The Priority of the Gospel

Getting the gospel right is of paramount importance because it determines the difference between eternal life and eternal separation from God. A person may be well studied in the Scriptures, know the original languages, be deeply versed in theology, and have sound doctrine in every respect, but if he misunderstands the gospel and fails to believe in Christ alone for salvation, he remains lost and in danger of eternal condemnation, for “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15).

The gospel is the solution to a problem. It’s the good news that follows the bad news. The bad news, according to Scripture, is that every person is a sinner and separated from God (Isa 59:2; Rom 3:10, 23). And God, who is holy (Psa 99:9; Isa 6:3), “cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Hab 1:13). Consequently, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). All humanity stands guilty before God, “for there is none righteous, not even one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23a). Furthermore, we are totally helpless to work our way to God through good deeds, religion, or moral effort (Isa 64:6; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Salvation is not by anything we do for God. Good works do not save at all.

But God, in His love for all humanity and His desire for everyone to be saved, provided the way for us to be reconciled to Him—through Jesus, the Savior of all mankind. The Bible declares, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and again, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Furthermore, “He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10b).

Biblically, Jesus is the eternal Son of God (Rom 1:4; Gal 2:20), the second Person of the Trinity (Matt 3:16; 28:19; John 14:16-17), who, nearly two thousand years ago, added perfect humanity to Himself in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:30-35). He is a biological descendant of Abraham and David (Matt 1:1; Luke 1:32; Rom 1:3), the Jewish Messiah (Matt 1:1, 17), and the God-Man (John 1:1, 14; Col 2:9). In His humanity, Jesus lived a sinless life (1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5), perfectly obeyed God in everything (Matt 5:17-18), and fulfilled the divine mission the Father sent Him to complete. Jesus said to the Father, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). He willingly went to the cross and died as our substitute (Mark 10:45; Rom 5:8; 1 Pet 3:18), was placed in a grave and then resurrected on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4), never to die again (Rom 6:9). His substitutionary death paid for all our sins—past, present, and future—once and for all (Heb 10:10-14; 1 John 2:2).

Jesus died for the sins of everyone, not just a select few, as Calvinists mistakenly teach. Scripture affirms that He “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:6), tasted “death for everyone” (Heb 2:9), and “is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim 4:10). He brings “salvation to all men” (Tit 2:11) and is “the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2; cf. 1 John 4:10). Furthermore, “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). God’s desire is for “all men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4), and He is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).

The gospel is the good news “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Because Jesus has accomplished all the work, salvation is a free gift—given by grace alone (undeserved), received through faith alone (not by works), in Christ alone (John 3:16; Eph 2:8-9; Acts 16:31). Though our eternal salvation was infinitely costly to God, He places no price on it for us, for “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23b). It is completely free to us, paid in full by Jesus. Faith in Him is the sole condition for salvation, for “whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).[1] The moment we believe in Jesus, we are eternally saved (John 3:16; 10:28), receive the gift of God’s righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), are justified before God (Rom 3:28), receive the gift of eternal life (John 5:24; Rom 6:23; 1 John 5:11-13), and will never face the lake of fire, for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). There are no additional conditions—no need to promise to stop sinning, surrender one’s life, or make Jesus “Lord” in every area to be saved. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Once a person believes in Jesus and becomes a member of the family of God, he then enters into phase two of his salvation and must begin the journey of spiritual advancement. This requires consistent study and application of God’s Word, which is essential for spiritual nourishment (1 Pet 2:2; 2 Tim 3:16-17). The believer must also learn to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38), relying on God’s promises rather than human reasoning or emotions. Furthermore, spiritual progress depends on the filling of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16; Eph 5:18), who empowers the believer for righteous living and service. God desires our spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), where we attain a deeper understanding of His truth, develop Christlike character, and live a life that glorifies the Him (1 Cor 10:31; Phil 1:9-11). This process requires daily commitment, endurance, and dependence on God’s grace (Col 2:6-7).

Believe in Jesus as your Savior and receive the eternal life God offers you. It is a free gift from God, paid in full by Jesus. Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. You will be eternally grateful that you did.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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[1] Jesus is Savior of all who believe in Him for eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28). Eternal life comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). It is written, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Only those with positive volition seek God after reaching God-consciousness. General revelation—creation and conscience—makes God’s existence evident to all (Psa 19:1-4; Rom 1:19-20), so no one has an excuse. But negative volition suppresses the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18) and refuses to seek God (Rom 3:11). When a person expresses positive volition toward general revelation, God provides special revelation, leading to the gospel. Cornelius (Acts 10:1-4) responded to what he knew, and God sent Peter to give him the gospel (Acts 10:34-43). But those who reject general revelation are condemned for their unbelief (Rom 1:21-32). Salvation is exclusively through faith in Christ, communicated through special revelation (John 3:16; Acts 4:12). No gospel, no salvation.