The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Truth, in which we have hope of eternal life in Heaven. So, what does this mean exactly? “Gospel” is simply a word found in the Bible that translates to “good news.” The “good news” of Jesus Christ can be narrowed down to ten points which establish His rule as the Saving King.

So, What Does This Mean for Us?

If we look into our Bibles, shortly after the creation of the universe, in Genesis 3:1-14, we read about the original sin of Adam and Eve. Because of this sin, we can read in Genesis 3:14-19 about the curse that was brought upon mankind, dooming us to pain, toil, death, and ultimately eternal punishment as we go further into scripture. Throughout the Old Testament, there are around 300 prophecies about the “Coming Messiah” who would deliver humankind from this curse.

In the New Testament, we can read the story of Jesus from several different accounts. Jesus is God in the Flesh, who lived a perfect sinless life, teaching about how God expects us to conduct our lives here on Earth until the day that Jesus will return. Jesus was ultimately killed brutally by the Romans and Jews by means of crucifixion. His blood that was shed on the cross that day ratified the New Covenant and established His church. This is the only way for us to receive the promise of salvation (John 14:6). Three days after Jesus’ death and burial, He resurrected from the grave, appeared to many witnesses, and ascended back into Heaven at the right hand of God, waiting for the day in which He will return to separate His faithful children from those who were unfaithful.

Another extremely important thing to note is that after Jesus was caught up to Heaven, the writing of the Word of God was not yet complete. The apostles were a group of Jesus’ disciples who were given the “Great Commission” from Jesus in Matthew 28 where it says

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirt, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The apostles were given divine inspiration through the Holy Spirit to pen the Words of God found in the New Testament. Obviously, this is important for us today, as this is the same New Testament where we are to read and learn how to live in a manner that is pleasing to God today.

What are God’s Commands?

Believe

Belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is the first step in obeying the commands of God after we hear of the gospel of Christ. The command to believe is given in John 8:24 where it says, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” In Romans 10:17 it says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” This is why it is so crucial that we believe first, because without belief, you cannot have faith, which requires action as a result of belief.

Repent

As stated above, faith requires action, resulting from belief. The beginning of this action is repentance. Repentance is to “Put off of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and putting on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness,” as is reiterated by Paul in Ephesians 4:22-23. Luke warns in Luke 13:3 that “…unless your repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Confess

We must also confess our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God before men. We find this command once in Matthew 10:32 where Jesus says “Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in Heaven.” We see again another example of this in Acts 8: 36-37 in the conversation between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” ³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Baptism

Baptism, by full immersion in water, is the point in which we are saved. Peter says in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This immersion in water is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We are putting to death our old self and being born with new life in Christ. Upon our baptism, we are now added to the church.

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:3-4

“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.”

1 Peter 3:21-22

Communion

Giving

Again, we see another command from God written by Paul in his first letter to the first century church at Corinth.

“Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

I Corinthians 16:1-2

The church is instructed to give a sum of their means on the first day of every week to be used for the work of the Lord’s Church. This is not to be a burden for the saints, but rather an opportunity to give back to God a portion of what we have prospered. II Corinthians 9:7 tells us “Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Singing

Singing with one another is a command that we are given multiple places in the Bible. Singing is one of the most intimate ways that we can connect with our brothers and sisters in worship of the Almighty God. Ephesians 5: 9 says “…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;” Colossians 3:16 tells us that we are to “teach and admonish” one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

What could be greater than to sing of the Goodness of God with your brothers and sisters in Christ? To sing praises to God in the assembly is a small foretaste of what we will experience when we reach our eternal home in Heaven.

Praying

We read in the Bible that we have the privilege to speak to God at any time through prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” In Mark 11:24 we read that Jesus says, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.” What great gift is it that we can speak with the Creator of All that Is at any time through the name of our advocate, Jesus Christ? The Word of God tells us that He hears our prayers and answers them too.

Becoming a “Living Sacrifice”

The list of commands above is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the commands of God that we are to follow, but they build the framework for the command that we are to “present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1) In all things that we do here in our earthly life, we are to do in service to God.

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:1-15