Understanding the Gospel: Gods Good News of Salvation

Saint Francis and the Foundation of Gospel Witness

Saint Francis of Assisi deeply understood the importance of reaching souls and sharing the message of salvation. Through his humble approach and genuine compassion, Saint Francis sought opportunities to witness to others—even in everyday encounters and public places. His life was marked by simple acts of kindness and personal example, always aiming to lead others toward Christ. Whether through gentle conversation or living out his faith in works of mercy, Saint Francis continually inspired those around him to seek a closer relationship with God. He understood, as the Church has always taught, that the Gospel is not merely a set of ideas to be proclaimed, but a life to be lived—a life transformed by grace, nourished by the sacraments, and expressed in charity toward one's neighbour.

Now, the course that we're involved in, in its first lesson, is entitled: What is the Gospel? And so that's what we'll be looking at to begin with. Let us look at Sacred Scripture, at First Corinthians chapter fifteen, verses one, three, and four. Saint Paul writes:

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3–4, ESV-CE)

This is the heart of the Good News—the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ—and it is upon this foundation that the entire teaching of Holy Mother Church rests.

Examining Personal Understanding of Salvation

Now, to begin with, I'd like you to answer this question: What are the things that you must do to eventually attain the glory of heaven? Let me ask that question again. What are the things that you must do to eventually attain the glory of heaven? Now, as you formulate your answer to that question, don't simply quote a scripture verse and don't consult anyone else's opinion just yet. I want you to answer that question in your own words based upon your own understanding.

Now that you've put together an answer, what elements were contained in it? Would there be faith? How about good works—or perhaps faith and works together?

Perhaps you answered with turning from sin, or receiving the sacraments, or perseverance in a state of grace. Maybe you wrote down prayer, or acts of penance, or devotion to Our Lady. Perhaps you included the necessity of dying in God's friendship. Did you conclude that there was only one condition you must fulfill, or are there several? Did you perhaps find yourself having to admit that you really don't know with certainty what is required to enter heaven?

Maybe that is the very reason you are studying this course—to find the answer to this all-important question. Now, I won't attempt a full analysis of your answer at this point. We will move on and return to your response toward the end of this course. Meanwhile, there is more than enough scriptural and doctrinal information provided throughout this course to lead you to your own conclusion as to the accuracy of your reply.

Now, let us examine the question: What is the Gospel? It is vitally important to know exactly what the Gospel is, and to know it in no uncertain terms. As the Catechism of the Council of Trent reminds us, pastors have a solemn duty to explain the Gospel faithfully and fully to the faithful entrusted to their care—for it is through this knowledge that souls are led to salvation. Saint Paul himself declared: "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16, ESV-CE). That same urgency belongs to every Catholic who has received the gift of faith.

The Gospel as Good News to the Whole World

For only as you have a proper understanding of the Gospel will you be able to effectively explain it to others. Now, to begin with, the Greek word translated "gospel" in your English translation of the Bible means "good news". Remember that the next time you hear a sermon or read a Catholic tract: Is what you hear or read truly good news? Consider especially—is it good news to those for whom it is intended, that is, to the sinner, to the lost, to the one burdened by guilt and death?

The Catechism of the Council of Trent, written to guide pastors in the faithful proclamation of Catholic doctrine, opens with a magnificent vision of the Gospel. It teaches that the Gospel is the fulfillment of all the promises made to the patriarchs and prophets—the announcement that God Himself has entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ to rescue mankind from sin and death. This is not bad news dressed up in religious language. This is the most joyful announcement ever made.

There is a beautiful account of Our Lord's birth found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter two. The shepherds were out in the fields at night tending their flocks when an angel appeared and made this amazing announcement:

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10–11, ESV-CE)

Notice without using the word "gospel" how the angel described the event of the Lord's coming—good news of great joy—and notice further that this message is for "all the people".

Since gospel means good news, then by its very nature it must be good news for the sinner, the struggling soul, the one weighed down by the burden of his transgressions. Pope Pius XII, in his great encyclical "Mystici Corporis Christi (Mees-tee-chee Kor-por-ees Krees-tee)", reminds us that Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it—and that this salvation is offered to all through His Mystical Body, the Church. The Gospel is not a burden laid upon the shoulders of the weak. It is the outstretched hand of God reaching down to lift fallen humanity.

Now keep that uppermost in your mind as we proceed: When you consider the message of salvation, ask yourself—is it truly good news? Does it reflect the mercy and the power of God, who desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? As Saint Paul writes to Timothy: "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3–4, ESV-CE). If the message you have received or the message you proclaim does not carry that note of divine mercy and hope, then something essential has been lost or distorted.

Christ's Death and Resurrection as the Gospel's Core

Second Corinthians chapter five, verse nineteen says:

"In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19, ESV-CE)

What a statement—and what a contrast to so much of what we hear proclaimed today.

Has the world been reconciled to God? Well, it says so, doesn't it? Reconciliation means, at its root, to do away with a difference, to remove the obstacle or barrier between two parties. The Catechism of the Council of Trent, in its treatment of the Creed, explains this beautifully: by His Passion and death, Christ satisfied for the sins of the whole human race and restored the broken relationship between God and man. The obstacle of sin—which had closed the gates of heaven since the fall of Adam—was removed by the one perfect Sacrifice of the Cross.

God reconciled the world to Himself at Calvary some two thousand years ago. It is, as one might say, a completed act—"It is finished", as Our Lord cried out from the Cross (John 19:30, ESV-CE). And yet the Council of Trent also teaches us something of profound importance: that this reconciliation, though accomplished once and for all on Calvary, is "applied" to each soul through the sacraments of the Church. The infinite merits of Christ's Passion are not left floating in the air—they are channelled to us through Baptism, which the Council of Trent calls "the instrumental cause of justification," washing away original sin and infusing sanctifying grace into the soul.

This is why the Church has always proclaimed the Gospel as truly good news: because God has not only accomplished our redemption, He has also provided the means by which that redemption reaches us. Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical "Satis Cognitum" (Sah-tees Kog-nee-toom), taught that Christ established the Church precisely as the instrument through which His saving grace would flow to all generations. The sacraments are not obstacles to grace—they are the very channels of it.

Another integral part of the Gospel, according to First Corinthians chapter fifteen, is the resurrection. Saint Paul writes:

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV-CE)

But thanks be to God, there is also the glorious positive side:

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV-CE)

Yes, Jesus died for our sins—but it does not stop there. He also rose from the dead, conquering death for us, thus guaranteeing that those who are united to Him through faith and the sacraments do not put their trust in a dead idol or a mere religious teacher, but in the living Saviour—the one who alone has paid the penalty for sin and returned from the dead on His own power, proving once and for all that He is all that He ever claimed to be.

Romans chapter five, verses six and eight through ten, states:

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly... but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." (Romans 5:6, 8–9, ESV-CE)

Notice these important components of the Gospel: the Lord initiated everything. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, while we were His enemies. Our salvation is rooted entirely in the character and work of Christ on our behalf. No wonder the Church calls it the Good News—because it truly is.

How the Gospel Becomes Distorted: Lessons from Experience

Now there are those, however, who preach or teach from the Bible and call their messages the Gospel, but who actually turn the good news into something unrecognisable—either by stripping it of its sacramental fullness, or by burying it under a weight of human conditions that God never imposed. How could it be, you might ask, that an apparent messenger of God would proclaim something called the Gospel that would in fact be bad news? Well, the answer to this can be quite involved, but I'll illustrate how it can happen by sharing three incidents from my own experience.

When I was young in the faith, I attended a week-long series of meetings on the deeper Christian life. The speaker was an internationally known Bible teacher. Each night he strongly emphasised that if Jesus Christ was not the absolute Lord and master of every area of a person's life, then that person was not truly saved. I knew from Scripture and from the teaching of the Church that this was a distortion. Salvation is not contingent upon the perfection of our surrender—it is rooted in the grace of God received through faith and the sacraments. Several of us asked him questions after the meetings, but he didn't budge on his position.

On Wednesday he spoke at a local luncheon. Imagine our surprise when, sharing his personal testimony, he revealed that he had trusted Christ as his Saviour at a certain age but then lived more wickedly after that than he ever had before. Finally, nine years later, he surrendered more fully to God. As soon as the luncheon was over, we spoke with him. The obvious question was: How could you insist all week that there is no salvation apart from total surrender, and yet today you confided that such was not your own experience? He replied, in a loving but firm tone, that the most miserable years of his life were those nine years of rebellion, and that he didn't want others to go through the same heartache.

Now, I don't question the man's sincerity for a moment. But here we see a common error: allowing personal experience to reshape the Gospel rather than allowing the Gospel—as faithfully transmitted by the Church—to interpret our experience. The Catholic Church, guided by the Holy Spirit and the definitions of the Council of Trent, does not leave the content of the Gospel to individual interpretation or pastoral improvisation. The Gospel has been entrusted to the Church, and it is the Church's solemn duty to guard and transmit it whole and entire. As Saint Paul warned: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel." (Galatians 1:6, ESV-CE)

From my second illustration: a denominational paper contained an interview with a well-known evangelist who had recently returned from India, where many thousands had made decisions for Christ. The interviewer asked how he explained such results. The evangelist replied: "When I went to India, I determined that I would make the Gospel as difficult as I could. I would tell the people that if they wanted to become Christians, it would mean giving up their idols, turning from their sin, getting baptised, joining the church, devoting themselves to prayer and the reading of God's word." In spite of this, thousands committed their lives to Christ.
Now, note carefully what this man said. He said, "I determined to make the Gospel difficult." I wondered then, as I wonder now, how many of those thousands truly understood what they were receiving. The Gospel is not ours to make easy or difficult according to our pastoral strategy. It is God's gift, defined and guarded by the Church. Pope Pius X, in his "Catechism", was clear that the faithful must be taught the Gospel accurately and completely—not reshaped according to the whims of the preacher.

Now, there is a genuine Catholic truth buried in what this evangelist said: conversion does involve a turning from sin, Baptism, incorporation into the Church, and a life of prayer and obedience. But these are not "conditions" we impose upon God's grace—they are the "fruit" and the "means" of grace, given to us by God Himself through His Church. The difference is crucial. We do not earn salvation by performing a checklist. Rather, God's grace, working through the sacraments and our cooperation with it, transforms us from within. As Saint Paul writes: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV-CE)

In my third example, a relative was coming to visit me and my parents. She was religious but had not truly encountered the saving grace of the Gospel. I devised a plan to have her watch a televised evangelistic programme while we played a board game. Everything seemed to work out beautifully—until the speaker came to his invitation. My heart sank as he explained what listeners would have to do to be saved. He listed a series of conditions in a way that made salvation sound like a transaction of human effort rather than a gift of divine grace received through faith and the sacraments of the Church.

I was disappointed—not because he mentioned repentance or conversion, for these are genuine and necessary, but because the way he presented them obscured the primacy of God's grace and the role of the Church as the ordinary means of salvation. When I tried to speak with my relative afterward, it was clear she had not grasped the true Gospel. In this case, the message had been distorted not by adding too much, but by presenting the right elements in the wrong order and with the wrong emphasis.

The lesson in all three of these examples is the same: the Gospel is not ours to reshape. It has been given to us by God, defined by the Church in her councils and papal teachings, and it must be proclaimed faithfully. As Pope Benedict XV wrote in "Humani Generis Redemptionem" (Hoo-mah-nee Jeh-neh-rees Reh-demp-tsee-oh-nem), the preacher of the Gospel is not a free agent inventing his own message—he is a herald of the King, bound to deliver the King's message exactly as it was given.

Faith, Grace, and the Sacraments: The Catholic Path of Salvation

Had there been another way by which a holy God could allow sinful man into His presence while still maintaining His holiness—other than through the offering of His Son—such a way would be available as an option. But there is no such way. The Cross of Christ is the one and only foundation of human salvation. On this, all Christians agree. But the question that must be answered with precision is this: "How" does the saving work of Christ on Calvary actually reach the individual soul? This is where the teaching of the Catholic Church, defined with great care at the Council of Trent, gives us the clearest and most complete answer.

The Council of Trent, in its Decree on Justification (Session VI), teaches that the causes of our justification are as follows: the final cause is the glory of God and of Christ; the efficient cause is God's merciful grace; the meritorious cause is Our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His most holy Passion on the wood of the Cross merited justification for us; the formal cause is the justice of God—not that by which He Himself is just, but that by which He makes us just; and the instrumental cause is the Sacrament of Baptism, which is the sacrament of faith, without which no one has ever been justified.

This is the fullness of the Good News. God does not merely declare us righteous from a distance—He actually "makes" us righteous through the infusion of sanctifying grace. As the Catechism of the Council of Trent explains, Baptism is not a mere symbol or outward sign of an inward decision. It is the sacrament by which original sin is washed away, the soul is reborn as a child of God, and the life of grace is truly communicated to the soul. Our Lord Himself declared: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5, ESV-CE)

Now, what is the role of faith in all of this? The Council of Trent is clear: faith is the beginning, the foundation, and the root of all justification. As Sacred Scripture declares: "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, ESV-CE). But the faith that saves is not a bare intellectual assent, nor is it a single moment of private decision. It is what the great tradition of the Church calls *fides caritate formata" (Fee-days Kah-ree-tah-teh For-mah-tah)—faith formed by charity, faith that is alive and active through love. As Saint James writes: "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26, ESV-CE). And as Saint Paul writes in Galatians chapter five, verse six: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6, ESV-CE)

This does not mean that we earn our salvation by our own efforts. God forbid. Every good work we perform is itself a gift of God's grace. As Pope Saint Pius V's "Catechism" (the Roman Catechism) teaches, even our merits are God's gifts—for it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Saint Paul himself writes: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV-CE). The entire process of salvation, from first grace to final glory, is the work of God in us—but God who respects our freedom and calls us to cooperate with His grace.

This is why the Church also teaches the necessity of the Sacrament of Penance for those who fall into mortal sin after Baptism. The Council of Trent calls Penance the "second plank after shipwreck"—for just as Baptism first justifies the soul, Penance restores the soul that has been wounded by grave sin. God's mercy is not exhausted at the baptismal font. It flows continuously through the sacramental life of the Church. As Saint John assures us: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, ESV-CE)

There is only one Gospel of Christ—one saving message given by God, entrusted to His Church, and proclaimed to all nations. It is not the gospel of any individual preacher's invention. It is the Gospel defined by the Councils, guarded by the popes, and lived by the saints. Pope Pius XI, in "Mortalium Animos" (Mor-tah-lee-oom Ah-nee-mohs), reminded the faithful that the fullness of revealed truth subsists in the Catholic Church alone, and that it is from this fullness that the saving Gospel must be proclaimed. God is so serious about how we treat this one and only saving message that He warns of judgment to anyone who distorts it. Saint Paul wrote in Galatians chapter one, verses six through nine:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6–8, ESV-CE)

In a very real sense, the way we treat the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is the way we actually treat Him. Let us handle it with the reverence, the fidelity, and the love that it deserves.

Reflection Questions and Personal Application

Now at the conclusion of our lesson, here are some questions that I would like you to ask yourself in light of what we have just studied.

First, how should the fact that God has established one Church and one sacramental economy of salvation influence the way you approach the Great Commission? If souls can only receive the fullness of saving grace through the Church and her sacraments, what does that say about the urgency of evangelisation and the missionary work of the Church? Our Lord's own words ring with that urgency: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV-CE)

Second, pastors and catechists sometimes grow weary of seeing people receive the sacraments, become involved in parish life for a while, and then drift away. Indeed, the Church has always expected that adults, by God's grace, freely and seriously prepare themselves before receiving the sacraments. Our Lord Himself calls us to this: "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?" (Luke 14:28, ESV-CE). This is not an imposition upon the Gospel — it is proper adult preparation, a free cooperation with the grace God offers. The real question is: what does the tradition of the Church — her catechesis, her rites of initiation, her sacramental life — provide to ensure that this preparation is both serious and faithful, forming disciples who not only receive the sacraments but persevere in grace? Consider the role of ongoing catechesis, the sacraments, devotional life, and the community of the faithful.

Third, have you personally received the grace of Baptism and are you living in a state of sanctifying grace? Or have you perhaps simply gone through the outward motions—attending Mass, receiving the sacraments mechanically, performing religious duties—while your heart remains far from God? The Catechism of the Council of Trent reminds us that the sacraments confer grace "ex opere operato" (ex Oh-peh-reh Oh-peh-rah-toh)—by the very act performed—but that the fruitfulness of that grace in our lives depends upon our dispositions and our ongoing cooperation with God's gift. As Our Lord warned: "This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:8, ESV-CE)

Fourth, do you regularly thank God for the Good News—for the fact that He did not leave us in our sins, but sent His only-begotten Son to redeem us, established His Church to sanctify us, and given us the sacraments as channels of His grace? Why not stop and offer that prayer of thanksgiving right now?

And finally, how thoroughly do you relate to the truth that Christ died for you when you were without strength, while you were still a sinner? Does the truth of this tremendous demonstration of God's personal love for you move you as it should? Saint Paul captures it with breathtaking simplicity: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, ESV-CE). If you are not personally moved by it, perhaps there is a need for deeper prayer, more frequent reception of the sacraments, and a renewed encounter with the living Christ present in His Church.

"Lord, thank You for the Gospel—the Good News of salvation accomplished by Your Son and communicated to us through Your Holy Church. We are so prone to distort it, to reduce it, or to add to it according to our own ideas. Grant us the grace to receive it humbly, to live it faithfully, and to proclaim it clearly—as You would have us do. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."