A clear Gospel message, like the one Peter preached in Acts 2, includes 5 points. First, the Person of Christ. Jesus of Nazareth is more than a mere man. He is God in flesh, the Son of God, the Messiah, the great and final Prophet, Priest, and King. Second, the work of Christ. Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead. In so doing, He exchanged His life for guilty sinners, taking away our sin, giving us His righteousness. Third, according to the Scriptures. All of this was prophesied ahead of time! Fourth, forgiveness of sin and eternal life. These are the good things that Christ won for us. Fifth, repentance and faith. In order to have the good things promised to believers, one must repent of sin and trust completely in the Divine Person and finished work of Christ. Now that’s good news in 60 seconds.
But take time to learn these 5 elements well, so that when the time comes for you to share the Gospel with a lost person, you will have a mental construct to guide you through the conversation:
- The Person of Christ
- The Work of Christ
- According to the Scriptures
- Forgiveness of sin and eternal life
- Repentance and faith