WHAT IS
THE GOSPEL?
The Gospel is the 'good news'
that God has shown the world
His love and mercy.
To explain the Gospel, we need to start with God.
POINT 1
WHO IS GOD?
God is the loving King
of the universe
who created everything
and rules over all.
If you're reading this, you might be skeptical about such a bold claim. That's understandable - we live in a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain. The idea of an all-powerful, loving God can seem hard to square with the suffering we see around us.
Yet consider this: behind everything is a God who is both completely in control and deeply loving. He didn't create the universe and then walk away - He actively rules over every detail with perfect wisdom and care. This isn't wishful thinking, but a conclusion many thoughtful people have reached when they seriously examine the evidence for design, purpose, and moral reality in our world.
As His creatures, we belong to Him completely. Just as a potter has rights over the clay, our Creator has authority over us. This isn't oppressive - it's actually the source of all meaning and purpose. We were made to know Him, serve Him, and find our deepest joy in relationship with Him.
But there's a problem that affects every
one of us.
We have all turned away from God and chosen to live our own way. The Bible calls this sin, and it's not just about breaking rules - it's about rejecting God's rightful place as King of our lives. We've made ourselves the centre of our own universe.
Here's why this is so serious: God is perfectly holy. This means He is completely pure, morally perfect, and cannot tolerate any sin whatsoever. His holiness isn't just one of His characteristics - it defines His very nature. When we sin, we don't just break rules or hurt others - we rebel against a perfectly holy God who cannot simply overlook our rebellion.
This rebellion separates us from our holy God forever. The gap between our sinfulness and God's perfect holiness cannot be bridged by our own efforts or good intentions. Without forgiveness, this separation leads to hell - eternal punishment away from God's presence.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
This is devastating news. But it's also the starting point for the most incredible rescue story ever told.
Further reading:
Book recommendation: "Knowing God" by J.I. Packer
scroll down for POINT 2
POINT 2
Christ
Died
for Us
If we're separated from God by our rebellion, how can this ever be fixed?
You might wonder why an ancient execution should matter to you today. It's a fair question. The answer reveals both the heart of God's character and the genius of His solution to humanity's deepest problem.
Greatest love
Because of His great love, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to solve our biggest problem. This wasn't Plan B when humanity went wrong - this was God's eternal plan of rescue, prepared before the world began.
Christ died for our sins, just as the Old Testament had promised He would. For centuries, God had been preparing His people for this moment through prophecies, sacrificial systems, and promises. This isn't mythology borrowed from other religions - it's the culmination of a unique historical tradition that anticipated this very event. When Jesus died on the cross, it wasn't a tragic accident or a good man being martyred - it was the Son of God deliberately taking the punishment that our rebellion deserved. Because God is perfectly holy, sin must be punished. But because God is also perfectly loving, He chose to take that punishment upon Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
He was buried, proving that He really died and our sins were completely dealt with.
The burial matters. It confirms that Jesus actually died - He wasn't just unconscious or wounded. But more than that, burial represents something being completely removed from sight. Our sin has been buried with Christ, taken away forever from God's sight.
Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
But if the story ended there, we'd still be hopeless...
Further reading:
Book recommendation: "The Cross of Christ" by John Stott
scroll down for POINT 3
POINT 3
He Was Raised
Death looked like it had won. But God had the final word.
God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, exactly as the Scriptures had promised. This wasn't resuscitation - this was resurrection to a new kind of life that death could never touch again.
The resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus' death as complete payment for our sins. If even one sin remained unpaid for, Jesus would have stayed dead. But because He rose, we know that every sin - past, present and future - has been dealt with completely.
Death
has no more
power over those
who trust in Him.
This changes everything. The thing that haunts every human life - the fear of death and what comes after - has been conquered. For those who trust in Jesus, death is no longer an enemy but a doorway to eternal life with God.
Many people saw Jesus alive after His death - over 500 witnesses!
This isn't mythology or wishful thinking. It's history. The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best-attested events in the ancient world. People don't die for what they know is a lie, yet the disciples went to their deaths proclaiming what they had seen with their own eyes.
1 Corinthians 15:4 "That he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
So what does that mean for you personally?
Further reading:
Book recommendation: "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus" by Gary Habermas
scroll down for POINT 4
POINT 4
What Does This Mean, for you?
God has dealt with all your sin through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Perhaps you're thinking this sounds too simple, or wondering whether this is just emotional manipulation. Those are legitimate concerns that deserve honest answers.
You... specifically
This is personal. It's not just that Jesus died for sin in general - He died for your specific rebellion against God. Every harsh word, every selfish choice, every time you've ignored God or hurt others - all of it was placed on Jesus when He died.
This is the only way to have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life.
In our culture, we like to think there are many paths to God. This claim challenges that assumption, and understandably so. But God Himself has told us there's only one way - through Jesus. This isn't narrow-minded prejudice; it's simply acknowledging what God has revealed. If there were any other way to deal with sin and death, would a loving God really have sent His Son to die?
You cannot earn it by being good or religious - it is God's free gift.
This cuts against everything our culture teaches about earning what we get. But salvation isn't a wage earned through good behaviour - it's a gift received through faith. All our good works are tainted by selfish motives. Only Jesus lived the perfect life we should have lived and died in our place the death we deserved to die.
You must believe this good news and trust in Jesus alone for forgiveness and salvation.
Believing isn't just intellectual agreement - it's personal trust. It's moving from trusting in yourself, your goodness, your religion, or your efforts to trusting completely in what Jesus has done for you.
Acts 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."
Are you ready to respond to this incredible news?
Further reading:
Book recommendation: "What is the Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert
scroll down for POINT 5
POINT 5
How Can i Respond?
The apostle Paul summarised it perfectly:
"I make known to you the gospel... by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I proclaimed to you."
(1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
The gospel isn't just information to understand - it's a lifeline to grab hold of. If you recognise that you've been living in rebellion against God, and you want to be forgiven and receive eternal life, you can respond right now through prayer.
A Prayer
You Could Say:
"Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing love in providing a way for me to know You. Thank You for sending Jesus to die in my place and rise again, dealing completely with my sin. I am grateful that what I could never do - bridge the gap between my sinfulness and Your holiness - You have done for me through Jesus. I receive this wonderful gift of forgiveness and eternal life, trusting in Jesus alone. Thank You that I can now be Your child and live in relationship with You forever. Please help me to live in gratitude for this incredible gift. Help me to trust You and live for You from now on. Amen."
'If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ' (Romans 10:9-10)
'And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.' (1 John 5:11-13)
CONTACT US
If you have a question...
If you have a question or would like to find a Bible-believing church near you, contact us through the form below.
Contact us
Who We Are
People With A Mission Ministries
People With A Mission Ministries (PWAMM) is a Christian organisation based in Perth, dedicated to the vision of “Taking God’s power and presence back to the communities of Scotland.” PWAMM is headquartered at the National Christian Outreach Centre, located on Riggs Road in Perth, Scotland.