nothing you can do to save yourself, that in light of who you are and what you did all your life against God, you realize your just condemnation before Him. That truly apart from the Lord, Christ Jesus, you stand before the law of God totally condemned. You realize that you deserve nothing less than the wrath of God, eternal torment in Hell. You realize that there is nothing you can do to please Him. No good work, no righteous effort can ever change what you have done and who you are. You realize that you are a sinner. A sinner condemned by God’s righteous judgment. Repentance is realizing all that and saying finally with the old Hymn:

“Nothing to You I bring,

only to the Cross I cling.”

Repentance is a reality of the inability to save one’s self. To turn away from one’s sins and surrender all confidence to the finished work of the Lord Christ, Jesus on the Cross. This is the Gospel. Through God’s regenerating work of your soul, it is written:

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

The message of the Gospel is not, “God loves you and He has a wonderful plan for your life.” The message of the Gospel is, in repentance and faith in the Lord, Christ Jesus, He took a sinner like you, and He saved you. That is the glory of the Gospel.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:1-9)

Dear sinner, repent of your sins and believe the Gospel of the Lord, Christ Jesus. This is life everlasting.