A brief outline of the good news of the Gospel in the Bible

The Gospel

The Gospel is the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and salvation through Jesus Christ.

The word Gospel means “Good News”, and tells of the hope of salvation from sin and death through Jesus Christ and of the coming Kingdom of God which he will establish on this earth (Acts 8:12; Mark 16:15–16)

The Bible

The Bible is the inspired word of God, which God caused men to write through his holy spirit power (2 Peter 1:19–21; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Hebrews 1:1–2)

The accurate fulfilment of Bible prophecy is sure proof that the Bible is God’s inspired word (Isaiah 46:9–10; Luke 24:25–27; Amos 3:7; Daniel 2:28)

God

There is one true God—the Father, and beside Him there is no other God (Ephesians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; Isaiah 45:5–6; John 17:3; Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29–32)

God is eternal and is the source of immortality (Psalm 90:1–2; 1 Timothy 6:14–16; 1:17)

God is a God of love, mercy, truth, justice and holiness (Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 103; 1 John 4:8–10; 1 Peter 1:14–16)

God’s Purpose

God created the heaven and the earth, and all creatures and mankind upon it (Genesis 1:1–2, 2:7; Isaiah 45:18; Acts 17:24; Mark 10:6)

God created man and woman for the purpose of being like him (Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 11:7)

God’s purpose in creation is to ultimately fill the earth with His glory. (Numbers 14:21; Habakkuk 2:14; Isaiah 45:18; 1 Corinthians 15:28)

God’s Spirit

God’s power by which He performs His will is called his spirit, or the holy spirit when it is given to people for specific purposes (Psalm 104:30; Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalm 139:7–12)

It was by this holy spirit power that God caused both the Bible to be written and Jesus to be born (2 Peter 1:20–21; Luke 1:35)

Mankind

Adam was made from the dust of the ground by the power of God (Genesis 2:7; Job 34:14–15; Psalm 103:14)

The first woman, Eve, was created out of man by God as a companion for him (Genesis 2:18–23; Matthew 19:4–5)

Adam and Eve were created in a “very good” condition which was neither mortal nor immortal and not subject to disease and death. Their moral disposition was “very good” and upright with no bias or tendency to sin (Genesis 1:31, Ecclesiastes 7:29)

In the union of Adam and Eve God laid the foundation principles for Marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:3–9; Ephesians 5:22–33)

Sin and Death

God placed Adam under a law. Disobedience to it would be punished with death (Genesis 2:16–17; Romans 6:23)

Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s law, so God sentenced them to die, to return to the ground from which Adam was made. Thus Adam and Eve were changed from the very good” physical state they had been created in to become a mortal dying creature subject to sin, decay, disease and death. (Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22)

As a consequence of their sin, Adam and Eve were no longer “very good” morally and instead of the upright disposition to obey that God were created them with, they now had an internal bias and tendency to sin that did not originate from God (Romans 7:15-25; 1 John 2:15-16; James 1:13-15; Mark 7: 20-23)

All of mankind have inherited mortality with its bias and tendency to sin from Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12)

Death is a complete cessation of existence—there is no consciousness in death. The dead cannot think, praise God, or remember Him (Psalm 115:17; 6:5; 146:3–4; Ecclesiastes 9:5–6; Isaiah 38:18–19)

Sin is transgression of God’s will (1 John 3:4; Psalm 51:4). All men have sinned (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:9–10)

Man is tempted to sin by the lusts or evil desires that originate in his heart from the bias to sin in mortal human nature (James 1:14–15; 1 John 2:15–17; Mark 7:20–23; Ephesians 4:22; Romans 7:15–20; Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9–10)

God, in His wisdom, set forth a plan whereby man’s sins might be forgiven, and have hope of eternal life. This plan involved the sacrifice and raising up of Jesus Christ who was both “Son of God” and “son of man”.

God’s Promises

When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that He would raise up the “seed of the woman” who would overcome sin and provide a way of salvation. That promised seed is Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15; Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4; Matthew 1:21)

God promised Abraham that his seed or descendant would inherit the land forever and through him all nations would be blessed with salvation. That seed is Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:1–3; 13:14–17; 22:18; Galatians 3:7–8, 16, 26–29; Luke 13:28)

God promised David that he would have a seed or descendant who would also be the Son of God and be the saviour of mankind. This promised seed is Jesus Christ who will return to earth to sit on David’s throne and rule over the Kingdom of God forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Luke 1:31–33; Acts 13:22–23; Revelation 5:5; 22:16; Jeremiah 23:5–6)

The promise of the birth and work of Jesus Christ was foretold in other places in the Bible—for example to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18–19; see Acts 3:22–26); and to Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14; see Matthew 1:21–23)

Jesus Christ

According to these promises, at the appointed time God sent His angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she would conceive a Son by God’s Holy Spirit power who would be called Jesus. He would also be the Son of God (Luke 1:30–35)

Though Jesus Christ was begotten by God’s holy spirit power, he was a mortal man with the same mortal flesh and blood nature as Mary his mother (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 2:22; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:21)

As Son of God he was strengthened in an understanding of God’s ways and in his life of perfect righteousness and obedience revealed his Father’s character for all men to follow (Isaiah 11:1–4; 50:4; John 1:14; 12:49–50; 14:9; 17:6)

Because he was of our mortal human nature he was tempted in all points like other men—yet he never sinned but always did the will of God (Hebrews 4:15; 2:18; James 1:14; 1 Peter 2:22–23; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 16:22–23)

The Sacrifice and Resurrection of Christ

In his great love for us, God sent Jesus to be a sacrifice that through him all who believe can be saved and given eternal life (John 3:16-17)

The sacrifice of Jesus did not pay a debt. His crucifixion served as a public demonstration of the principles of God’s righteousness and the condemnation of sin at its very source, in mortal human nature. We can have faith in and identify with Jesus in his sacrifice (John 3:14-17, Romans 3:21-26)

In his crucifixion, that mortal nature with its bias to sin which Jesus had in common with all mankind, was condemned and destroyed (Hebrews 2:14; Philippians 2:8–9; Romans 8:3)

If we have faith in the principles demonstrated in Christ’s life and sacrifice, God can be right in extending grace to forgive our sins and give us eternal life without compromising his justice in imposing death as the consequence of sin (Romans 3:21-26, 1 John 1:6-10)

Christ was our representative in that he himself was saved through his sacrifice in order to open the way of salvation for us. Jesus did not need forgiveness but he did need deliverance from mortality. Through his sacrifice he obtained eternal redemption for himself and for those who believe and identify with him in faith (Hebrews 9:12, 13:20; 5:7)

Because of his life of perfect faith and obedience, God was right and just to redeem Jesus and raise him from the dead and give him immortality (Acts 2:24; Romans 5:15, 19; Romans 6:9)

Through Adam came sin and its consequence of death. Through the perfect faith and obedience of Jesus Christ, even unto his death on the cross, came resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:21–22)

After his resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven and is now at his Father’s right hand (Acts 1:10–11; Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:32–35)

Jesus Christ will return to earth to set up God’s Kingdom (Acts 1:10–11; Revelation 11:15)

Baptism and Discipleship

Mankind is mortal and does not have an immortal soul. The only hope for mankind is resurrection from the dead at the return of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:21–23; John 5:28–29; 11:24; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:14–18)

Salvation from sin and death is only offered to those who understand the Gospel, believe it, repent and are baptised into Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15–16)

God saves us from sin and death by faith through his grace. We cannot earn salvation by works but genuine faith is demonstrated by living the principles of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection in a transformed life (Ephesians 2:8; James 2:17-18, Romans 12:1-2)

Baptism is for the remission or forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16)

Baptism is performed by complete immersion in water (Acts 8:38–39; 10:47; John 3:23)

Baptism is a symbolic act whereby we identify in faith with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3–6)

After baptism, the disciple walks in a new way of life following the example of Christ (Romans 6:4–6; Ephesians 4:22–24)

After baptism a disciple has access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins they may commit (1 John 2:1; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14–16)

The Kingdom of God

The nation of Israel were the Kingdom of God in the past but it was taken away from them because of their lack of faith. However, they have remained God’s witnesses and will have a part in the future Kingdom of God (Ezekiel 21:27; Matthew 21:43; Isaiah 43:12; Jeremiah 33:25–26; Acts 1:6–7; 3:21; Ezekiel 36:22–29; Matthew 19:28)

Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return to the earth to establish this Kingdom (Acts 1:10–11; 1Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; Revelation 22:12)

When Jesus Christ returns he will first raise from the dead those who have known God’s ways. They will be gathered together for judgment, along with the living who have known the Gospel (1Corinthians 15:21–23; Daniel 12:1–3; John 5:28–29; 11:24; 2 Timothy 4:1; Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)

The faithful will be rewarded with immortality and the disobedient will be rejected (1 Corinthians 15:52–54; Daniel 12:2–3; Luke 20:35–36; Matthew 25:21,30)

The faithful will inherit a place in the Kingdom of God and assist in its organisation under Jesus Christ as King (Matthew 25:34; Luke 19:17; Revelation 5:10)

The Kingdom will be set up on earth, replacing all existing kingdoms and forms of rulership (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:10; Revelation 11:15)

The capital of the Kingdom will be Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ will reign as King (Jeremiah 3:17; Isaiah 2:2–4; Zechariah 14:16–17; Matthew 5:35; Zechariah 14:9)

When Jesus Christ returns to Jerusalem the Jews now in the land will acknowledge him as their Messiah and King (Zechariah 12:10; 13:6; Matthew 23:39)

The remaining scattered Jews will be regathered into the Land that God promised to Abraham and they too will acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah (Jeremiah 30:10–11; 31:10; 31:31–34; Zechariah 8:7–8; Romans 11:25–27)

God’s Kingdom will last for 1000 years, bringing peace, security and happiness to all people through the righteous rule of Jesus Christ and his faithful followers (Isaiah 32:1,17; 35:10; Psalm 72; Revelation 20:4–6)

At the conclusion of the 1000 year reign of Christ there will be the resurrection of those who have died during the kingdom period, and then the final judgment (Revelation 20:12–15).

Then sin and death will have been completely removed from the earth (Revelation 21:1–5; 1 Corinthians 15:23–28)

God’s purpose in creation will then be realised. Only those who have received immortality will inhabit the earth. God will be “all in all” and the earth will be filled with His glory (Numbers 14:21; Habakkuk 2:14).