One of the reasons we are reticent to communicate the gospel to unbelievers is that we are uncertain of what we should say. What is the essence of the gospel? What is its most basic elements?
Many years ago, I learned a half-dozen words and some Scriptures that align with each truth that comprise the heart of the gospel message. Learn these words, and you will have one more tool in your belt of gospel witnessing tools.
Grace. Salvation is a free gift that cannot be earned and is not deserved (Rom. 6:23b; Eph. 2:8-9). Everything we have is from God and nothing we have from God is merited.
Man. Man is a sinner who cannot save himself (Rom. 3:23). The reason that he cannot save himself is that the standard of righteousness is perfection in all things that we ever do or think or ever could do or think (Mt. 5:48). And one failure means that perfection is permanently soiled and never again attainable.
God. God is love (1 Jn. 4:8; Jn. 3:16), but don’t ever assume that means that God will ever wink at sin. God’s love also works in perfect harmony with His justice which means that He will also punish sin and those who commit sin (Rom. 6:23; Ex. 34:7b).
Christ. Jesus Christ is the eternal God-Man. While being fully man, He is still also fully God (Jn. 1:1, 14) and deserves the same kind of worship as the Father (Jn. 5:23). And Jesus Christ also came to earth for the specific purpose of redeeming sinful men to God (Mk. 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:20-21).
Faith. The only means to receiving the salvation of God is through faith alone. This faith is not mere intellectual assent (even the demons have intellectual belief in the reality of God and Christ, Js. 2:18-19), but it is trusting that Christ’s death alone is adequate to pay for the penalty of your sins (Acts 16:31; Rom. 8:28).
Hope. For those who believe in Christ, there is the hope (confident expectation) that not only are we freed from the penalty of sin, but we are also freed from the power of sin (Rom. 6:17-22) — we no longer have to sin! And, the greatest hope of all is that we are restored to God. The fellowship with God that was broken in the Garden of Eden has been restored and we are in union with Him. This, in fact, is the real goal of the gospel. The intent of the gospel is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is granted through Christ so that the goal of the gospel can be achieved — restoring us to God (2 Cor. 5:18).
This is the gospel: grace, man, God, Christ, faith, and hope.
Or said even more simply, the good news of Christ is that on the cross, our sin is imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us so that we can enjoy God forever.
Words of Grace 