Just like any other culture, there can often be a word that is comfortably used by those within it and no one else understands. The gospel is a word that means so many things to Christians, but the average person in your community would not have any idea what you are saying. That is why the acronym GOSPEL is a great way to help explain what the gospel means.
G – God created us to be with Him.
God’s mission always has and will always be for us to be with Him. He wants a relationship and desires nothing more than for us to be with Him. Therefore, in John 3:16, we are told of the sacrifice He made. The reason why that sacrifice was necessary is because…
O – Our sins separated us from God.
Sin is the vast cavern that separates us from God. The wrongdoings of humanity started in the Garden of Eden when we disobeyed God for the first time and we have never been able to do anything about it since. Although we may want to believe we can, the only thing that can separate us from sin is the love of God and Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that love. Jesus dying on the cross created a bridge that we can use to return to God.
S – Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
The only way sin could be removed is with a pure sacrifice and that was done by Jesus Christ. People can do good things for selfish or even bad reasons. Good people mess up all the time. This is why we need someone that is perfect to not only be an example, but also take on the heavy load of our faults and that person is Jesus Christ.
P – Paying the price for sin. Jesus died and rose again.
The sacrifice God made in John 3:16 was to pay the price for sin. His son, Jesus Christ, died and rose again to be the bridge that covers all sin so that we can have a relationship with God forever.
E – Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone has eternal life.
If you trust in Him, you too can have a relationship with God that will give you eternal life.
L – Life eternal means we will be with Jesus forever.
This life is one that is designed through the love of God and shared with others so they too can learn about the gospel and receive Jesus as their Savior.
This acronym is an easy and quick way to explain the gospel to people and a great reminder of God’s message of love.