The Gospel of God

The word gospel means “good message” or “good news.” Most Christians identify the first four books in the New Testament as “the Gospels” of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because these books contain the accounts of the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus.

The most important account regarding Jesus is His death, burial and resurrection. By these actions He paid the penalty for our sins. By faith in His sacrifice for us and by making Him the Lord of our lives, we become children of God and are spared from eternal punishment.

While this definition of “the Gospel” is true, it is incomplete. Every page in the Bible contains God’s “good news.” It details how God created a perfect universe for us to dwell in with Him. It reports on how sin and death entered into and destroyed God’s perfect creation when man sinned. Finally it describes God’s plan to redeem both man and His creation through Jesus.

The New Testament has at least eleven references to this more comprehensive definition of the Gospel. The references call it the “the Gospel of God.” The first three chapters of Genesis accurately describe the creation of the universe and the fall of man. They also introduce God’s plan of redemption (Genesis 3:15).

God’s plan of salvation was always meant for both Jews and Gentiles. Paul reminded the early Christians of their Jewish roots when he wrote, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you’” (Galatians 3:8).

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of God even as He was fulfilling it. “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the gospel!’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Similarly, Paul described himself as “a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). Paul understood that the Gospel of Jesus, which he vigorously preached, was not distinct from the Gospel of God but was inseparable from it. Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) likewise, the Gospel of God and the Gospel of Jesus are one.

The Gospel of God is evidence of His grace in dealing with sinful man. Grace is getting something we do not deserve. We do not deserve God forgiveness and there is nothing we can do nothing to merit it. Therefore, He graciously devised a plan for our salvation that was based on Jesus’ death to pay our sins and for Jesus’ righteousness to be credited to us.

Paul recognized God’s grace when he stated, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Embrace “the Glorious Gospel of the blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11).