DICTIONARY OF THE GOSPEL

A paperboy on the street corner yelling, "GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS, READ ALL ABOUT IT," will sell some newspapers. But if he were more specific and announced how this good news affects the public, he would sell even more papers. For instance, suppose he yelled; "GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS, READ ALL ABOUT IT. MAN INVENTS CURE FOR OLD AGE!" Now that would sell newspapers.

That is the purpose of this book. No, not to sell papers, but to inform you in a specific way about the good news that affects your eternal destiny. You see, the term "GOSPEL" means "GOOD NEWS." The good news published in this book is God's good news to you about an opportunity you have been given to receive eternal life freely.

There are many messages of "good news" in the Bible, but the message of good news for this present age is the good news that God has provided for everyone a free, total, and complete salvation from all our sins.

The book of Romans in the Bible is God's great explanation of how this salvation was accomplished. The simplicity of the gospel is that: (I Corinthians 15:3,4)

CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, WAS BURIED, AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES.

However, involved in that death and resurrection was a very precise, strategic, and technical accomplishment of a victory which God has won over sin, over death, and over Satan.

Now God desires you to know, to understand, and appreciate this "GOOD NEWS". For that reason the book of Romans used technical language that--when understood--thrills the heart of every Believer. When these technical terms are not understood, it results in confusion. Romans 3:21-28 heralds the good news of our salvation with such terms and doctrines as:

• "Righteousness"
• "Imputation"
• "Justification"
• "Grace"
• "Redemption"
• "Propitiation"
• "Faith"
• "Remission"
• "Forbearance"
• *"Reconciliation"
• *"Sanctification"

* The last two terms are from other portions of Scripture which shall be included in this study of "SALVATION".

There is much more confusion amongst Bible students over the question of salvation.

1. Is a person saved through faith alone?
2. Are works part of salvation?
3. Can a person know for sure he is saved?
4. What if a person sins again after being saved?
5. Can a person lose his salvation?

All of these questions can be answered simply, just by understanding the meaning of the terms which are listed on the previous page. This is why it is our purpose in this book to define these terms. At the end of the book we will review these questions and see how easily they are answered.

These eleven terms constitute what is called "THE GOSPEL". Therefore we have entitled this book: "DICTIONARY OF THE GOSPEL"