The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the core and foundation of true Christianity. The finished work of Christ on the cross is heralded as the objective, all-sufficient, and efficacious basis for salvation, accomplished solely by God’s initiative and power, with no contingencies or human requirements. It is clear that the Gospeller believes to their very roots that Jesus died for our sins, and it worked: and this is their principal interest and obsession. There is no hint of a “but” or an “and” added to the message, but wonder, joy, and awe at how God in Christ Jesus is reconciling all things to himself, not counting our sins against us. Therefore,
Salvation by sheer grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is upheld and defended against any works-righteousness or human earning. Any hint of human performance, persuasion, or meeting conditions as a basis for being accepted by God is militantly rejected as a false gospel that insults Christ’s accomplishments. Rather than being cautious or defensive about the possibility that an over-emphasized Gospel might undermine motivation to exert moral effort or conform to behavioral norms, the Gospeller recognizes the perpetual temptation in the human heart for systems of Law to creep in and occlude the Gospel, even (and especially) cloaked in thin language of grace.
The reality of human brokenness, depravity and hopelessness is honestly acknowledged and boldly explored. Our finitude, fallibility, inability, and spiritual bankruptcy is starkly and unflinchingly acknowledged and embraced. The Gospeller understands that this reality doesn’t just impact “those people” who are “outside of Christ,” or the Christian in their life “before Christ,” but that it persists in the life of the Christian, in spite of their knowledge of God’s gracious, saving intervention.
Christ’s work on the cross is proclaimed as perfectly sufficient for salvation. The Gospeller exalts in the once-for-all accomplishment of Christ’s atoning death, emphasizing its complete efficacy to save. There is no need for any additional sacrifices, penance, or human strivings to merit God’s favor – Christ’s cross-work alone has secured full and free pardon. Definite/limited atonement views limiting the scope of Christ’s atoning work are identified as disqualifying obstacles to the announcement of His all-inclusive, indiscriminate grace.
A defiant rejection of any false gospels that add requirements beyond resting in Christ’s justifying grace. With unflinching conviction, the Gospeller denounces any teaching that compromises the pure gospel of grace by introducing extra obligations or prerequisites for divine acceptance. Legalistic additives are exposed as perversions of the very spirit of Christ’s liberating message. Repentance is celebrated as the natural, inevitable response to being overwhelmed by gospel astonishment, not as a prerequisite for enjoying its benefits.
Assurance of belovedness and acceptance in Christ is paramount, overriding religious stigmas and standards of human performance. The Gospeller tirelessly reinforces the Christian’s unshakable position as beloved of God, not based on personal achievement, but rooted in the finished work of Christ alone. Feelings of guilt or shame from imperfect obedience are exposed and subverted by overwhelming assurance.
Freedom from works-based religiosity and joyful reliance on Christ is defiantly declared, modeled, and/or embodied. Rejecting fear-driven, joyless rule-keeping, the Gospeller models and calls others into the liberated life of resting in Christ’s accomplishments. With defiant joy, they spurn efforts to earn God’s favor through mere externals.
Unnecessary theological jargon is avoided, but authentic intellectual and experiential expressions that resist over-simplification are cultivated. While bypassing lofty, alienating verbiage, the Gospeller avoids trite clichés, nurturing profundity through thought-provoking language that honors both mind and heart.
God’s glory in saving by grace is centered in a way that creatively intersects with human dignity, identity and fulfillment. The Gospeller extols God’s gracious initiative in a manner that subverts negation of the self, instead locating human flourishing in being transformed by beholding Christ’s redemptive love.
Gratitude, worship and liberation in Christ are the celebrated end, and attention is drawn to how various kinds of human journeys navigate those realities. The culmination in view is a life of unleashed thankfulness, adoration, and ever-deepening freedom in Christ; the Gospeller highlights diverse stories of this process unfolding in unique lives.
