The “Christian religion” preaches a false “gospel”, where it is all about what you must do. This is Bad News! We need the true Gospel, where it is all about what Jesus has done. This is the only Gospel that can set people free.

Many people around the world who embrace the “Christian religion” have never really heard the true Gospel. They have accepted a form of “Christianity” without ever understanding what the real Gospel is all about. They think that “Christianity” is just another religion with a different set of rules and they have substituted Christian “do’s and don’ts” for those of other religions.

the devil will make sure you know that your performance is never quite good enough

They believe that they must earn their way to God and at the same time do their best to gain and to hold on to the benefits of salvation. That’s not the true Gospel. That is certainly not Good News!

Depending on Own Performance?

Even accepting Jesus as your Saviour, with the belief that you are now going to abide by a certain set of rules, or exchange one set for another, is not the good news.  Why? Because it still depends upon your performance. It is still subject to you being able to meet some standard and keep the rules.  And I can guarantee you that the devil will make sure you know that your performance is never quite good enough. He is an expert at showing you how insufficient, incomplete and incompetent you are. He is the accuser of the brethren and He is very skilful at showing you how inadequate your performance is (Rev. 12:10).

Many people around the world who embrace the “Christian religion” have never really heard the true Gospel.

The truth that makes the Gospel the “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news” is that we are fully accepted by God through what Jesus did for us without any of our own merits. Salvation and the abundant life that Jesus came to give us are not dependent on our own performance. God’s wonderful blessings are not subject to how successfully we perform as Christians. Even answers to prayer are not relative to our goodness and flawlessness. The revelation of God’s amazing grace will deliver you from a performance mentality - it will deliver you from living a legalistic, stress- filled life.  God blesses and provides because of what Jesus has already accomplished on our behalf and not what you may accomplish!  Salvation is all about God’s faithfulness, not ours!  (Eph. 2:8-9)

The Book of Romans communicates that the Gospel in itself is the power of God. The Gospel is what produces the life of God in people. However, the word Gospel has become a religious term that has lost a lot of its meaning today. Many people associate “Gospel” with anything that has to do with religion; specifically the Christian religion.  But “Gospel” literally means “good news.”  The Greek word, euaggelion, which was translated “gospel” in seventy-four New Testament verses, actually means “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news.”

Much of today’s “Christian culture” associates the Gospel with these statements:  “You’re a sinner. If you don’t repent, you’re going to hell.”  Now, these are true statements. There is a heaven and a hell, a God, and a devil, and you will go to hell if you don’t repent and receive salvation. But even though all of that is true, it’s not “good news.”  It’s not “the Gospel.”

God doesn’t take the “good” people and save them - He takes the ungodly and justifies them

The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. That’s the only way this forgiveness of our sins can be obtained. Eternal life isn’t obtained through our holiness or good works. It’s only by God’s Grace, which is His active power, that we become righteous. It’s only by this powerful, active grace in our lives that we are changed inwardly. God doesn’t take the “good” people and save them - He takes the ungodly and justifies them (Rom. 4:5).

The “Anti-Gospel”

This causes many problems for religious people.  They say, “Wait a minute! I believe you must do this and that to be holy before God.”  Religion - false religion, man’s concepts - teaches that right standing with God and His blessings come as a result of our own goodness, merits and works. But that’s anti-Gospel!  It’s against the “good news” of God’s grace because it’s putting the burden of salvation and experiencing God’s goodness on your back - and you can’t bear it. Nobody can save themselves. Nobody can obtain blessings and favour by their own works. Nobody can approach God on the basis of how he has himself lived and performed.
That’s basically the false “gospel” that religion preaches today. At its core, it’s another “gospel” - which is no gospel at all (Gal. 1:7).  It is a polluted and corrupted gospel.  It’s all about what you must do. It is BAD NEWS and not GOOD NEWS!  (Gal. 1:6-7)

The Gospel isn’t only the belief in salvation, but it’s also the understanding of the means by which this salvation is obtained. “If you’ll act good and do good, then you’ll be accepted” isn’t the true Gospel.  Notice what Paul said while addressing the very first ministers’ conference at Ephesus:  “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Salvation

Even the word salvation is so often misunderstood. It is not unusual for Christians to believe that salvation is a one-time occurrence, an experience when your sins are forgiven.

Salvation is a package deal and it’s all accomplished by the grace of God, not our works.

That’s true, there is a moment when you pass from death to life, but that is not all that happens. It’s an incomplete definition.  Salvation isn’t limited to the initial born-again experience.

Salvation is everything Jesus purchased for us through the atonement.  Sozo, the Greek word from which “salvation” was translated, means much more than forgiveness of sin.  It also means healing, deliverance, peace and prosperity. It’s a word that summarizes everything that Jesus provided for us through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Salvation is a package deal and it’s all accomplished by the grace of God, not our works. However, Satan is always trying to deceive us. He wants us to believe we must earn things from God. Satan is the one causing us to doubt the Lord’s willingness to use His ability on our behalf. Unfortunately, the church is often reinforcing that belief.

“I am not ashamed to tell people about the goodness, grace, and mercy of God.”

Most people believe that God moves in their lives proportional to their performance.  They believe God blesses according to how we succeed with living a good Christian life. That was the error Paul was dealing with in the book of Romans. When Paul came along and said, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel!” he was saying, “I am not ashamed to tell people about the goodness, grace, and mercy of God.” The Lord loves us in spite of who we are and what we’ve done. Salvation has already been provided - healing and deliverance have been paid for.  They are ours to receive.  Now that’s “good news!”

The True Gospel

The true Gospel - “the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news” is that God has already provided everything that we shall ever need in Christ through His death and resurrection. The Good News is that we are already reconciled, redeemed and sanctified through Jesus’ once and forever sacrifice. It’s the Good News of God’s grace that empowers men to receive the forgiveness of their sins, the healing of their bodies, the deliverance from Satan’s oppression, and more. That’s the Gospel!

The Gospel is about what has already been accomplished once and forever.

Do you need to be healed? The power for healing is in the Gospel.
Do you need to be prospered financially? The power for financial prosperity is in the Gospel.
Do you feel you need more power to live a life of victory? The Gospel is the power of God.
Do you need to be delivered from the power of demonic influence, from depression, from yourself, or from something else? The power for deliverance is in the Gospel!
The Gospel is not about what God may do or about something that could possibly take place.
The Gospel is about what has already been accomplished once and forever.
This Gospel IS the power of God. (Rom. 1:16)  And it’s “nearly too good to be true.”