The gospel confronts us with the truth that we are guilty, helpless, and under God’s wrath, yet announces the unfathomable love of God that moved Him to send His Son to rescue and reconcile all who turn to Him in faith.
The following summary of the gospel, written by Justin Trevino for regular congregational reading and recitation in our church, was born from the conviction that every generation of Christians must faithfully steward the gospel by comprehending it, clarifying it, confessing it, contending for it, and boldly committing it to the next generation.
The gospel of God is the joyous declaration that His promised new creation has dawned at last in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Fully God and truly man, He came from above, the eternal radiance of the Father’s glory, to call us out of darkness and death into newness of life and marvelous light.
All have sinned and gone astray, exchanging God’s glory for gods of our own making, betraying our Creator by worshiping what He created. Fully deserving His wrath and curse for our cosmic treason, we are dead in our sins and enslaved to sin’s power. We stand hopelessly condemned before Him, without defense, excuse, or any way of saving ourselves.
But God, being rich in mercy and abounding in steadfast love, sent His Son into the world to save sinners. He lived the life we could not live and died the death we deserved to die, bearing the sin that belonged to us to clothe us in the righteousness that belongs to Him.
For us, the Author of life laid down His life; the Giver of breath breathed His last; the King of kings was crowned with thorns; the Mighty God was crucified in weakness; the Righteous Judge stood condemned; the Blessed Son became a curse; the Word of life was killed on a tree He spoke into being.
On the third day, He rose from the dead, and now reigns supreme at God’s right hand, pouring out His Spirit and the riches of His grace on all who repent and believe in His name: forgiveness and adoption, freedom from sin’s dominion, newness of life, and eternal fellowship with the Triune God.
He is the victorious last Adam, the serpent-crushing Son of Eve, the Seed for whom God preserved the world, Abraham’s Offspring who blesses the nations, the true Israel who fulfilled God’s law for us, David’s Son, yet David’s Lord, the Shepherd-King who gathers and guides His people home.
The gospel proclaims the sovereign reign of the risen King, the increase and coming consummation of His kingdom, when He returns in glory to judge and make all things new, and celebrates the plundering of Satan’s kingdom, as Jesus rescues and restores the captives of sin and Satan, for their everlasting joy in Him, and the eternal praise of the Triune God.