What is the gospel

The guys over at Together for the Gospel are giving some very clear definitions of the gospel that I think are well worth chewing over.

Al Mohler writes, " I would define the Gospel as the good news that God saves sinners through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ [1 Cor. 15:3-4]. This good news tells us that we are sinners, who deserve only death and cannot save ourselves. The Gospel points to the cross of Christ as the propitiation for our sins, the substitutionary sacrifice for our transgressions [Romans 3:21-26] and to the empty tomb as the promise of our resurrection unto eternal life [1 Cor. 15]. This Gospel is God's gift, as is the faith that justifies sinners. Salvation is all of grace, so that no sinner can boast of his salvation. Saving faith is made visible in those who confess with their lips that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead [Romans 10:9].

C. J. Mahaney quotes Jeff Purswell who writes, "The gospel is the good news of God'’s saving activity in the person and work of Christ. This includes his incarnation in which he took to himself full (yet sinless) human nature; his sinless life which fulfilled the perfect law of God; his substitutionary death which paid the penalty for man's sin and satisfied the righteous wrath of God; his resurrection demonstrating God's satisfaction with his sacrifice; and his glorification and ascension to the right hand of the Father where he now reigns and intercedes for the church.

"Such news is specific: there is a defined "‘thatness"’ to the gospel which sets forth the content of both our saving faith and our proclamation. It is objective, and not to be confused with our response. It is sufficient: we can add nothing to what Christ has accomplished for us--it falls to us simply to believe this news, turning from our sins and receiving by faith all that God has done for us in Christ."

Mahaney (quoting Ryle) identifies some of the major threats to the gospel: substituting something else for the gospel, adding something to the gospel, distorting the gospel by exaggerating certain secondary truths and diminishing truths of first importance or by confusing the gospel. Two other threats to the gospel that are very common in the lives of believers is assuming the gospel or neglecting the gospel in our lives. This is why we have to preach the gospel to ourselves every day!