The Simplicity of the Gospel

My pastor recently began preaching through the book of Mark, and as we looked into the first chapter, I was once again reminded of the simple nature of Jesus’ message.

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

You may be aware that the word “Gospel” literally means, “good news.” To “believe the gospel,” then, is simply to believe the good news Jesus proclaimed: that He had come to pay for our sins.

Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, His message was clear: repent from sin and believe Him. John 3:16 gives us a deeper look at this:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The only criteria for salvation is to repent and believe. That’s it.  Nothing more is needed, nothing we do could ever erase our sin. Only the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God could justly pay for our sins, thereby enabling us to be forgiven. As Ephesians 2:8-9 explains,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The gospel is never about what we do: it’s about what Jesus has done on our behalf. We accept His payment for our sins by repenting and believing.

It’s that simple.