The Gospel is the truth that shows us our sinful state (both volitionally and non-volitionally) before a holy God.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us we are in need of a perfect substitute who lived the perfect life that we, as both naturally and willfully sinful creatures, are not able to live.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us that we need a perfect substitute who is able to take the wrath of God for us, which we incurred by our willful disobedience to His holy standard, if we are to survive.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us Who that perfect substitute, set up by almighty God, is.
The Gospel is the truth that reveals that by taking our sins on Himself, that perfect substitute innocently bore our sins and was punished for the crimes we perpetrated against our holy Creator.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us that when our perfect substitute died and was buried, He took all of our sins to the grave with Him, forever burying them.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us that by raising Himself from the dead, our perfect substitute enabled us to be free from the bonds of sin, death, and hell.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us that our perfect substitute ascended to the Father to sit at His right hand, while at the same time leaving us a Comforter, who guides us into all truth.
The Gospel is the truth that shows us that our perfect substitute (Jesus Christ) is coming back to this earth someday to rapture His saints, and ultimately set up His kingdom, where His saints will be finally free from every aspect of the curse of sin.
Our reaction to the Gospel must not be one of indifference. It must not be one of light-heartedness. It must not be one of disbelief. It must not be one of a disregarding spirit.
Our reaction must not be to pray a simple prayer. It must not be to superstitiously "ask Jesus into our hearts." It must not be to desire heaven or any other benefits of the Gospel.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of trembling, realizing that we are under the condemnation of a holy God because we have violated His nature.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of repentance, changing how we see our sins and selfishness as we understand the severity of our depravity.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of crying out to God, fully relying and throwing ourselves on the mercy of God because of the work our substitute (Jesus) did on our behalf.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of trust, resting in the knowledge that the work Jesus did for us is sufficient to pacify the wrath of God, make us accepted into God's family, translate us from the kingdom of darkness in to the kingdom of light, and ultimately free us from the bonds of sin and death forever.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of humility, realizing that the holy, righteous God of the universe took on Himself the form of a servant and humbled Himself even unto death for sinful man.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of remembrance, always calling to our minds the fact that we are sinful creatures who have been shown mercy when we did not deserve it.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of cultivation, cultivating in us the mind of Christ, Who had the right to revile when He was reviled, Who had the right to reject when He was rejected, yet chose to give Himself a ransom for His rebellious creation.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of mercy, showing mercy to others when they wrong us, when they hurt us, when they revile and reject us, because we ourselves have been shown mercy by the Father.
Our reaction to the Gospel must be one of action, not only in telling others of the suffering substitutionary Saviour, but also in daily walking in remembrance and in light what was done for us.
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