Some people have the false understanding that the word "gospel" means "the truth." While the gospel is also the truth, that is not what the word "gospel" means. Others simply think that the gospel is a synonym for the Bible. While the gospel is found in the Bible, the Bible is not the gospel. So, one may ask, provided the answer isn't already apparent, what is the meaning behind the word "gospel?" Well, the literal meaning, and correct meaning, is "good news." What better news could there possibly be than the news that the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, God with us in the flesh gave His own life so that you and everyone else may have eternal life with Him? What better news is there that by God's grace through your faith alone you are saved. God sacrificed His only begotten Son, spilling Jesus Christ's blood, only for that Son to rise on the third day after His burial to pay for your sins and the sins of everyone who will ever live in this period of grace. There is no better news than the undeniable, objective truth that God loved you and everyone else so much that He suffered, bled, died, and overcame death for mankind, knowing the sins of everyone who has ever lived, is alive right now, and will ever live. There is no better news than the life-changing truth that there is not a single work, not prayer, not physical labor, not spreading the Word of God, not confession, and not repentance of sins, that can save you, but the work that Jesus has already done. Not only is faith in the gospel not a work, but it's not even what saves you! The blood of Jesus is the payment necessary for your salvation; it is the detergent that removes the stains from your soul for all eternity; it is the fire that burns away the evil in your heart. God's free gift of grace is what saves you, the great deed that the King of Kings has done. Your faith is merely your hand reaching forth and grabbing that gift that you don't even deserve. And rejoice at the knowledge that your sins have been paid for, as this has eternal affect on your soul. Yes, the third heaven, the first being the atmosphere and the second being space, is real, but so is hell, and so is the lake of fire! Every person alive and every person who ever was or will be alive has sinned or will sin, according to Romans 3:23 of the King James Bible, which states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" The only man alive today that is able to claim to have never sinned is the man Jesus, having risen from the grave, and He has taken upon the weight of our sins. Many verses paint a clear picture of a literal hell and a literal lake of fire existing as a place of torment for those who were not found with their names in the book of life, and an entire day could be dedicated toward discussing these places and the differences between them. The most important thing is to acknowledge their existence, with references such as Revelation 21:8, which says quite clearly, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 20:15 also explains, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Many verses of the Word of God come to the same conclusion, but one final example is a warning that should cause the blood of anyone who has not had faith in the gospel to crystalize. This verse is found in Matthew 10:28, reading, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Those that believe the writings of eternal damnation in the Bible are nothing more than scare tactics meant to keep people instilled with specific morals or turn believers into docile beings are making a grave mistake. Believers are given a free way out that relies on the exact opposite of their own merit, possessing no fear of death, while the nonbeliever is struck in the face with, provided they never change their mind, their certain future of eternal torment. Perhaps the worst and hardest to accept fact included in this knowledge is that most of their loved ones will suffer the same fate as them. This picture of fiery torment is a warning of the future of those who have never had faith, not a warning of the future of those that sin! Once a Christian is saved, that salvation can never be undone. One who does not believe that this "once saved always saved" view is correct may frequently point to Revelation 22:19, which states, "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." However, when the phrase "take away his part out of the book of life" is processed with the context of the rest of the verse and the rest of the Bible, it becomes apparent that this is not at all a claim that a saved Christian can lose salvation. This verse explains that it is a sin to take words out of the Bible, but it is not a sin that holds more power than the power held by Jesus Christ. The Bible makes it clear in every situation that the wages of sin is death, and that a sinner cannot be with God. A saved Christian, however, is a spotless, blameless person in the eyes of God, having sinned, but having been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. John 6:39 affirms the position that a Christian cannot lose salvation, Jesus Himself saying, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." This quote directly from Jesus makes it clear that every soul that belongs to Jesus will not be lost by Him, and instead will be raised up on the final day. The Book of John also includes in chapter 10, verses 28 through 29, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." This paints a clear picture of salvation being eternal, unreturnable, and secure. Furthermore, the blood of Jesus is not the blood of an ordinary man, but the blood of God. Some claim that Jesus is not the Lord, however, many verses swiftly and thoroughly debunk this. The very next verse out of the Book of John claims, from the mouth of Jesus, "I and my Father are one." The very first chapter out of the Book of John has a more thorough explanation, reading in verses one and two, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." This chapter later states in verse 14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." This very definitively explains that Jesus is God, the only begotten son of God the Father, and the Word of God. There are many verses that corroborate this, such as John 5:18, John 8:55-58, and John 20:28. So, as a culmination of all this information, one may wonder what the biblical perspective of the gospel is. The answer is found in verses one through four of chapter 15 of Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians. Here, it is said, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" Salvation being by grace through faith and not requiring works is proved with Ephesians 2:8-9 of the King James Bible, which reads, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." These verses lay out a plain view of the good news, or the gospel, that we are to trust in: Jesus Christ suffered, bled, died, and resurrected on the third day, overcoming death. This allows us to be saved without any merit or works of our own, and entirely through the gift God has demanded we accept.