“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16

The Great Commission, the overarching mission from our Savior during the short time we have on this planet. These words we read in Mark 16 were some of the last Jesus spoke to his disciples before he was raptured up into the heavens before their eyes, and what a most important task they relayed. We Christians, as a body collective and as individuals, are called to spread what Jesus called the “gospel” to “every creature.”

Why? Because it is in the believing and immersion (baptizing) of oneself in this gospel truth that one receives eternal salvation!

Last week we began to think about Jesus’ place in the Universe. The Bible states that his rightful position is first place. By what criteria? By the fact that by him and for him all things were created and that because of his power the very elements in this vast Creation are held together (Colossians 1:15-19). That’s reason enough, right?! Sure it is, but sadly that’s not the place he holds in most people’s hearts.

What’s the solution? According to the Bible, a key in Jesus being able to ascend to his rightful position in the hearts of humanity is the proclaiming of his gospel.

So, we need to preach Christ’s gospel, but what really is the gospel of Jesus Christ? In our previous article we touched on the fact that the gospel is the “good news” of what Jesus has done for us through his death and resurrection. It’s the truth that he won for us a forgiveness of sin and a reconciliation with God that could not be provided any other way. The “good news” of Jesus is that we can receive eternal life through him!

Now, as a Christian in our area, you might be thinking, “Okay, tell me something I don’t know!” Yes, we are blessed in this area to have many churches that proclaim this aspect of the good news about what Jesus has done for us. Growing up, most in our area have had the opportunity to hear this part of the gospel more than once. But did you know that Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke in Romans 15:29 about a “fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ”? He did, and to that end we see that there is more to this gospel than what many have grown up hearing about.

There is a full gospel—not a different gospel than what we read of and see demonstrated in the Bible, mind you—but a more complete picture of what Jesus has done for us that we all need to embrace irrespective of church affiliation. Why? Well, isn’t it obvious? The more we embrace the fullness of the gospel, the more Jesus will be able to fill our lives and ascend to the throne of our hearts!

We receive Christ into our hearts by faith, and without faith demonstrated towards him, he doesn’t have access to where he desires to go. The more we believe he can and will do for us, the more he will have permission to accomplish in our lives (remember that thing called free will).

So, what is the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Jesus? What is this full gospel that I’m speaking of? If you really want to know, look further into that passage in Mark 16 that relays the Great Commission. We’ve already noted verses 15-16, but look at what verses 17-18 describe. There, it states that those who receive and believe this gospel of Christ will demonstrate its truth in their lives in tangible ways when it declares, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Whoa, that’s a different-looking gospel than what we’ve usually seen. Isn’t it? Yet, that’s what the Bible calls the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.