June 20, 2025
No Christian, that I know of, dislikes the word ‘gospel’. It is one thing that all Christians agree on, that is, until what they mean by “the gospel” is defined. Let’s look at how differently the gospel is defined by those who claim to be Christian. We all recognize the word ‘gospel’ means, “good news”, but what is the ‘good news’ exactly?
Evangelical Christian definition of the gospel, (not just one denomination but many are included in this category)
The gospel is the good news that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sinners can be forgiven, justified by faith, and receive eternal life. The key elements of the gospel are;
- that all humans are born sinners, with a sinful nature, and in need of salvation.
- Jesus died as a substitute for sinners (penal substitution).
- Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Yet, in direct contradiction to that last statement, many evangelicals also believe that individuals must personally satisfy two conditions, which are that we must repent and trust in Jesus to be saved from sin and hell.
The evangelical idea of repentance is a change of mind only (if it is preached at all) and not the forsaking of all sin, which they believe is impossible. Evangelicals, generally speaking, believe that Christians continue to sin regularly for the rest of their lives. (See my articles on repentance titled, Repent).
Calvinism’s definition of the gospel
High Calvinism’s definition of the gospel is much like evangelical’s but they emphasize God’s sovereign initiative in salvation. The gospel is not just the offer of salvation but the effectual call, in which God irresistibly draws the elect to Himself as a result of His precreation decree. Only the elect is actually saved and going to heaven. The key elements in most expressions of Calvinism are;
- the total depravity of man whereby man is unable to choose God on his own.
- Christ’s atonement is only for the elect not the non-elect.
- God’s regeneration of people proceeds faith.
- Justification is by faith alone, but faith too is a gift of grace from God.
- The gospel is a proclamation of what God has already done in Christ to save sinners, not what man must do to be saved.
- There are no conditions to salvation. God alone saves us, and we contribute nothing to it because we are totally depraved and totally unable.
Repentance follows regeneration, and faith and all are gifts from God. Repentance means that some sin is stopped but not completely, even though this theology is deterministic. God apparently didn’t decree that Christians would cease from all sin. They believe Christian’s sin in thought, word and deed daily all of which is determined or decreed by God. Nonetheless all who are elect will persevere unto eternal life.
Liberal Christians definition of the gospel
Liberal or progressive Christians define the gospel as the message of God’s love, justice, and inclusive kingdom made manifest in Jesus’ life and teachings. Their gospel is especially compassionate toward the marginalized (homosexuals and transgender individuals) and toward social reform. They often reinterpret scripture in light of contemporary ethics, psychology and culture. Many affirm and celebrate same-sex marriage, and the ordination of homosexuals to ministry positions. They also affirm and celebrate transgender identity. As yet they do not affirm pedophilia. The key elements are;
- a focus on the life and ethics of Jesus. For example, love your neighbor, care for the poor.
- There is much less emphasis on substitutionary atonement or a literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
- Their gospel is more about bringing the kingdom of God on earth than about escaping hell in the future.
- Salvation is often seen as personal and communal wholeness, not rescue from God’s wrath or from the power of sin.
Their ideas about repentance focus on social evil and social justice more than individual evil. Most liberal Christians embrace sinful behaviors that other more conservative and evangelical Christian’s regard as sinful and wicked such as homosexuality, baby killing and gender confusion.
Southern Baptist definition of the gospel. This is the largest Protestant denomination and is part of evangelical Christianity
Southern Baptists are a major branch of evangelical Christianity. They define the gospel similar to evangelicals but with a strong emphasis on biblical inerrancy, individual decision, and public profession of faith (in baptism). Key elements are;
- sinners are under judgment and all of us are born sinners with a sinful nature.
- Christ died as a substitutionary atonement.
- Salvation comes by personal decision to accept Christ and if repentance is mentioned it is just a synonym for faith or a change of mind only.
- Believers are not to expected to repent of all sin, for that is not possible.
- Believers should be immersed in water to be baptized.
- Evangelism and missions are gospel imperatives.
- SBC states that the gospel is the good news that “God, by His grace, will save all who turn from sin, and trust in Jesus Christ.” But turning from sin doesn’t mean the forsaking of all sin.
With respect to repentance from all sin, they don’t believe that is possible because we are born with a sinful nature that we have with us until we die. At the same time, there is a strong belief in eternal security no matter how wicked Christians remain. Some in this group would say that those who continue to sin a great deal were never saved in the first place, while others would say that even those who do continue to sin a great deal are still eternally secure. Like Charles Stanley once wrote, a real believer may not have any fruit at all but that doesn’t mean they are not saved.
Eastern Orthodox definition of the gospel
They define the gospel as the announcement that Christ, through His incarnation, death and resurrection, has conquered sin, death, and the devil, and has opened the way for humanity’s union with God (theosis). Key elements are;
- that Christ is victorious over death (Pascha) is central.
- Sin is more a disease than guilt, salvation is healing. (I do not like their explanation because sin is a criminal act and carries guilt with it. Sin is not a disease like catching a fever, cold, the flue, cancer or any disease.)
- These next statements by the Eastern Orthodox Church are very good, pay attention please. They say the gospel is not just forgiveness of sins but of restoration and transformation.
- The incarnation is just as important as the crucifixion.
- Salvation is entering into the divine life through Christ and participation in the divine nature. They say “the gospel is the joyful message that Jesus Christ has trampled down death by death and offers eternal life and communion with God.”
Eastern Orthodox believes that repentance from all sin is a key part of the gospel. Holiness of heart is seen both as ontological and moral at the same time. Christians become partakers of the divine nature as is promised in Peter’s epistles. Saints of God are to be models of holiness. Sin is the exception and not the rule in the life of a true Christian according to the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is much different than the western branch of Christianity.
The things that cause me concern about the Eastern Orthodox Church;
- emphasis on liturgy and ritual,
- confession of sin to a priest is required for absolution like in the Roman Catholic Church,
- sacerdotalism-baptism, chrismation, Eucharist, confession, ordination, marriage, anointing of the sick all of which are grace imparting like in the Roman Catholic Church,
- their belief in the real presence in the Eucharist, which is almost identical to transubstantiation,
- the veneration of Icons, which are central to liturgical life,
- the role of tradition is equal to the Bible, which is very much like what the Roman Catholic Church believes,
- apostolic succession like the Roman Catholic Church,
- baptismal regeneration like the Roman Catholic Church,
- and praying to Mary and the saints which is like the Roman Catholic Church.
Summary of Eastern Orthodox gospel
The Eastern Orthodox position on sin and holiness is definitely more Biblical than the others mentioned above and the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not believe in the Augustinian notion of total depravity, especially that of the Augustinian Calvinist and Augustinian Roman Catholics, even though they do believe we are born inclined to sin.
They believe in Ancestral Sin not Original Sin. Adam’s sin brought death, corruption and a tendency to sin but not inherited guilt. People are born into a broken world with a weakened nature as a result of Adam’s sin. (Did Jesus have a weakened nature? If not, then how can He know what it is like to be tempted as we are?)
We inherit mortality not guilt and not a totally depraved nature. Human nature is damaged not destroyed by the fall. Free will is weakened but not obliterated as in Augustinian Calvinism. People can and are expected to cooperate (synergy) with God’s grace. Salvation is healing not just legal forgiveness. Salvation is the restoration of the image and likeness of God in humanity according to the Eastern Orthodox Church. And I agree with them on much of this. (See chart below from ChatGPT that explains the difference between Ancestral sin and Original Sin).
Final Comments
To posit that humanity can and must cooperate with the God (as in Eastern Orthodox Churches and a few evangelicals) is to invite the charge of Pelagianism or the accusation of heresy by the rest of the Christian Church. Eastern Orthodox Christians, and a few evangelical Christians, do not think cooperation with God is a works-based salvation or legalism, which most evangelicals reject categorically even though some of them do believe there is at least one condition we must meet to be saved and that is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is synergy and cooperation even if they do not recognize it or admit it. As R. C. Sproul once said, “Is not faith a good work, surely it is not a bad work”.
Only the 5-point Calvinist is consistent in this matter. They believe salvation is all of God from start to finish and we contribute nothing to our own salvation. This is not what the Bible teaches but at least it is consistent.
Is the gospel;
- God alone saves, or,
- that we save ourselves without God’s assistance and grace, or,
- that both God and us have part in our own salvation?
The 5-point Calvinist says that God alone saves and we have no part in it whatsoever. God gets all the credit. But He also gets all the blame for not saving everyone. All of the elect are saved eternally by the decree of God. The non-elect has no power to believe and repent and God rejected them for His own glory, when He could have just as easily elected them to salvation.
The moderate Calvinist and most evangelicals (most of whom are moderate Calvinists even if they say they are not) claim that we must believe in Christ or have faith in Christ, to be saved. That is the only condition that we are responsible to meet. And that believing or faith in Christ (and sometimes they include repentance) doesn’t mean we Christians stop sinning. It might mean we stop a few sins but certainly not all sins against God. And after we once believe, grace becomes irresistible and we lose our free will, and are eternally secure. Both of which are tenants of deterministic Calvinism and assure the Christian of eternal salvation even when the Christian dies in an impenitent state.
R. C. Sproul is correct. All those who claim that we have any part in our own salvation are preaching a works-based salvation even if we evangelicals adamantly deny it. And many moderate Calvinist’s do in fact deny that they are preaching a works-based salvation when they make faith a condition of their salvation. And this is anathema to most evangelicals although they actually do believe we save ourselves, in part. Are you with me?
Faith without works is a dead faith. Faith without obedience is not a saving faith. Faith without faithfulness is the faith of devils and most of the evangelical church. Faith is a good work and a condition of salvation. It is our part of salvation and God will not do it for us. Repentance from sin is also our part. Only we can repent of our sins. Don’t listen to those who tell you that God does this for you.
Salvation is a gift from God. On that, all Christians agree. But that doesn’t mean there are no conditions to receiving this gift. And this is the hang up. Most evangelical Christians have been brain washed into to believing that having any conditions attached to salvation means we earn our own salvation, which is a works-based salvation and God doesn’t get all the glory as He does in five-point Calvinism. But remember this about hyper Calvinism, if God alone (we have no part in it) determines who will and who will not be saved from hell, then God gets all the blame if any people are sent to hell. You can’t have it both ways.
What does the Bible teach?
There are passages in the Bible that declare that God is the author of salvation and that He deserves the credit. Amen. But there are many passages that declare that sinners are also responsible for their own salvation, and God expects them to fulfill His conditions if they want to be healed, forgiven, pardoned and saved. Fulfilling the conditions of salvation, in order to receive the gift of God, does not mean that we save ourselves without the grace of God. God is the procuring cause and source, of our salvation. He is the “that for the sake of which”, while the conditions of our salvation are the “that not without which.” Satisfying the conditions would accomplish nothing if God had not done His part in making salvation possible.
Think of salvation this way. A man and a woman get married and promise to be faithful to each other for life. But the husband is unfaithful to his wife and commits adultery. In most situations, the wife will never forgive him and stay married to him, until he does two things at a minimum. First, he stops the adultery immediately, and, second, he promises never to do it again. If he does that, she may stay married to him and give him another chance, even though in the eyes of God, she can divorce him. She rightfully has conditions attached to staying married to her husband. If the marriage is saved, who saved the marriage? Obviously, the wife is the source (procuring cause) but the husband is also part of the salvation of their marriage if he meets the conditions she has laid out. If he refuses, the marriage ends.
Our relationship with God is similar. Sinners have committed spiritual adultery against God. God is willing to give us a second chance, if we will stop the adultery. God in His grace is kind, compassionate, longsuffering, and willing to pardon us if we will meet His conditions. Does that not make perfect sense? That is the gospel. God is reaching out to sinners who will die in their sins if they do not repent and exercise faith in God. God wants all to come to salvation and He doesn’t want to lose anyone. He wants to be reconciled to all of humanity and the only reason that will not take place is because some of us refuse to believe Him, trust Him and stop our spiritual adultery.
A good example of salvation is this parable. A certain young man, by his profligate living, developed a life threating illness. The medical doctor told him that if he wants to be healed, he must stop certain activities and take the prescribed medication each day over a number of days to be healed.
How does this story end if the young man has no faith? The young man refused to clean up his behavior and refused to take the medicine as the doctor ordered. It did not take long for the illness to progress and he fell gravely ill and shortly thereafter he died.
How does this story end if the young man has faith? He did as the doctor ordered him to do. He cleaned up his behavior and took the prescription as directed by the doctor. It did not take long for him to see a big improvement in his health. And within a short period of time, he regained his health entirely and was healed from that life threatening illness.
Who saved this profligate young man? The doctor (God) is primarily responsible for correctly diagnosing his illness and prescribing the correct medicine and dosage for him to be healed. But the young man also healed himself by following the doctor’s orders about stopping his risky behavior and by taking the medicine exactly as ordered by the doctor over the number of days. If the man did not listen and obey the doctor, he would not be healed and would die. Additionally, the medicine healed the young man. All of these were conditions of his healing: the doctor, the medicine and his obedience to the doctor’s orders.
This is exactly what Biblical salvation looks like. Yet, many evangelicals will quote Ephesians 2:8-10 and say that this is a works-based salvation when the conditions of healing are met. Do you honestly believe this young man would go around bragging that he healed himself (saved himself) and would not give credit where credit is due? Preposterous.
The gospel is not just good news. It’s great news.
Ancestral Sin vs. Inherited Sinful Nature
This document compares the Eastern Orthodox doctrine of Ancestral Sin with the Western/Protestant doctrine of Inherited Sinful Nature, highlighting their differences regarding the human condition, guilt, and grace.
| Concept | Eastern Orthodox (Ancestral Sin) | Western/Protestant (Inherited Sinful Nature) |
| Origin | From the early Greek Fathers (e.g., St. Irenaeus, St. Athanasius) | From Augustine, expanded by Reformers like Calvin |
| What is inherited? | Death, corruption, weakened will, inclination to sin | Guilt, total corruption of nature, inability to choose God |
| Are we guilty of Adam’s sin? | ❌ No — we are not born guilty | ✅ Yes — we are born guilty (especially in Calvinism) |
| View of Human Nature | Still bears God’s image, though distorted | Totally depraved, unable to choose good without regenerating grace |
| Effect on Free Will | Weakened but still active (can cooperate with grace) | Bound in sin (cannot choose God without irresistible grace) |
| Need for Grace? | Yes — to heal and restore | Yes — to regenerate and enable response |
| Analogy | *Sickness inherited from Adam* | *Guilt and corruption inherited from Adam* |
| Salvation Seen As | Healing (spiritual medicine) and union with God | Legal justification and transformation |
