What Does the Gospel Accomplish?

The Gospel is the foundation of Christianity. It is the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ, given first by Jesus himself and then passed down through the apostles and the Church for the past 2000 years. At its heart, the Gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, God’s chosen King, and that through him God is establishing his Kingdom on Earth. This, however, leads to the natural questions: why do we need the Gospel? Why do we need Jesus as our King?

The Problem

Why do we need the Gospel? What is the core problem that the Bible and experience reveal to us? We have been separated by God and no longer reside with him, as Adam and Eve did in the Garden. Now, due to their rebellion and our own, all of creation is under the dominion of Sin, Death, and Satan. The New Testament authors attest to this truth. Paul tells us how all of creation is in bondage and is groaning together. (Rom 8:20-22) As Christians, our enemies are not in the physical world, but rather the spiritual. We wrestle with cosmic powers and forces of evil. (Eph 6:12) Satan is the ruler of the world; we are under his power. Not only that, but Death and Sin have reigned freely over us. (1 John 5:19; Rom 5:14, 17, 21; Eph 2:2) Through the sin of our forefather, we have been dominated by the Kingdom of Darkness.

The Solution

How then are we freed from the Kingdom of Darkness? What does the Gospel have to do with this? To understand the Gospel’s role in our freedom, we must first remind ourselves of what the purpose of the Gospel is. The Gospel is primarily the message that the Kingdom of God is coming to Earth, with Jesus as the Christ, our king. The Gospel points to the means of our freedom, of our salvation.

The Kingdom of God is our salvation; it gives us freedom. Our King, Jesus the Christ, works to bring about the Kingdom of God in order to defeat and ultimately destroy Sin, Death, and Satan. He inaugurates God’s Kingdom to oppose the Kingdom of Darkness, declaring war on our enemies.

What the Gospel Accomplishes

How does this work? How does the coming of the Kingdom of God free us? There are five phases through which the initial inauguration and future full establishment of the Kingdom destroy Sin, Death, and Satan:

1. Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom

2. Jesus the King advances the Kingdom

3. Christ frees humanity

4. Entering the Kingdom

5. The Kingdom is established

Jesus Inaugurates the Kingdom

It is at the inauguration that the Kingdom of God declares war on the Kingdom of Darkness. How does the inauguration come about? Through the incarnation of the Son. (1 John 3:8) Though hidden at first, at the fullness of time, Jesus was baptized by John, inaugurating his earthly ministry.

Throughout his life, Christ is constantly attacking the spiritual powers. He raises people from the dead, he forgives sins, he heals lepers, and he casts out demons. Not only this, but when Christ wandered the wilderness for 40 days, he rebuked the devil and sent him away, refusing every temptation from the evil one. We can see clearly here how Christ accomplishes what the Israelites could not, correcting even their mistake.

Jesus the King Advances the Kingdom

It is in this phase that Jesus is declared as the Christ and is ultimately placed upon God’s throne, advancing the Kingdom of God and delivering a crippling blow to the Kingdom of Darkness—from which they will never recover. The work of Jesus is the means by which his enemies are defeated. However, it is not only his death and sacrifice that defeat them. His life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement are all vital to destroying the powers of Sin, Death, and Satan.

First, Jesus came in the flesh; he lowered himself to the form of a servant, a man. (Phi 2:6-11) He humbled himself and was obedient to God, paving the road to his sacrifice and future exaltation. Jesus then lived a perfect life. He resisted the temptations of the devil and did not succumb to sin in any way. (1 Pet 2:22) He did what we could not, what Adam—our forefather—could not. (Rom 5:18-19) He lived in perfect submission and obedience to God, fulfilling the law. It is here that the death knell of sin was sounded.

Christ’s death and sacrifice become the pivotal point in his war on Sin, Death, and Satan. Christ gives himself up to be a sacrifice for us, humanity. It is on the cross that our sins are paid for and sin is defeated. He became a ransom for us. (Mark 10:45) He was the spotless lamb that we needed to deal with our sins forever. (John 1:29) Here God casts our sins as far as the east is from the west. Not only does he deal with the power of Sin, but we are cleansed, and the stain of sin is forever removed. (1 John 1:7)

Sin has been dealt with. Jesus conquers death next. Though Sin was defeated, we still had to face the consequence of sin, death. Since the Fall, death has reigned. Since the sin of Adam, all of mankind has feared death. For in sinning, Adam separated himself, along with his descendants, from the source of life—God. Without access to the tree of life, we have been doomed to mortality—to decay and finally death. For this reason, Christ took the consequence of death upon himself. Through him we died to Sin and can live to righteousness. (1 Pet 2:24) Through his death, Death itself was defeated, its power taken. (Heb 2:14)

The evidence of his victory over Death came in the form of his resurrection. No longer does Death have power over creation. Christ became the first fruit of the resurrection, the first fruit of the new creation. (1 Cor 15:20-26; Rom 6:9) His resurrection also vindicates Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God. It proves that he is the King. (Rom 1:4)

The final blow is placed on Satan. The newly resurrected Jesus, who is now openly declared as the Christ and Son of God, prepares to ascend back into Heaven. When he ascends, Jesus is finally placed back on the throne of God and is crowned as the King of the cosmos. In this final move, Satan is deposed, and his kingdom is defeated. (Phil 2:9-11; Eph 1:20-22)

Christ Frees Humanity

Through the work of Christ in advancing the Kingdom of God, mankind is finally freed from the bondage of Sin, Death, and Satan. His work delivered us from the Kingdom of Darkness, breaking our chains and allowing us to enter into the Kingdom of God. (Col 1:13-14) His victory gives us the chance to serve a new master, to have a new king in our lives. (Rom 6:17-18)

Entering the Kingdom

Now freed, we are invited to enter into the Kingdom of God and be transformed. But is the defeat of Sin, Death, and Satan enough to grant us full citizenship into God’s Kingdom? No, for we must be transformed into his image. We must be made new. (1 Cor 15:50)

But yet again, Christ provides for us. Through his life and death as the second Adam, the head of humanity, we are allowed to follow in his nature after his resurrection. The sin of Adam is undone through the perfect obedience of Christ. Through Christ, we have new life and a new heart. (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor 15:21-22) Paul tells us clearly that “just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Cor 15:49) We are transformed into Christ’s image.

Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, who changes our nature into that of the new man, the new creation, Jesus the Christ. (Rom 8:1-11; 2 Cor 3:18) The Holy Spirit works in us to change our desires, to prepare us for the work of God, and to teach us. Our ultimate example to learn from is Christ. His life and death edify, guide, and convict us. (1 Pet 2:21) It is through our transformation, our sanctification, our renewal, that we are allowed full access into the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom Is Established

Finally, at the end of the age, the Kingdom of God will be established on Earth and throughout the entire cosmos. At this time, after a life of sanctification and with our freedom obtained from the Kingdom of Darkness, we enter fully into God’s Kingdom. We are adopted as co-heirs and sons of God. (Rom 8:16-17) Then we will be glorified. God will take our broken, imperfect bodies and transform them. He will recreate them and make them like Christ’s. (Phil 3:20-21; 1 Cor 15:51-54)

God has finally reconciled all things to himself. The entire created order now resides with him, in his Kingdom. (Col 1:19-20) “The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17) Not only this, but we are also reconciled to each other. Humanity reconciles to itself to become one body, one bride. (Eph 2:13-16)

The final act before eternity is judgment. Those who are adopted as heirs are separated from those who did not enter God’s Kingdom and were not transformed by him. The King’s sheep are saved while the goats are cast out and experience divine judgment. Then, once and for all, Sin, Death, and Satan are destroyed for eternity. (Matt 25:31-46; Rev 20:10, 14)

This is the purpose of God. This is what he has and will accomplish through the Gospel. Let us look forward in hope and expectation as we await God to establish his Kingdom here on earth.