A systematic study of the acts of salvation
The peace of the Lord be with you and your household. We give thanks to the eternal and almighty God for another day of life that He grants us. Life comes from Him and in His Grace, He allows us to live according to His will. For this, we thank Him and appreciate the opportunity to gather together to expose ourselves to His Word.
Today we begin a series of teachings on the Gospel. What is the gospel? What does it consist of? There are basic reasons for studying it. The first is that God commands us to do so, establishing the teaching of the gospel as a divine mandate. The second reason is that in our time, unfortunately, a commercial gospel has been spread that facilitates access to the kingdom of God without explaining the responsibility we assume by coming to Jesus Christ.
When the Lord spoke to His disciples about the good news of the kingdom of heaven, He said: “If anyone comes to me and does not deny himself and take up his cross, he cannot be my disciple”. These words reveal that although entering into the gospel is by the grace of God, it is also a responsibility. Every man and woman who comes to Christ acquires the duty to be worthy of the work entrusted to him or her. We are called to freedom, but we must not confuse freedom with licentiousness. If someone comes to Christ without understanding this, he is walking in disorder, and that is why it is crucial to study the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.
The gospel is not man seeking God, but God coming to man. We did not take the initiative; He did. As the apostle Paul says: “Being dead in our trespasses and sins, He offered Himself”. This is not a God who satisfies personal whims or desires without our understanding why He chose us and established us in His kingdom. However, the message that has been propagated presents God as a resource for human interests, which is not what Scripture teaches.
Therefore, we begin this series with one purpose: to understand the benefit, authority, scope, and attributes of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. The Word of the Lord shows us that through the gospel, man is justified, reconciled, sanctified, and receives eternal life. These are gifts that many are unaware of, which makes this study essential. The first thing we need to determine is what the gospel is and what it consists of. The gospel is the doctrine of the salvation of man and woman, a simple but powerful message. It consists in the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, not in what God can do for us, but in His offer of salvation.
But the question is, saved from what? Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. This is the foundation of the gospel. We are not sinners because we sin, but because we are born with a sinful nature. All-those who were, are, and will be-have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Genesis 3 demonstrates this reality: Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden for disobedience, symbolizing the separation of man and woman from the divine presence. Romans 6:23 adds: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Sin brought a death sentence, not because God wanted to punish us, but because disobedience to His Word always leads to death”.
This condemnation weighs on everyone, regardless of their actions. It does not matter if someone has never fallen into vice or wickedness; because he was born under the sinful condition inherited from Adam and Eve, there is a sentence of spiritual death, a separation from God. The gospel is the answer: a message of salvation, forgiveness, and reconciliation. No one can approach God on his own, because sin has created a gulf. That is why the gospel is centered on Jesus Christ. Luke 19:10 declares, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”. What was lost? Mankind, condemned through sin. Christ came to save us from that death sentence.
In 1 Timothy 1:15 we read: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief”. Sinners are not only those who commit visible acts of evil; we are all sinners because we are born in sin. Many people think, “Why should I repent if I have done nothing wrong? But repentance is not only for actions, but for our sinful condition. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 51:5: “My mother conceived me in sin.” That is why John the Baptist and Jesus began their message by saying, “Repent and be converted, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Conversion is incomplete without repentance.
Titus 2:14 affirms that Christ “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify for Himself a people zealous for good works”. Iniquity is rebellion against God, and many, even within the church, live in opposition to His will, seeking their own interests and seeing God as a means to their ends. But Galatians 2:20 corrects us: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. The life of faith is not about our plans, but about fulfilling the purpose for which He has called us.
The kingdom of heaven requires responsibility. Matthew 11:12 says, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”. Entering requires commitment, not just accepting Jesus as a formula. Titus 2:14 calls us to turn from rebellion and live for the good works that God has ordained. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”. The gospel is centered on Jesus; any message that excludes Him is not the gospel. It is not a moral code or a psychological tool, but a transformation of our sinful nature into the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
Acts 4:12 affirms: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”. We are saved from sin and spiritual death only through Jesus on the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 says, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God“.
The cross is the foundation of the gospel: Jesus took our place and paid the condemnation we deserved. Through His blood we find forgiveness, justification, sanctification, and eternal life.
However, the crucifixion of Christ does not automatically save. We must approach the cross in repentance, recognizing our sinful condition and that He bore our guilt. Without this there is no salvation. Many in the church believe that it is enough to say, “I accept Jesus,” but if there is no repentance, they may be tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), appearing as faith without transformation.
The Gospel does not adapt itself to us; we submit to it. It is foolishness to the perishing, but power to the saved. God calls us to a life of power (dýnamis, like dynamite), but we attain it only by recognizing our salvation in the cross. It does not matter how many years we have been in the church; if we have not repented and come to Christ as sinners, we do not live that power.
Finally, we understand that the gospel is the word of the cross: Jesus took our place in order to reconcile us to God. Today he invites us to respond with repentance and faith, to live a Gospel of glory and power. The peace of the Lord be with you.
