What is the true Gospel? Misunderstood or rejected by most of professing Christianity, the answer is in one respect simple and fundamental—yet, when more deeply explored, it is also richer and more profound than some may realize. This is precious knowledge that God expects faithful Christians to not only understand, but also be convicted of, be excited about, deeply appreciate, and be able to defend.
To the people God has called, this topic is hardly a new one, and it is also much bigger than what can be covered in one brief article. Yet this wonderful knowledge is not only fundamental to true Christianity; it should also be the Work that Jesus Christ’s followers are zealously involved in studying, praying about, and supporting every day of their lives. Speaking of His zeal to teach and preach the true Gospel, Jesus told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Prophesying that His faithful disciples would continue to labor in this great Work up to the end of the age, Jesus proclaimed that the “gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The end has not yet come, and that mission continues today.
The world rejects and ridicules the reality of this message, and even some of God’s people appreciate it only superficially or are not as excited about it as they should be. Some let the cares of this world distract them from this incredible calling. But as Mr. Richard Ames has written, “It is those individuals who have their heart in God’s Work in fulfilling the Great Commission, whom God will preserve from the Great Tribulation that Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:21–22” (“Is Your Heart in the ‘Work’?,” Tomorrow’s World, September-October 2015).
How much are our hearts in this great Work? How much is it our food? Jesus Christ was totally committed to this Work. How much are we convicted of the truth of the Gospel? How deeply do we understand and appreciate this precious knowledge? Jesus Christ perfectly understood the true Gospel and all its implications.
Taught from the Very Beginning
The true Gospel was proclaimed from the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. He was the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world and the Messiah who will establish an actual Kingdom of God on this earth. Upon its arrival, true Christians will attain immortality in God’s Family and Satan will be removed as the god of this age. This is what the Old Testament prophecies foretold (cf. Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6–7; Daniel 7:13–14), what John the Baptist preached, and what Jesus Christ taught from the very start of His ministry.
Notice that the New Testament records John the Baptist’s introduction of Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Immediately after His baptism, Jesus resisted Satan in the wilderness for 40 days (Mark 1:9–13), and immediately after overcoming Satan, Jesus returned to Galilee to begin His earthly ministry. And what is the first preserved message from Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry? Mark 1:14–15 records, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”
However, as we review in this article twelve truths about the Gospel, we will see that Satan has attacked this precious truth from the beginning. Consequently, most ignore, neglect, misunderstand, or simply reject this message—but this should not be so. Reminding us of how essential this precious knowledge is to each of us, the late Dr. Roderick C. Meredith proclaimed that “the most vital knowledge concerns this coming, world-ruling government. That is why Jesus Himself constantly preached this message” (“The Most Vital Knowledge of All!,” Tomorrow’s World, October–December, 1999). This is why, from 31 AD to today, not only has God’s faithful Church focused on preaching the true Gospel, but His ministers have also addressed the errors that many wrongly believe regarding the Gospel message. For example, in Tomorrow’s World telecasts and magazine articles, Mr. Gerald E. Weston has asked “Why Neglect the Gospel?” (TomorrowsWorld.org, January 8, 2020) and has warned that professing Christianity preaches a “different gospel” (“Live the Way!,” Tomorrow’s World, May–June, 2017).
The Greatest Hope, Based on the Greatest Love
But why the Gospel in the first place? The answer to that question reveals our first truth about the true Gospel: It reveals a plan based on God’s love.
God’s nature is one of love (1 John 4:8, 16), and He ever governs in love. While the decision of God the Father and the preincarnate Word that Jesus Christ would become the sacrifice for the sins of the world is the greatest demonstration of love, the true Gospel message is based on God’s nature of outgoing love. As John 3:16 reveals, God’s love is so great that His desire is that all will, one day, become members of His glorious family. To accomplish this plan, Jesus Christ has become “the firstborn from the dead” (Revelation 1:5; Colossians 1:15) and He will be “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). This is the glorious hope of faithful Christians—the promise that God is building a future, divine family. This plan and coming reality is based on His nature of unfathomably deep love. Peter said that “through these [great and precious promises] you may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
1 Corinthians 15:51–53, John 3:16, and many other passages make God’s purpose clear. Because of His nature of magnificent love, God’s desire is to make eternal life available to many through Jesus Christ His Son (John 10:27–29; 17:1–3). “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). Christ was the Lamb who came to take away sin from the world. True Christians who overcome, who repent of sin and practice righteousness—those who “do His commandments” (Revelation 22:14)—have that hope of salvation and immortality at His return.
Our first truth about the true Gospel is that because of the God Family’s love for us, Jesus makes “propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). And, as we will see, because of God’s nature of outgoing love, these precious promises are not only for those whom God has called now, but also for every person who has ever lived or will live!
A Literal Message
Probably the most familiar truth, our second truth, as summarized in the Living Church of God’s Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs, is simply that the true Gospel is the good news about the coming Kingdom of God and the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
This is not a “metaphor.” The Kingdom of God is not in our hearts or “located in man’s inner being,” as Origen, one of the most influential early “Christian” theologians, wrongly taught. This notion was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church and adopted by the general Protestant world, which believes that the Kingdom of God will be fulfilled by the spread of professing Christianity, despite all its competing sects and denominations.
The true Gospel, however, reveals something much more awesome than a feeling in our hearts or the wayward organizations of men. It points to that great, future event when Jesus Christ will literally return. At that time, His elect saints will rise to meet Him and be changed from corruptible flesh to incorruptible spirit (1 Corinthians 15:51–53; Revelation 20:6). The true Gospel proclaims the glorious return of Jesus Christ to literally establish the Kingdom of God on this earth (cf. Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:14–18).
This leads to our third truth, which is that the current “god of this age,” Satan the devil, hates this message. From the beginning, he has fought it, corrupted it, and blinded the world to it (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). As Dr. Douglas Winnail has written, “Contrary to what many believe and teach today, the true gospel proclaimed by Jesus and His Apostles was corrupted in the early centuries after Christ, replaced by a false gospel that today passes for ‘mainstream Christianity’” (“The True Gospel Proclaimed!,” Tomorrow’s World, May–June, 2011). How could this be? The Bible reveals that Satan is currently the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). While God is, of course, supreme, the Bible is very clear that the kingdoms of this world do not yet belong to Jesus Christ (cf. John 18:36). Satan hates this message that portends his removal from power, and he has fought and attacked it relentlessly. It is no wonder that Satan has always worked to corrupt the Gospel (Galatians 1:6), causing most of professing Christianity to ignore or reject it—but God’s true saints will understand, appreciate, and hold on to the truth of the true Gospel.
Our fourth truth is that this coming Kingdom will be a real kingdom. Any real kingdom contains four elements: a ruler, territory, laws, and subjects. Christ will be the Kingdom’s Ruler, the entire earth will be the Kingdom’s territory, God’s laws will be the Kingdom’s laws, and all of humanity will be the Kingdom’s subjects. We see these four elements detailed in many passages of the Bible. For example, Isaiah 2:2–3 refers to the government as “the mountain of the Lord’s house,” and the “nations” and “people” who go up to it to learn and to worship are the subjects. God’s law will go out from Jerusalem, and the God of Jacob will rule supreme. Additional passages such as Isaiah 11:6–9, 14:7; Amos 9:14–15; Micah 4; Zechariah 8:20–23; Malachi 4, and many others bring out these same four elements.
Acts 3:19–21 refers to the coming Kingdom of God as the “times of refreshing,” and Scripture makes it very clear that the resurrected saints will literally rule under Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 5:10, 20:4). Today, true saints are citizens of that Kingdom—subject to and conformed to God’s laws (Philippians 3:20)—but all humanity will eventually become subjects of God’s government at the Second Coming. At that time, as God’s Church has always understood, all peoples and nations of the earth will learn to live according to God’s laws and be ruled by the King of kings and the resurrected firstfruits—in a real, literal way.
During that future time, those physical people will not yet be members of the family of God, His divine spirit family, but all these people will then have the opportunity to learn and live by God’s law. As Mr. Richard Ames has written, “The subjects of the Kingdom will be the human beings who survive into the Millennium—living and learning in a world transformed!” (What Happens When You Die?, p. 31). The Kingdom of God will be a real kingdom. What a wonderful hope and promise!
A Message for All People
Our fifth truth is that it is only through Jesus Christ that we may receive salvation and eternal life. The true Gospel shows the way to immortality (2 Timothy 1:10). Salvation and eternal life come by no other, and “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12; 8:12).
That Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of this hope (Hebrews 5:9; 12:2) leads us to our sixth truth, which is that this is a message we can trust—because we can trust the Messenger (cf. Ephesians 1:13).
This then leads to our seventh truth, which is that we should not be ashamed of this message and this hope, because “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). In an ecumenical and agnostic world, it may not sound “politically correct” to say that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, but true Christianity has never been “politically correct.” As we know, the Apostles were often beaten for “preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:40–42) and some early New Testament Christians were even martyred for their belief in the true Gospel.
Our eighth truth is that while eternal life is a gift, the saints will be rewarded according to their works. The parable of the nobleman and the minas illustrates this (cf. Luke 19:11—27). As Mr. Weston summarized in the January–February 2020 Tomorrow’s World, “We are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8), but rewarded according to our works: ‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work’ (Revelation 22:12).”
This leads to our ninth truth, which is that the true Gospel is also a message of repentance. From the Old Testament prophecies warning the nations to repent (cf. Ezekiel 33), to John the Baptist’s proclamation (cf. Matthew 3:1–2), to Jesus’ message from His earliest ministry (Mark 1:14–15), this exciting “good news” proclamation has always included a strong call for individual, personal, and national repentance.
The need to repent of sin and faithfully turn to God has been and will continue to be proclaimed by God’s faithful Church until the end of this age and the return of the conquering Christ (Matthew 24:14). The message of repentance will climax when Christ returns as the King of kings, and will, “with [a sharp sword]... strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). God is loving, but He requires repentance from wickedness. He will correct in order to produce change. As Scripture says, godly correction produces godly sorrow, which produces repentance leading to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:9–10). This is God’s desire for us individually and eventually for the entire world.
Zeal for this precious knowledge, and a dedication to proclaiming this message of repentance and hope to the entire world, are characteristics of end-time Philadelphian Christians, who will strive to go through the “open door” that God has given them (Revelation 3:8). In biblical symbolism an “open door” is often synonymous with preaching the Gospel (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3). That Philadelphian Christians will be especially zealous to support the proclamation of the true Gospel is, then, our tenth truth. Jesus Christ identifies this persevering commitment as a distinguishing feature of a Philadelphian Christian in whom He is pleased and whom He will protect from “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).
Our eleventh truth is that this exciting message will be preached to the entire world before the end of this age, as we have already seen from Matthew 24:14 and elsewhere.
Again, other aspects could be given, but the twelfth truth in this list is that the true Gospel represents a plan for all people. This twelfth truth is a consequence of our first truth—that God’s nature and character is of immense love. God loved the whole world so much that He gave His only begotten Son—and for what purpose? God desires to give everlasting life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16), and there is no favoritism with God (Romans 2:11). Salvation will be available to all—regardless of nationality or ethnicity, all will become “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9).
Indeed, there is no room for racism or bigotry of any type in true Christianity. Scripture states that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him” (Romans 10:12). The great hope and promise of the true Gospel is available to all whom God calls, who follow and obey Jesus Christ, and who keep His commandments: “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
The Promise to Abide Forever
What is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? It is the only real hope for this world. It is the “food” and the “work” that true Christians will support with all their heart. It is the proclamation of Jesus Christ’s return and of a real Kingdom that He will establish as King of kings. It is the promise that His coming Kingdom will be without end (Isaiah 9:7). We can have faith and conviction that by His divine power, we have been given promises “that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
The Apostle John instructed that we should “not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17). This physical life and Satan’s world will pass away, but our faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of the true Gospel can be assured!