What Is Christ's Gospel?

If you were to ask what is the greatest good, I would direct you to the Lord’s answer. Joseph's ministry was to proclaim Christ's Gospel, and in doing so “will do the greatest good,” and will “promote the glory of him who is your Lord” (D&C 81:3-4 emphasis added).

After a discussion with a friend of mine, who has been a lifelong church member, about the Gospel of Jesus  Christ, and feeling his resistance to what Christ teaches us concerning His Gospel, I felt the urgency to share Christ's own words (actually the words of His Father) where Jesus tells us what His Gospel is. I couldn't understand my friend's resistance because this friend, in my opinion, has a brilliant mind and has a wealth of knowledge stored in his mind and heart, which he has spent a lifetime gathering, and which he liberally shares to the delight of many, including me. Why would he resist a truth like Christ's definition of His Gospel? I thought that surely this man would welcome this knowledge.

In fairness I must say that he was not aware that Christ has so succinctly defined His Gospel, but even when I introduced it to him, he resisted it. He didn't want to know. It did not seem important to him. And I wondered why.

I don't use the word truth loosely. It also is defined by God--the word of the Lord is truth (D&C 84:45). And I always start by defining truth as God's words, and by connecting God's words to Christ's Gospel, we can come to know the truth concerning His Gospel.

Your response to this, I suppose, could be the same but could be different depending on two factors.

First, do the words of Christ matter to you when discussing His Gospel, or are you content with what you think His Gospel is?

Second, if you resist His words, do you resist because you:

a. Have not heard this taught from the pulpit?

b. Were not aware that Christ actually defined His gospel? 

c. Don't believe His words or that His words are truth?

d. Are just not interested or just don't care? or

e. Are too busy living the gospel? 

(I say this sarcastically because compared to the Lord's definition, "living the gospel' is a fiction that feeds the many.)

I can understand not being aware of His clear and concise definition, but cannot understand an indifferent reaction when shown just how clear it is. 

Christ lays the groundwork before He defines His gospel by telling us that no church should be named using His name unless its people are "built upon my Gospel" because if they are not built upon my Gospel, they are built upon the works of men or the works of Satan and are not of my Church (3 Nephi 27:8-11). 

In these four verses He uses the phrase my gospel four times! Now to me His use of this phrase my gospel makes me want to know what He means when He says my gospel! It would be my first question! As you read the italicized comments focus on His words. This is a key to searching the words of God-- when He uses a term like gospel or repentance, He always defines it somewhere. Hence the need to search. And the brief comments may aid you in that search.

Read 3 Nephi 27:13-21 as if He is speaking directly to you, because He is! Remember what the Father said--this is my beloved son. Hear ye him.

He begins by saying:

"Behold I have given unto you my gospel, 

There is no ambiguity here. He gave this same Gospel to Adam and Eve, to those He taught as Jehovah, to those He taught as the mortal Jesus, and to those He is teaching in 3 Nephi, as the resurrected Christ. It is the same Gospel taught by Nephi, Alma, Mormon and all the other Book of Mormon prophet writers, by Paul and Joseph Smith.

"and this is the gospel which I have given unto you

This is the gospel which I have given you! He is preparing you to listen to what He is about to say. I have given unto you my gospel and this is it, so listen and hear Me! Ask yourself: can you hear His voice in His words as He speaks them to you?

"—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

He is the gospel, the good news, and His Father sent Him. He came down into the world, or as the angel asked Nephi "Knowest thou the condescension of God? (1 Nephi 11:16). His coming to earth to do the will of His Father is both the condescension of the Father and the Son--the Father, because He sent His Son, and the Son, because He was sent by His Father. He now tells you why.

"And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; 

Listen carefully to what He is saying to you. His Father sent Him to die on the cross, to be lifted up upon the cross. It is significant that God allowed men to lift His Son up and nail Him to the cross. Christ gave up His life by allowing men to raise Him up. Why is it significant that both He and His Father allowed this to happen?

"and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, 

Here He says that He was lifted up on the cross so that He might draw all unto Him, even you. Perhaps the cross should have more significance to us.

"that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, 

Because that He was lifted up by men, all should be lifted up by His Father. Why?

"to stand before me, to be judged of their works, 

Substitute 'their works' with 'your works' and think of yourself standing before Him to be judged of your works.

"whether they be good or whether they be evil— 

Regardless of whether your works are good or evil, the key here is that the demands of justice must be met. My friend admitted that He did not want to be judged by His works. What he didn't know was how to avoid it, and that is The Good News, His Gospel.

"And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. 

He uses the phrase 'lifted up' in connection with drawing or lifting up all men three times. And so you can rest assured that you and everyone else, by the power of His Father, are to stand before Him to be judged. No one can escape His judgment. 

He now will tell you what you should do before you are drawn to Him or lifted up to stand before Him and be judged.

"And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; 

Here He is teaching you the doctrine of His Father, the only doctrine of the Father and the Son (3 Nephi 11:32-40). Note the phrasing of 'this is my doctrine' in 3 Nephi 11 is the same as "this is my gospel.' Just as important as knowing how Christ defines His Gospel is knowing how He defines repentance, baptism and enduring in faith in Christ to the end (2 Nephi 31&32). We continue searching His words until we make the intended connections, and 'see' the difference between His Gospel and His Doctrine. 

Being filled is to be filled with fire and with the Holy Ghost as the Father beareth record to you (3 Nephi 11:35). Without this witness you are not yet born again!

"and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. 

An important part of His Gospel is to endure to the end, and you do this as you continually repent, turn to Him and rely wholly upon His merits until the end. And the result? HIM I WILL HOLD GUILTLESS before His Father as He stands to judge the world. Can you imagine? 

And what about those who do not endure to the end?

"And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father. 

It is either His Justice or His mercy. If you choose to be judged by your works, you subject yourself to His maximum punishment--hewn down and cast into the fire--all the demands of justice as opposed to being found guiltless. If we would want to be covered by a mountain rather than be judged by Him, He gives us the choice of mercy.

"And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words. 

Christ emphasizes the importance of His Father's words which He has given unto you. In the Son are His Father's words being fulfilled.

"And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. 

You will only become clean because your garments have been washed in His blood, and it will be because of

1) your faith in Him and His merits, not your own,

2) the repentance of all your sins (you have given them all to Him), and

3) your faithfulness in Him unto the end.

"Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. 

These are His commandments or what we can do, and what we receive when we keep these commandments:

1) Repent and come unto Him,

2) Be baptized properly in His name whereby your sins die in Him and you are born of water and freed from being captive to your sins,

3) That you may be sanctified by fire and the Holy Gost (be born of fire),

4) That you may STAND SPOTLESS BEFORE HIM at His judgment. 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:13-21).

He begins by saying: what I am about to tell you is my Gospel.

         ".......My Gospel......."

He ends by saying: what I just told you is my Gospel.

So what He says between verse 13 and verse 21 is His Gospel given directly to you by Jesus Christ. 

I call your attention to what He says in verse 18: "This is his word which he has given unto the children of men". A reminder that His Father is the source of His words.

To someone like my brilliant friend why would he resist? Why would these words of Christ fall by the wayside? The answers to my questions are found in the Parable of the Sower.

Can I suggest an experiment? Read this post on the Parable of the Sower, followed by reading 3 Nephi 27:13-21 from your scriptures. Now ask yourself: what obstacles, if any, may prevent me from receiving into my heart Christ's words in 3 Nephi 27:13-21?

I hope that both you and my friend will soon be sharing Christ's real Gospel with others, so they too may receive His mercy, and that you both know as I do know, and the knowledge that I have is of God. Who would not want to know that at the judgment they can be found guiltless and spotless because of His righteousness? 

Jesus is indeed the Good News! He stands between us and God's justice!