At The Village Church, we define and declare the Gospel in simple terms this way: Jesus lived a life we could not live (a sinless life), He died a death we should have died (a sinner's death), He rose to give us a life we could never have otherwise (resurrected life), and He alone is the way, the truth and the life – the only way to God.
At The Village Church we define and declare the Gospel in more detailed terms this way: There was, is, and always will be one God, who made heaven and earth and everything in it, including you and me. He made us in His image and likeness, like Him in many ways, and with dignity, value, worth and purpose.
But instead of fulfilling our ultimate purpose, bringing Him glory, we chose to sin against Him, to rebel against Him, to disobey Him, to in a sense substitute ourselves as god, attempting the de-goding of God, living our life by our own standards, and bringing ourselves glory instead of Him. Because we've done that, we've willingly separated ourselves from God, not wanting to relate to God, but to be god ourselves. In doing that, we've put ourselves under the judgment of God instead of the grace and mercy of God.
Even though we've done all of this, that God lovingly came into human history as the man Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, without the affects of generational sin, and lived a life without sin, even though he was tempted in every way you and I are. Even though Jesus lived a sinless life, he willingly went to the cross to die a sinners death, and in doing so substituted Himself for us, the sinless One for the sinful ones. Our first parents in the garden substituted themselves for God, just as we would have, and do, and at the cross Jesus reversed that substitution and substituted Himself for sinners. So when Jesus went to the cross He willingly took upon Him the sin of those who would come to trust in Him. That means that Jesus Christ, God who was a man, died in our place for our sins, satisfying the justice of God toward sin and securing the grace and mercy of God for those who believe in Him. Jesus dead body was then put in a tomb, and for three days he was buried. But on the third day Jesus rose from the grave, proving his authority over sin, death, hell, Satan and demons. In that authority he commissioned us to tell everyone this good news, that there is a God who passionately, continually, lovingly and relentlessly pursues us.
Forty days after raising from death, Jesus ascended into heaven. Today Jesus is alive and well and is ruling and reigning over everyone in every time and in every place, commanding everyone, everywhere to repent of everything they think, say or do against Him, and bring glory to Him in everything they think, say and do because of Him.
He is coming again to judge those who are still alive, as well as those who have died. Those who believe and trust in Him will enjoy eternity in His Kingdom of Heaven, the way things were always meant to be. Those who don't will endure eternity outside His Kingdom in hell, with conscious punishment for the way we've made things to be.