The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important message in the world – no exceptions, no comparisons and no rivals. The Gospel is the proclamation of God’s central act in history: the incarnation, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of Scripture and all of history hinge on this act of God. The Gospel contains the express revelation of God’s character, the one and only true way of salvation and the paradigm of godly living. Without the Gospel all humanity is lost, without God and without hope in this world (Eph. 2:12).

Most people in America know about the Gospel (although a decreasing number). It’s pretty common knowledge that there was a man named Jesus, who “died for the sins of the world,” and that this Jesus has something to do with knowing God and going to heaven. They have heard the information. But how many people – even professing Christians – actually understand this Gospel? 

To understand means to grasp the nature or meaning of something. Understanding goes far deeper than simply knowing facts about something. When I turn the ignition key my car starts. Amen. I am personally a novice when it comes to auto mechanics, so I would have a hard time explaining why the car starts and keeps running with all the details and interactions of each part working together. I can start the car fine, but if it breaks in some way I am usually at a loss as to how to fix it, or even where to start. A seasoned auto mechanic however, with his understanding, can think through why it is breaking the way it is, and his perception will lead him where to begin looking to fix it. So, understanding is powerful. Understanding is not just being aware of something, but being able to dissect the key elements of it, perceive how they work, how each part interacts with each other and the world we live in, and also how to explain that to others.

I think understanding the Gospel is perhaps the most powerful thing in the world that we can come to grasp the nature of. So many areas of life are understood better when we master this message – personal salvation, strengthening relationships, being a good leader, evangelism, etc. For me and countless others, it was when we became aware of the true nature of the Gospel that we were born again. We found forgiveness of sins! Our eyes were opened to the true God and his expectations. Understanding why Jesus died, for me, was the key that unlocked eternal life. 

As a parent I cannot imagine what it would be like to try to train children without understanding the Gospel. The basis of house rules, sibling conflicts, conflict resolutions, etc. are all made plain and simple by the Gospel. “You should love and serve your sister because God became flesh to love and serve you.” “You should be patient, long-suffering, merciful and forgiving with your sisters, because God did all of that to you by sending his Son to die for your sins.” These and countless other examples could be given of how a good understanding of the Gospel can have an effective impact in our homes.

Another major reason to master this message of the gospel is in regards to evangelism. If you know the facts about the Gospel you can share the Gospel with anyone. Memorizing the Romans Road verses and repeating them to others is getting the Gospel to people. However, we have a formidable foe, one who has strategies and plans (2 Cor. 2:11), who has “blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:4) In order to effectively apply the Gospel to each individual’s current way of thinking, break down strongholds, and answer objections with clarity and simplicity – even unexpected, or unheard of ones – we must understand the Gospel. We must be able to perceive other people’s errors and misunderstandings about essential, foundational truths that are in opposition to who God truly is, what he has done, and what he expects from us. If you understand the Gospel, your eye will be keen on anything being said that is in opposition to it, which will all be inestimable to you when you’re trying to lead someone to Christ.  

My hope for this series of articles, for whoever reads them, would be for each person to move beyond the mere awareness of what Jesus did to grasping why he did it, and how we can apply that understanding to every area of life. May the Scriptures and reasoning presented be a true to help to you. Thank you for reading.