The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel of Jesus Christ was pivotal in the birth of the movement by Salvation Army founders William and Catherine Booth in London, England in 1865. Today, The Salvation Army’s mission remains “to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

What is the Gospel?

The word “Gospel” simply means “good news.” When Christian believers talk about sharing the Gospel, they are referring to the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, since it was His sacrificial death for all mankind that allows us to experience God’s grace and forgiveness. By accepting this grace and forgiveness, and placing our faith in God to guide us through our time on Earth, we can experience eternal life.

The record of Jesus’ life on Earth and His sacrificial death is found in the Bible, throughout the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. For this reason, they are often referred to as the Gospel books.

If you want to know more, you can read this good news for yourself in the Bible. The Bible is God’s word, recorded by His followers throughout history. You can also ask Christian believers, including Salvation Army officers, to help you learn more.

Salvation Army Doctrine

The book of Salvation Army church doctrines (read our doctrinal statements) confirms that the gospel is to be proclaimed and describes it in this way, “The love and mercy of God are mysteries beyond human comprehension. Jesus Christ suffered and died to save the whole world and was raised by the Father. In the atonement, we recognize the astounding generosity of God’s love toward all people … the church’s mission is to share the message of this generosity,” (p. 132-133).

The Salvation Story study guide further explains, “The presentation of Christ as Savior by all branches of the Christian church has been the cross … the sign of the atoning grace of God through the salvation act of the death of Christ for the sins of the world,” (p. 63).

In the Bible, the gospel message to be proclaimed by those who believe can be found in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-8. Here the “most basic ingredients of the gospel message” are summarized by the apostle Paul, according to Bible.com.

Faith in Action

So, how does The Salvation Army put the message of the gospel into action? By being the hands and feet of God to those in need and walking with people through hardships. Read a story about how this looks in our everyday service.