Two Ingredients of Salvation

‘Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, an and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel’ (Mark 1:14‑15).

Remember we said the word gospel means good news, and refers to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, just as the Bible prophesied. He was buried and He rose again from the dead on the third day, according to the Scripture, just like it was prophesied.

In other words, Jesus didn’t just show up in a vacuum. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was all according to a plan that God had revealed starting in Genesis chapter three. God had revealed how He would come, where He would come, how He would live, how He would be betrayed, how He would die and how He would rise from the dead. When Jesus came there was no mistaking exactly Who He was. Jesus is not just another prophet. He is not just another religious teacher. He is God in the flesh.

We see here in Mark 1 that Jesus came preaching the Gospel, the good news. How does a man receive the Lord Jesus? How does a man get right with God? How does a man prepare for eternity? The answer is found here in the words of the Lord Jesus when He said, ‘Repent ye, and believe the gospel.’

In case you think that Jesus preached something different than the others in the Bible, look in Acts 20:20‑21. The Apostle Paul tells us the same thing. ‘And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.’

How does a man become right with God? We know he cannot make himself right on his own. It is not by his own works, but it is by what Jesus Christ has done. But remember we said that even though Jesus Christ has died for all, all will not be in Heaven, because many have never obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells us that the way to become right with God is through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the same thing that Jesus said. Repent and believe the Gospel. Let’s look a little closer at those two ingredients of salvation.