The gospel of God may be defined as the salvation plan of God for all mankind who believe in the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Son of God. God’s salvation plan of salvation offers to all mankind was revealed to us by Jesus Christ the Son of God salvation for the salvation of man from the power of sin and death, through faith in the sacrificial offering of his Son Jesus Christ.

The gospel of God in Christ is the good news of divine forgiveness and eternal life offered to those who confess and repent of their sins, and who believed in the name of Jesus Christ. The grace of salvation is exclusively tied to the personality of Jesus Christ the Son of God who is the mediator of the covenant. He was the Lamb of God. He was the atonement for the sins of all mankind. We receive all the benefits that God offers to us in the gospel through Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17

The gospel message is encapsulated in the verses of the above scripture in the gospel of John which begins with the revelation of God’s enduring love for mankind. The offering of his Son as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of whosoever believes in Him and the offer of eternal life to them. This gospel also exempts its recipient from eternal judicial condemnation.

From the holy scripture we know that God is the author of the gospel, the truth and the power of the gospel are exclusive to Him. The saving power of the gospel comes from God alone and its authority rests on Him alone. The gospel was not a cleverly crafted doctrine of religious or pious men, but it is indeed the power of God that removes the guilt of sin, breaks the dominion of sin in the soul of man, and infused the soul of men with eternal life that is in Christ Jesus, bringing about a conscious spiritual awareness of the reality of God and a shift towards righteous inclination.

What Does the Gospel Address?
The gospel of God convicts the world of sin, and righteousness and reveals the judgement to come. The gospel calls men and women to repent from their sins and receive the forgiveness that is offered through Christ Jesus, the lamb of God. The central focus of the gospel revolves around God’s solution to the plague called SIN that is ravaging the world of mankind. The question we need to reflect upon is What is Sin?

What is Sin?
Sin is the subtle power that incites rebellion against the authority and the rulership of God in our souls. Sin within resists willing submission to the divine commandments. The power that resists our best effort to live a life that is pleasing to both God. Where does this evil power come from? The spiritual gene of sin was implanted in all the descendants of Adam after the fall in the Garden of Eden due to the violation of the commandments of God incited by the Serpent. A close analysis of the ultimate intention of the Serpent in the Garden was an offer of independence from God. He said, and “You will be like God knowing good and evil”. The fatal spiritual consequences of Adam’s decision to his posterity are the mutation in the spiritual gene of a man with the engrafting of the gene of rebellion against God. Secondly, the light of God was withdrawn from mankind, leaving us blind to the perception and awareness of God’s presence. Thirdly, the life of hardship, suffering and restlessness of the soul began. We lost fellowship with God and the peace that was integral to our creation. We lost the innate power of righteousness that we were created with from the beginning, leaving us with remnants of residual goodness, and we are in a perpetual struggle with sin, which is seeking to engulf us. These are what the gospel (good news) of God was designed to restore to mankind through the gospel of Christ Jesus.

“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt.
There is none who does good, No, not one”.
Psalms 14:2-3

5 Then [c]the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent[d] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil [e]continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry,
that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6:5-6

The prophets and apostles in the scriptures lamented the spiritual condition of the human heart as grossly deceitful and wicked. Paul the Apostles after close examination of his own soul declared.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Romans 7:18-24 NKJV

Although some may challenge the notion of human sinfulness and consider themselves good. A careful analysis of human goodness reveals it is used in relative terms, to compare the moral qualities of one person to another. By human standards, we may consider a person to be very good, or we may commend ourselves as a good person in comparison to the baser conduct of some other men and women. However, it’s a completely different story altogether when we place ourselves on the scales of divine moral standards, wherein we all fall short of divine expectations. The darkness within our soul compared to others may be of a lighter shade, for which we commend ourselves, a condition which is theologically referred to as self-righteousness.

The Tragedies of Sin
Some may have a romantic, naïve, and idealistic view of human goodness, but a careful study of human history reveals the havoc, utter destruction and unimaginable evil that SIN had wrecked upon mankind, which is ongoing even today. The hidden evil that lurks in the dark recess of every human heart irrespective of race and tribe, waiting for a conducive opportunity to execute is called sin. All the historical tragedies of war, repression, sexual immorality and perversion, bankruptcies, slavery, genocide, drug trafficking, racism, divorce, kidnapping, terrorism, murder, physical and psychological abuse, fraud, addictions, human trafficking, violence, and imperial colonisation are the hallmarks of the destructive power of sin.

Even today governments and men of influence are instigating active rebellion against the commandments of God, invariable they are saying listen, God, we shall not abide by your commandments and rules, we shall make laws for ourselves after our own desires and pleasure. Behind all these is Satan the adversary and master deceiver, who is seeking to subvert the good plan of God by perverting and destroying the image of God in man and pulling down every institution that God had put in place for our good, through captive minds whom he has recruited for that purpose. Just like he did for Adam and Eve, he is offering the world the same destructive doctrine of freedom and Independence from God, for men to indulge in forbidden pleasures and practises to the ruin of their souls.

The Law and Sin
The divine laws were given as a moral compass to guide the heart of man towards righteousness and to restrain the evil inclinations in the heart of mankind to perpetrate wickedness towards his fellow man, to protect and maintain peace in the society, and to deter criminality through penalties such as fines, imprisonment, executions upon conviction. The law does not and cannot extricate the corruption in the soul of man, it merely restrains it. The rebellious heart of man has devised means of circumventing the law, through subterfuge, concealment, manipulations, usurpation of the law, above-the-law syndrome, desecration of the law, tyranny, autocracy, and dictatorship. Even the religious fall short of obedience to the law through hypocrisy. Before the celestial court, we all stand guilty for none is perfect enough to comply with all its terms. However, the law has been of great blessing despite the imperfection of men, we are able to live a relatively peaceful life, pursue our dreams, make investments, and enjoy our life and peace through the securities and peace offered by law enforcement. The law cannot redeem the soul of man from corruption.

The Bad News
In light of these realities and much more, we all stand guilty and condemned before the court of heaven. The bad news is the fate that awaits unrepentant men and women that rejects the free offer of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life that the gospel of God offers. The scripture reveals the tragic end of all people who indulged in sin and wickedness. May we be counted worthy to be citizens of the new heaven and the new earth.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small, and great, standing before [c]God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second [d]death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:11-15

Reconciliation with God
The power of the gospel of God (word) pulls down every wall of self-righteousness and penetrates deep into the hidden recess of the heart and soul, bone and marrow where darkness resides to bring man willingly into the presence of the light of God for conviction and regeneration of the heart. This is what is referred to as a being born again or Spiritual rebirth. The word of God tears down our fig leaves, façade of self-righteousness and pretensions to uprightness and goodness. We come to the awful realization that we stand guilty before God despite all our outward professions to the contrary. The gospel of God brings us to the place of repentance, divine forgiveness, healing, empowerment, and restoration of God’s favour through Christ Jesus. The scriptures in Ezekiel 33:11 declared that God has no pleasure in the death of a wicked man or woman, but that they repent and live.

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-

The Miracle of the Gospel
It is only in the gospel that God has committed the power of the Holy Spirit to effect the spiritual rebirth of the human soul. It is in the message of the gospel that God has committed the resources of heaven to effect human redemption. The gospel message empowered by the Spirit of God brings about the inner conviction of sin, keen awareness of divine judgement and the implantation of the life of God. The gospel message brings a spontaneous revelatory conviction of personal guilt and unworthiness before God, and repentance triggered by hearing the Word of God and awareness of divine judgement for every evil works that we have done, coupled simultaneously with the free offer of unconditional forgiveness through faith in Christ Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes to the Jews first then to the Gentiles”.
Romans 1:14-16

The power of God in the gospel has transformed the lives of millions of people all over the world, making our hearts receptive to God and his word. The gospel has transformed and lifted people from the sewage of moral corruption into willing followers on the path of righteousness. The fruit of repentance is evident in positive moral lifestyles. Men and women, whose lives have been touched by the gospel have rendered services to the community, building schools, orphanages, hospitals, industries, and many more to develop society. These men and women have also given us inspired hymns and songs to worship God, they have expounded the scriptures to us through myriads of books that they have written. Harvard University, Princeton University, Rutgers University and Colombia University, were established by men whose souls were transformed by the light of the gospel. Several mission schools offering free education to boys and girls in poor nations were established by missionaries.

The earth is a gift of God to mankind, and He has apportioned it according to His will. The Psalmist in the 24th chapter declared that the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Everyone one of us is given a lease of life on Earth by God, to enjoy its bounties, take good care of the Earth and subdue it with wisdom, for the betterment of mankind. No matter how powerful, rich, or intelligent you may be, your lease will irrevocably expire one day, and you will be summoned before the court of heaven to give an account of your pilgrimage on earth. Our supporters, instigators, sycophants, and partners in rebellion shall not be around to defend us on the day of judgement. In truth, no man can judge us, for we all come under the same condemnation except we repent of our sins and accept the grace of salvation which is in Christ Jesus as declared in the gospel.

WHICH STATION ARE YOU GETTING OFF AFTER THIS LIFE
HEAVEN OR HELL

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of divine forgiveness and salvation that you offered us through the gospel of Jesus Christ. O Lord, in many ways I have offended and despised your words. Many times, I don’t even want to hear your name mentioned around me. I have heard that you truly love me and want to help me. Please forgive all the bad stuff that I have done in the name of Jesus. Cleanse me, wash me, and renew a right spirit within me, empower me to live right according to your word in the name of Jesus Christ I pray (amen)