The Gospel of Jesus Christ

 Before studying Scripture, one needs to be saved. Scripture, after all, tells us our understanding of Scripture is from a spiritual standpoint.

1 Corinthians 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

A person must be born again in order to understand the things of God. Being born again comes at the point you believe on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as your only means of salvation. This is the Gospel spoken of in Scripture.

Many people go through life with the idea that they have today to live and they will be here tomorrow, also. There is no urgency concerning the fact their days on this earth are numbered.

Hebrews 9:27
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

and again it is written,

James 4:14
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

If a person dies without believing on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for their salvation, that person will end up in the eternal lake of fire. Jesus is that payment for sin.
Sin is what causes every person to die at some point.

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The only thing anyone can earn is death and not salvation. The wages of sin is death. God also tells us here that his gift to us is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no other way other than Jesus.

John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

A very recognizable portion of Scripture is that found in John 3:16.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Believing on Jesus is the most important decision one can make in their life. No other decision carries the weight of not only consequences in this life, but the life to come. We are saved from God's wrath on sin when we believe on Jesus as our only way to deal with the sin problem we are born with. This requires us to turn towards God and away from our sinful life. Peter said it this way,

2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Paul tells us exactly what the Gospel is in 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 4.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

As Paul spoke, I preach this unto you first. You must be born again and therefore saved. After being saved, you, too, will be able to study God's Word as God would have you to do.

2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.