When we present the Gospel we often focus on the message of salvation.
This make sense. After all – what we want people to know is how they can be saved from their sins an spend eternity with God.
It is this message that they are most likely to respond to because it is in their self-interest to do so. It may be what first attracted us to a relationship with Christ; we realized the depravity of our sin and the need we had for a Savior. Understanding how Christ’s death and resurrection provided our redemption is critical in coming to a place of repentance and faith.
And while the Gospel is clearly the anthem of salvation, the biblical Gospel also hearkens another tune. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:16-17 (ESV):
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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.
In other words – the Gospel is about salvation – true. But the Gospel also broadcasts God’s righteousness. His justice is on display, as is His mercy and grace. His love is proclaimed, as it is goodness, kindness, patience and peace. The truth of His Word is herald and His faithfulness is trumpeted. All of Who God is, is demonstrated most clearly to us through the fact that He sent His Son to die a death that He did not deserve so that His enemies might be called His kids.
The Gospel is about how God provided a way for us, but it is also gives us the most powerful expression of the God we are called to serve.
And when we tell the Good News to others we need to make sure both these things are made clear.