The gospel is glad tidings or good news; that makes a man’s heart leap for joy. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the totality of the message concerning what God has done for mankind in, through and by Jesus Christ. It is the tool that God uses to bring men to salvation.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek: For therein Is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the Just shall live by faith.” Rm1:16-17KJV
Tenets are teachings or principles that are believed to be true and that constitute an important part of a belief or idea. These are certain key elements, which are central to the gospel; they are not in any way promises but statements of hard truth declaring what God has already accomplished for us in Christ. They are truths that can be believed with confidence, principles that can be acted upon.
1. IT SPEAKS OF A KINGDOM THAT IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.
“They are not of the world, even, as I am not of this world” Jn 17: 16 KJV
Jesus said of His disciples, not just the twelve, but all who believe in Him [Jn 17:20]. He also said Pilate, “my kingdom is not of this world” [Jn 18:36] Why? There is a system set up on earth and Satan is the god of this world’s system [Luk 4:5-6; 2 Cor 4:3-4] and this system is destined to fail [1 Cor 2:6] because it is headed up by a failure. As believers, we are “in the world” but we are not “of this world” Though we live on planet earth, which is the Lords (Ps 24: 1) we do not walk according to the course of this world; we are not subject to the dictates of this world's system (Eph 2:2). We have been translated out of the domain and dominion of the god of this world [Col 1:13]. We are subjects of the kingdom of God, ambassadors for Christ, representatives of a kingdom that is not of this world [2 Cor 5:20]. God has called us to reign in this life as kings [Rom 5:17]. He expects us to super-impose kingdom conditions on the prevailing conditions in this world. I can live above sin, sickness, poverty, depravity, bad habits, etc because I belong to a kingdom that is not of this world. We are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world [Eph 2:19].
2. IT SPEAKS OF ETERNAL LIFE [DIVINE NATURE].
Christianity is not a religion, it is not a way of life, it is the life of God in a human vessel. It gives what religion cannot give - eternal life. Greek word - “Zoe”, is the very life of God. The same way we talk about human life, animal life, or plant life, this life is what makes God, the life that puts him in the God-class. It is a life that is indestructible, imperishable, and unconquerable; the very essence of divinity and this life starts up in you the day you are born again.
3. IT SPEAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2 Cor 5:21 KJV
4. IT SPEAKS OF THE REMISSION OF SINS AND OF FREEDOM FROM SIN.
It speaks of the remission of sins and not the forgiveness of sins. Remission is not the same thing as forgiveness, without remission there can be no forgiveness.
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” Heb 10:17-18 KJV
God is no longer angry with us. Jesus paid the price for our sins [1 Pet 2:24]. All we had to do was believe that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was for us.
5. IT SPEAKS OF DELIVERANCE.
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son:” Colossians 1:12,13 KJV
We have been delivered already, for we have been translated. The word“hath” is in past tense; that is to mean He has done it already. We do not need to be delivered again for He has done it once and for all. He brought us out to take us in - He delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear son, Jesus Christ. We are people of light; we live in that kingdom now.
6. IT SPEAKS OF DIVINE HEALING AND HEALTH.
“Beloved, I wish (desire) above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” 3 Jn 2 KJV
God wants us well. He wants us to be in the right state of mind and body all the time. The life of God is in us. John15:1-6 makes us to know that the very life that flows through Him flows through us. Health flows through our veins, every hour of every day. The Bible makes us to know that healing is the children’s bread, hence we can have something more than healing and that is health. Health is ours in the new birth.
7. IT SPEAKS OF PEACE “WITHIN” AND PEACE “WITHOUT.”
The gospel according to Romans 10:15 is a gospel of peace.
The Bible meaning of the word peace in both Hebrew and Greek is: to be well, happy, healthy, prosperous, restful, safe, whole, secure, quiet and set at one with God. This is the glorious and harmonious state of being which God created man to live in. Jesus Christ has become our peace [Col 1:19-22].
Because we have peace “within” we have peace “without”; we have peace with and consequently the peace of God [Jn 14:27]. This peace, the Bible says in Philippians 4:7 surpasses human understanding. In the midst of a turbulent world, it mounts a garrison around your heart.
8. IT SPEAKS OF PROSPERITY
“Behold, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth” 3 Jn 2 KJV
Jesus came that you might have life more abundantly; He came to make us rich [Isa 1:19 TLB]. Poverty is not of God; the Bible says that Jesus Christ became poor so that through His poverty, we might be made rich [2Cor 8:9].
This is God’s desire for man. David said: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” Psa 23:1KJV
Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “riches and wealth are the gift of God”. God’s people need to be rich; God’s Word is free but not cheap. It costs money to propagate the gospel [Deut. 8:18].
God desires that we enjoy an abundance of the best things in life [1 Tim. 6:17]. The blessings of God make you rich [Prov 10:22] and in Galatians 3:9 the Bible declares that we are blessed. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil [1 Jn. 3:8], which include sin, disease, poverty and every other evil that weakens, corrupts, and demoralizes humanity. Poverty is demeaning; it is not God’s will for us.
Philippians 4:19 says that God will supply our every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. All you have to do is believe this gospel and prosperity is credited to your account. What a life!