The late '90s and early 2000s were the heyday of the infomercial. From deluxe CD compilations to car wash accessories, late-night cable TV was a hymn to the entrepreneurial spirit, and the refrain was that ubiquitous catchphrase, “But wait, there’s more!” It was the critical breadcrumb on the trail from, “I’ve got a great deal for you!” to, “Call now, operators are standing by!”
It is just foolish to compare the message of the Gospel to sales pitches for Bowflex machines and George Foreman Grills, but there is an illustration here that can help us make sure we are enjoying all the good news that the Good News offers us.
On Sunday we talked about how the whole Gospel for our whole life. I want to follow up briefly on that thought to perhaps clarify and encourage us with a few additional observations.
When the Bible uses the term Gospel, is it always referring to precisely the same thing?
I would argue, no. Gospel, or literally, good news, is a term that focuses primarily on one thing, but it then beckons to us, “There’s more!” as we grow in our Christian faith. Thus, it never means less than its primary message, but it can, and in the New Testament does, refer to more than just that primary message.
What is that central message? The heart of the Gospel is the person and the work of Jesus Christ. It is the message of His incarnation and righteous life, His substitutionary atonement on the cross for sinners, and His triumphant resurrection in power over death. This, for example, is what Paul means when he speaks of “my gospel” in 2 Timothy 2:8 as the message about Jesus the Messiah, risen from the grace, the heir to the promises, and the throne of David. When we speak of the importance of proclaiming the Gospel to those who are lost, it is this central message of which we speak. This is the initial offer of good news – that God has sent His Son into the world to die for sin, and that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is gospel truth. It is good news for the justification of sinners. It is the good news that frees us from the penalty of sin.
But wait, there’s more!
For those who are in Christ, the good news continues. It is not only the message that tells us how we may be justified, but it is also the gracious news of how, by the power of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with the teaching of Christ, we can be conformed to the image of Jesus. This is what Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy 1:8-11 when the gospel is used as a synonym for the “sound teaching” Timothy had been given. This wasn’t just teaching about the life and death of Jesus, but as he explains in this passage (only one sentence, by the way), it was teaching about the law and how it relates to believers. Just as we come to Christ through faith, and then we live for Christ through faith, so we are beckoned to Christ by the gospel, and then good news keeps coming so that we might continue to live by it. This is the first bonus offer of the Gospel. This good news not only justifies us, but it is also our guide in sanctification. It explains to us how in Christ we can be freed from sin’s remaining power in our lives.
But wait, there’s more!
A final, and endlessly hopeful, aspect of the gospel is its declaration of our future glorification. To this purpose, Paul speaks of the Gospel in Colossians 1:3-8. In these verses (another long sentence), Paul directly equates the message of our hope waiting for us in heaven with “the word of truth,” with the gospel. What Jesus has done for us is good news. What Jesus is doing for us is good news. What Jesus will do for us is yet more good news.
That is the fullness of the Gospel. When we “preach the Gospel” to those who are unbelieving, we preach the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If they respond to that initial gospel call, we cheerfully inform them, “There’s so much more.” Enough to talk about every day until we stand with Christ in glory.