Today’s article will be continuing our two-part Gospel series that began last week. To read the previous installment on this topic, click here.
Upon understanding the definition of the Gospel and its centrality to our faith, a new doorway of questions is opened up to us, namely these: what is the human response to the Gospel and what are its effects on our lives? After all, if it is such a pivotal part of what we believe (and indeed, it is the foundation of everything we believe), then should it not do great things in our day-to-day lives as believers striving to honor God? Yes, it should, and yes, it absolutely does.
Let’s investigate.
Human Response to the Gospel
An individual, upon receiving the Gospel message, may respond to it either positively or negatively. This means they may either receive it with open arms and joy for the wonderful gift they are about to receive, or they may harden their hearts and choose to reject it. The following paragraphs highlight these responses.
Rejection
God does not instill the Gospel with an irresistible power that overrides the free will of the individual and leaves them with no choice but to accept it. He is, of course, at work in their life behind the scenes, preparing them with the option to respond to the Gospel positively, but ultimately they must choose whether they accept or reject it by their volition.
There is no one reason a person might reject the Gospel, but every reason stems from the hard-hearted idea that they are self-sufficient on their own, in no need of forgiveness or a relationship with God. One person might reject it because they find the story too far-fetched. Another might reject it because it threatens their current lifestyle, and that makes them incredibly uncomfortable. Others might because they choose not to care, content to keep their life where it is without adding in something as life-changing and groundbreaking as Jesus Christ.
The point to remember here is that our response to the Gospel is our choice. In the end, believing it or rejecting it is up to us. God has given us free will. We can choose relationship and abundance with Him—or we can choose a life (and eternity) without him.
Acceptance
While accepting or rejecting the Gospel message is our choice, it is impossible to accept it without the prevenient grace of the Holy Spirit, which, as stated in Anthony’s article on the topic, “is a grace that prepares the soul to effectively hear the Gospel by lessening their spiritual blindness and strengthening their will to knowingly accept or reject revealed truth.”
“No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:44
In other words, it is God who makes us aware of our sin, our need for a savior, and the redemption we may find in Jesus Christ. Without him, we would all die a slow, agonizing spiritual death here on earth and then suffer an eternal one in the next life.
Should a person, through the miracle of prevenient grace, accept the Gospel, then there are a few things that would go on before and during their initial response.
Read the words of Christ:
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Mark 7:20-23
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
John 8:34
The first part of this individual’s response would likely be one of conviction. They would begin to understand just how far down the black depths of their sin go. They would realize they have fallen utterly short of a holy and just God; because of their wickedness, they have disobeyed them, and in so doing they have separated themselves from him. The Gospel would convict them by bringing them to knowledge of their fallen state apart from Jesus.
The second part of their response takes form in a desire for the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the subsequent relationship with God that opens up to them. They see their life now, and as they read about the life of Christ and the purpose/meaning he offers, they see what their life could be. And they want it. This desire culminates in them placing their faith in Christ and beginning a life of following Jesus—something that is entirely their choice, but impossible to do without the work of the Holy Spirit.
Effects of the Gospel
The Gospel message is the lifeblood of our faith. It completely and miraculously transforms the life of the believer in many wonderful and tangible ways. We will start with the most obvious, but nonetheless pivotally important, of these.
Salvation
After hearing the Gospel message and accepting the gift Jesus Christ gave us on the cross, we receive the indescribably and monumentally joy-filling gift of salvation. We are saved from our sins—saved from an eternity separated from God. We are provided with the peace that passes understanding as Jesus lifts the burden of our sin-stained life from our shoulders.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
This newfound peace and joy changes the way we perceive the world, causing us to cast off our old senses of hopelessness and despair in exchange for life-sustaining purpose and hope.
It Shifts our Morality
Along with the Gospel’s life-sustaining purpose and hope comes a lifelong shift in our conduct and our thoughts. You may have heard of the regeneration and sanctification of the Holy Spirit before. Regeneration happens the instant the believer accepts the Gospel message and places their faith in Christ; in that moment, they become a new creation of God. Sanctification is then the gradual process in which their behavior becomes more and more aligned with the will of God.
We would also do well not to forget the part the Gospel plays in shaping the believer’s shift to a more God-honoring set of values and behaviors, for within the pages of the four Gospels are God’s instructions on how to live rightly.
It is from the Gospel we learn that we must always, without exception, put God first and honor him with every action we do—every thought on which we dwell…every breath we take.
And he [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.“
Matthew 22:37-38
It is the Gospel encouraging us to treat our neighbors with the love of Christ:
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Mark 12:31
It instructs us not to lust after worldly treasures:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
It tells us to lower ourselves to servant status so that God’s Kingdom may be spread:
And he [Jesus] sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 9:35
It commands us to leave the judgement of others to God, for we are fallen, sinful creatures unworthy of judging without hypocrisy:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Matthew 7:1-2
These are just a handful of many, many life instructions found in the Gospel. The most amazing part is: the believer, as they progress in their faith, desires more and more to act the way Jesus instructs them to. More and more as God’s love fills them and they continue to follow Christ, they desire to model Jesus—to be as much like him as a human being can be.
Why is this? It’s because the Gospel has yet another powerful effect in the life of the believer.
Joy and Meaning from Mission
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something we passively receive. It is something we actively live out every day as the Church. At the end of Matthew, Jesus gives us all an important mission.
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
What you have just read is the life-goal of every Christian, new or old. We must go out and make disciples, growing the Kingdom of God so that as many may enter into eternal community with him as possible.
This great commission gives new purpose and meaning in the life of the believer. It is the lens through which they see the world, so much so that it affects something as mundane as their vocational life. In the past, they may have worked as a carpenter, but now they work as a carpenter for the glory of God! Others, upon seeing their diligent and cheerful work, will perhaps be drawn to them, opening up avenues for discipling relationships. In this same way, a Christ-following college English major may study to the glory of God, showing others there is something different about them and entering into potential discipling relationships as a result. The Gospel, when applied correctly, positively changes every aspect of our life so that it is oriented towards honoring the Lord with all our hearts.
Winding Down…
If you are to take anything away from this two-week study of the Gospel, I hope it is this: the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of everything we do as Christians. We receive from it the hope of salvation, instructions on how to live, and our purpose here on this earth.
There is a reason it has transformed countless lives throughout thousands of years. There is a reason it skyrocketed the Church across the globe two thousand years ago. The Gospel has power. And significance. And hope beyond measure.
Let it transform your life.
Story of Grace 