How to Know If You Are Hearing the Gospel

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Many messages and sermons are described as the "Gospel." We have heard of "Gospel churches," "full-Gospel meetings," and "Gospel preachers." It is thought that anybody that mentions Jesus and refers to the Bible must be "preaching the Gospel." But not everything that is called "Gospel" is really the "Gospel"! Some messages and speeches that are called the Gospel are not even close to accurately announcing the message of the Gospel.

So how can we tell if what we are hearing is the true Gospel? This is important for us to know because the Scripture tells us that when we hear the true Gospel, the power of God is being made available to us (Romans 1:16).

Here are several questions to ask in determining if what you are hearing taught or preached is really the Gospel:

1. Is the message declaring good news?
The very meaning of the Greek word for Gospel means "good news." The word was used to describe personal or political messages that would incite joy and relief. When a soldier came back from the battlefield with a triumphant message of victory, the message was called "the Gospel." When a herald was sent with a message of good news for the people, the message was called "the Gospel." The Gospel is the Good News that Christ has paid for the sins of the world and people are now reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice. This is Good News! This understanding would eliminate over 50% of the preaching and teaching that is done behind pulpits from being defined as "the Gospel." Much of what we hear the church declaring today is bad news! The Gospel is always good and never condemns and oppresses people.

2. Is the message declaring that something good has happened or that something good will one day happen?
Again, the Gospel is good news. Does news announce what has happened or what what will one day happen? Of course, news declares what has already transpired. News is important information that happened in the past. We can define it like this: a current announcement about events that have already taken place. So when you hear the Gospel, it is not a message of what God will one day do; the Gospel is the good news of what God has already done! The Gospel is not a message that God will one day heal, one day bless, one day prosper, and one day forgive. The Gospel is the message that these things are already done! In other words, the Gospel is not a prophecy; it is a proclamation.

3. Is the message focusing of the person of Christ?
Notice that Paul said he is not ashamed of the "gospel of Christ." Romans 10:17 tells us that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." A Gospel without Christ is no Gospel at all! The predominate theme of every message should be Christ. When we have a big vision of Christ we will not settle for the mediocrity of methods and the regiment of religion. The Gospel is the message of Christ.

4. Is the message focused on what the people should do or on what Christ has done?
So much of today's preaching and teaching puts the emphasis on telling people all that they should and should not do. While personal application is always necessary for an effective life, the message of the Gospel is not what people need to do, it is in what Christ has already done. Paul was very clear in the book of Galatians that their is no other Gospel but the Gospel of Grace. Legalism is never the Gospel. The Gospel of Grace is not a flashlight focusing on the blemishes and sins of an individual; the Gospel of Grace is a spotlight revealing the beauty and grace of Christ. When the Gospel is accurately presented, the reaction is not to look inward at your insufficeny but the reaction is to look outward at the sufficeny of Christ. If you go away from a teaching overly introspective and discouraged at your failures, you probably did not hear the Gospel. If you hear a message and it causes you to stand amazed at the sacrifice of Christ and the goodness of God, rest assured, you just heard the Gospel!