The Gospel Message in the Bible's Words, Part 1: The Bad News
Evangelism can be difficult. Sharing the gospel can be intimidating.
Downright frightening, if we’re honest.
After all, we don’t wanna make things awkward. We don’t be seen as “religious nuts” or “Jesus freaks.” On top of that, we don’t wanna say the wrong thing or sound stupid. We worry that we’ll get stumped by someone’s questions and be forced to say those dreaded words, “I don’t know.” And if you’re anything like me, you’re also afraid you might leave out a critical part of the story.
There have been times when I’ve glossed over the bad news because I was so anxious to bring my listener to the good news. Other times when I’ve so emphasized the cross that I forgot to mention the resurrection altogether. And still other times when I focus so much on the life to come that I fail to share all that the gospel has to say about this life.
Can anyone else relate?
The Project
In order to avoid finding ourselves in these scenarios, we work to prepare for gospel conversations. Many of us adopt a particular outline of the meta-narrative of Scripture, which guides our train of thought in the exchange (e.g., Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration). We also may have certain verses memorized in order to highlight key points of the message, such as John 3:16 and Romans 6:23.
Well, not too long ago, I got to the point where I wanted both the essential gospel elements and corresponding verses on paper in a narrative format. I wanted the story of the gospel to be told in a condensed manner, using nothing but the words of Scripture. So this became a personal project. Over a number of months, I assembled a wide array of verses from all over the Bible (like puzzle pieces) to build the gospel story. In the end, I wanted to have something I could share with others, a tool to sharpen believers and a story to tell unbelievers.
One final note: Everything below is verbatim from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
With that said, I now present the first of a two-part post, giving you the gospel message in the Bible’s words.
God (A Creator Revealed)
God is spirit (John 4:24). God is love (1 John 4:16). God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5). He is a holy God (Joshua 24:19), who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:15-16). The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6). The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28). God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases (Psalm 115:3). Declaring the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35).
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways (Romans 11:33)! For from him and through him and to him are all things (Romans 11:36). Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17).
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our LORD, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147:3-5). Even the hairs of your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:30).
To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).
Fall (A World Fractured)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them (Genesis 1:26-28). God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12). For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:21). They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). There is no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:18).
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment (Isaiah 64:6). None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. (Romans 3:10-11). All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way (Isaiah 53:6).
Law (A Standard Violated)
The law was given through Moses (John 1:17). The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good (Romans 7:12).
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20). If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet” (Romans 7:7).
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10). For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it (James 2:10).
None of you keeps the law (John 7:19). For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8).
Judgment (A Verdict Rendered)
God is a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11). The LORD is a God of justice (Isaiah 30:18), who will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7). God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury (Romans 2:8). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). He will render to each one according to his works (Romans 2:6).
Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God (1 Samuel 6:20), who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5)? No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).
(So that’s the bad news. All stand guilty before God and await judgment. Next up: the good news.)
