“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
The word gospel means good news. So what is this good news? It is the “free gift of God” of “eternal life” through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bridge
A simple illustration of this is think of a bridge. We, by sinning and rebelling against God, have burnt the bridge between God and us. But the good news is that God, through Jesus Christ, has rebuilt the bridge. He now invites us to return to him.
This might be a very simple illustration of the good news. But it is a true illustration. By becoming selfish and self-centered. We have separated ourselves from God. But God has provided a way to overcome that self-centeredness and return to a life of God-centeredness.
Atonement
This is the basic idea of the atonement. It is, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the process of making us at-one with God. It is a story of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. It is a story of The prodigal son returning to his loving father who waits with open arms.
This is the good news. God awaits our return with open arms. The obstacle is not with God, it is with us. God has rebuilt the bridge, but it’s up to us to cross it.