A Simple Gospel Outline
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16 Amplified Bible).
1. God really loves everyone.
“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live…’ ” (Ezekiel 33:11).
“[Jesus declared] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!… Now as He drew near [Jerusalem], He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!…’ ” (Luke 13:34; 19:41,42).
“… we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:9).
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).
2. Because of His love, God gave His only begotten Son.
But He [The promised Messiah] was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (prophecy of Isaiah 53:5,6. 700 B.C.)
“And He Himself [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
3. Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ [repents and receives Him] will not perish but have everlasting life.
“He [the Son of God] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name [Jesus]: who were born, not of blood [by inheritance], nor of the will of the flesh [self-effort], nor of the will of man [a human institution], but of God” (John 1:10-13).
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6).
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (1 Peter 3:9).
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17,18).
“[Jesus declared] Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
A.B. Simpson responded to the Gospel of grace by composing this hymn:
I clasp the hand of Love divine,
I claim the gracious promise mine,
And add to His my countersign,
“I take” — “He undertakes.”
I take salvation full and free,
Through Him who gave His life for me,
He undertakes my all to be,
“I take” — “He undertakes.”
I take Him as my holiness,
My spirit’s spotless, heavenly dress,
I take the Lord, my righteousness,
“I take” — “He undertakes.”
I simply take Him at His word,
I praise Him that my prayer is heard,
And claim my answer from the Lord,
“I take” — “He undertakes.”
Chorus:
I take Thee, blessed Lord,
I give myself to Thee,
And Thou, according to Thy word,
Dost undertake for me. [1]
How do you respond to this Good News?
[1] Albert B. Simpson (1843-1919) was the founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. 1,2,3,6. I clasp the hand of Love divine,
For a more on God’s love, see FathersLoveLetter.com
For a more complete study of salvation see by book, Blessed Reassurance: Finding Security in Christ.
Scripture quotations, unless indicated otherwise, are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version (Copyright by Thomas Nelson).
Except for The Amplified Bible quote, bracketed content is added – JBW.