The Core of the Gospel and God’s Love
A central theme that Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes in his sermons and lectures is the “Gospel.” He understands the gospel as the entire work of salvation encompassing the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, into this world, His taking upon Himself all of humanity’s sin and suffering, His death, and His resurrection that opened the path to new life for humankind. For him, the gospel is not merely a religious doctrine; it is the decisive event that overturns everything on both a historical and a cosmic scale.
As a foundational starting point for defining the gospel, John 3:16 is always cited: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” This verse clearly shows that above all else, the gospel proclaims the “love of God.” Citing this passage, Pastor David Jang stresses that although we were beings forever cut off by our sin, God sent Jesus Christ as a complete gift of grace. He emphasizes that we should deeply meditate on this truth. We can rejoice in the gospel and be filled with holy awe and humility before it precisely because of the magnitude of God’s love.
He frequently quotes Romans 5:8 as well: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This indicates that God did not extend His love to humanity because we had any merit. Rather, even though humankind was under sin and in a state completely unable to attain salvation through its own efforts, God sent Jesus Christ unconditionally. Here, Pastor David Jang argues that we must not reduce the gospel to a moral example or a religious ritual; we must recognize it purely as an act of grace. In other words, the gospel is given not because of human virtue or righteousness, but as a “gift of God,” leaving no room for human boasting.
Calling the gospel an “event of love,” Pastor David Jang highlights that the cross is the place where this love is most concretely displayed. Love can become empty if it is only spoken of, but God’s love became a historical fact through Jesus Christ’s self-emptying, His death, and His resurrection. The event in which Jesus completely emptied Himself, bore the sins of humanity, and became a sacrificial offering cannot be compared to any other form of love—indeed, it is absolutely “unique.” He states that this love is, in essence, the very heart of the good news the gospel proclaims.
And if the gospel is love, then bearing witness to that love is an inevitable necessity. That is to say, those who have come to know that the Son of God came to this earth, died for us, and broke the power of death through His resurrection are inevitably compelled to “testify” to that truth. Pastor David Jang often points to the examples of the disciples and apostles in the Book of Acts. Even in the face of severe persecution, Stephen proclaimed Jesus as the Savior of humanity up until the moment he was stoned to death as a martyr. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter proclaimed the gospel publicly before all Jerusalem, and Paul traveled to foreign lands, never ceasing to bear witness to the gospel. They risked their lives, paying any price necessary to tell the world that Jesus is the “true way to life.”
The reason this testimony was possible is that they did not merely learn the gospel as “knowledge,” but rather experienced it as “love.” Pastor David Jang calls this experience of love “being captivated by the gospel.” If the gospel remains at the level of “an intellectual understanding of who Jesus is,” it ends up being the same sort of Pharisaic knowledge. True gospel experience is recognizing that the love of Jesus Christ has resolved one’s sin and despair, resulting in the transformation of one’s entire being. Thus, those who come to know Jesus Christ naturally become witnesses of the gospel and receive the mission to proclaim “the love of God” to the world.
Pastor David Jang also emphasizes that this gospel is open to everyone. Regardless of background, education, or moral qualifications, Jesus Christ’s cross has proclaimed “the forgiveness of sins and new life” to all sinners. Referencing Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, where he declares, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21), he affirms that the gospel is certainly not confined to any particular ethnic group or people. Therefore, the message he leads with—the common thread of “God’s love”—transcends national, linguistic, historical, and cultural barriers, coming as a complete grace to all lives in anguish because of sin.
Furthermore, he repeatedly reminds listeners that the gospel is both a cosmic and a personal message. It is a cosmic-level event that changes the destiny of all humankind; at the same time, it is a power that transforms an individual’s inner self and attitude toward life. When we receive and believe the gospel, it no longer remains a concept or doctrine but becomes a new, explosive life-force within us. Those who have received love cannot help but pass on that love; those who have experienced grace cannot help but proclaim that grace to the world. Therefore, Pastor David Jang insists that the gospel is the only true hope needed by this world, and that the Church and any community must be built upon that sure foundation.
He also cites Galatians 6:2—“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”—as a fruit that should naturally appear among those who believe and follow the gospel. If the gospel is love, then the community of those who proclaim the gospel must necessarily overflow with the joy and unity of love. When Jesus declared, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), this did not mean subduing the world by force but rather achieving paradoxical victory through love and service. Consequently, when the Church embraces the gospel and truly loves one another to serve the world, that in itself becomes a powerful testimony to the world, emphasizes Pastor David Jang.
In conclusion, Pastor David Jang’s message can be summed up by the proclamation: “At the heart of the gospel is the fact that the Son of God came for us, died for us, and completed His love through the resurrection.” No philosophical theory or ethical teaching can replace this great love story, which is open to every sinner on this earth: that is the gospel. And once anyone stands before this gospel, they inevitably respond to this event of love with a transformed life, which is his primary emphasis.
Sin, Righteousness, and the Path of Atonement
The second core theme that Pastor David Jang explores in depth is “sin, righteousness, and atonement.” If the gospel is love, why did humanity need such sacrifice and salvation? He explains that underneath it all lies the problem of sin—one that humans cannot resolve on their own.
First, he teaches that one must properly understand what sin is in order to fully realize the love and grace of the gospel. Throughout Scripture, sin is far more than just moral failures or transgressions against social norms. He draws attention to the definition of sin laid out by Paul in Romans 1: sin is “not wanting to retain God in one’s mind.” Deep within human nature is a fundamental inclination to turn away from God and be one’s own master, and consequently, the entire world has fallen under sin’s dominion.
Continuing, Pastor David Jang summarizes the impact of sin as “the reign of death.” Once humanity is under sin, the outcome is death. This does not merely refer to physical death but points to eternal destruction and separation. Hence, no matter how many good deeds we do or how strictly we follow the law, we are in a hopeless situation from which we cannot escape sin and the power of death on our own. The law merely exposes our sin more clearly and shows us what it is; it does not provide complete deliverance from sin.
It is at this point that the atoning sacrifice (대속, daesok) of Jesus Christ emerges. Atonement literally means “someone else paying the price on your behalf,” but Pastor David Jang stresses that we should not see it as a merely commercial transaction. He explains that the sacrificial system of the Old Testament (especially the Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16), in which the blood of animals was shed to cover the people’s sins, came to its “complete realization” in the cross of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus voluntarily took upon Himself the penalty of death incurred by the disobedience and rebellion of all sinners.
Pastor David Jang frequently cites Romans 5:18-19 to clarify the concept of atonement: “Just as one man—Adam—brought all humanity under sin, so too, through one man—Jesus Christ—many are declared righteous and come to life.” This is Paul’s declaration that Jesus Christ has, at once, overturned the fundamental limitation that kept humanity chained to sin.
He adds that the essence of atonement is “love.” If we understand atonement solely through a lens of legal justice, we might form an image of a “righteous judge” who is obliged to enforce punishment on sinners, so someone else steps in to pay the required price (blood). However, the scene of Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross is more than a mystical or judicial transaction of “receiving the punishment in our place.” Pastor David Jang explains that it is the “complete gift of God” to us, and an act of “self-sacrificial love” that Jesus willingly offered. When we grasp this, we finally understand why the cross event exerts such far-reaching impact.
Thus, humankind is now given the path to be declared “righteous” through faith in this atoning love and by believing the gospel. This principle of “justification by faith” (so central in Paul’s Epistles, such as Galatians) precisely aligns with the logic of the gospel Pastor David Jang teaches. He says that the moment we receive the gospel, we no longer remain in the status of “sinners,” but are declared “righteous” before God. This is not because we suddenly become morally perfect, but because Jesus Christ has already paid the price for our sins. It is the theological concept of “imputed righteousness” made real.
Pastor David Jang also often quotes the instruction from Hebrews to “go outside the camp.” In the Old Testament sacrificial rites, animals that had taken on the sins of the people were sent out of the camp and slain. Likewise, Jesus was crucified outside the city walls on Golgotha, thus completing the role of the “scapegoat.” The exhortation “let us go to Him outside the camp” is read as a challenge to participate in Jesus’ suffering and to imitate His atoning path.
The crucial point here is that we should not just learn about atonement as a theological term or merely grasp it intellectually. Pastor David Jang stresses that atonement is the heart of the gospel and therefore urges that we also emulate the path that Jesus walked. That is, when we “live out the gospel” in this world, we must bear one another’s burdens and sometimes endure persecution and misunderstanding, choosing a life of love and service. This is the concrete expression of receiving Jesus’ “atoning love” as a lifestyle. We cannot change the world by pointing fingers or with force, but we can heal it with love—by offering ourselves just as Jesus did and going “outside the camp.”
Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes that atonement is ultimately “completed” when it is combined with the “resurrection.” If the event of Jesus’ crucifixion was the decisive sacrifice bearing the sins of humanity, then His resurrection is God’s ultimate proclamation of having broken even the power of death. If Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, the message of atonement would remain only half-finished. But with the real event of the resurrection, the bonds of sin and death have been severed, and the power of salvation that grants new life is confirmed. If atonement represents the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection represents the “eternal life” granted to those whose sins are forgiven.
In conclusion, Pastor David Jang’s teaching on “sin, righteousness, and the path of atonement” forms the structural core of the gospel. Humanity was under sin, helpless under the law to solve that condition, but through the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, people are lifted into the status of righteousness. Those who experience this righteousness leave behind a self-centered life to bear each other’s burdens, willingly stepping outside the camp, and choosing a life of love and obedience amid suffering. This path is diametrically opposed to the world’s values—a “way of the cross” that appears paradoxical, but it is the true power of salvation.
Salvation and Resurrection as a Cosmic Event
The third theme Pastor David Jang emphasizes is that the gospel is not simply about individual spiritual experiences or about living a pious life in the church, but is actually a “cosmic event.” The birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are historical events confined to a particular time and place and yet simultaneously serve as a decisive turning point that impacts the entire cosmos and all of history.
He often references Romans 5 to illustrate that just as sin spread to all humanity through the one man Adam, so through the one man Jesus Christ “justification and life” became available to all. This implies a cosmic significance within Christ’s work of salvation that turns the fate of humanity upside down. If we limit the gospel to “personal salvation experiences” or treat it as some sort of “mystical event,” Pastor David Jang says, we shrink its grand scale.
To illuminate this cosmic perspective, Pastor David Jang frequently connects Old Testament prophecies with the gospel accounts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. In Daniel 7, the “Son of Man who comes with the clouds” depicts the eschatological king expected by the Jews—an absolute ruler who will judge and reign over the whole world. However, when Jesus actually entered Jerusalem, He did so in accordance with Zechariah 9:9, “humble and mounted on a donkey.” Thus, Jesus fulfills a dual image: He is the all-powerful king who simultaneously shares in the suffering of His people as a humble servant.
Pastor David Jang calls this “the manner of God’s manifestation.” Earthly rulers arrive in chariots or on warhorses, flaunting power and authority like a triumphant general. Yet the Son of God, Jesus, entered instead in the lowest and humblest way. Though it may appear foolish and weak in the eyes of the world, God’s plan of salvation rests on this paradox (cf. 1 Corinthians 1).
Then comes the crucifixion, which looked utterly miserable to everyone who witnessed it. Even to the Romans, crucifixion was an extremely shameful punishment reserved for criminals, and to the Jews, according to the Law (“cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” Deuteronomy 21:23), being crucified could not possibly befit the Messiah. However, Pastor David Jang points out that here, Isaiah 53’s prophecy of the “suffering servant” is fulfilled: Jesus’ death was neither a defeat nor a curse but the victory of redemption, in which He bore the sins and death that humanity deserved. God’s omnipotence works in ways that break human expectations; because God’s ultimate goal is love and salvation, the cross becomes an emblem of glory.
Pastor David Jang places a particular focus on the “resurrection.” If Jesus had died on the cross and that was the end of the story, it might be harder to claim this is a cosmic event. But Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. The Gospels all record the resurrection, and as a result, the disciples changed from fearful men to bold witnesses, from despair to a burning passion for proclamation. This is the definitive proof that a new world has opened by overcoming death, the most universal and cosmic limitation of the human condition. Since He cut off death, humanity’s greatest enemy, and ushered in the age of eternal life, the cosmic impact extends beyond the individual.
Pastor David Jang explains that the events of Holy Week compress the entire story of the universe and its history into one week. From Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the Last Supper, the prayer in Gethsemane, the crucifixion, and the resurrection, the whole process reveals the complete salvation narrative that changes the fate of humanity and history. In particular, in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed until His sweat became like drops of blood, showing that He actively chose the way of the cross. He was not a helpless victim but a King, about to be enthroned in an epic spiritual battle to bear the sin of humankind and defeat death.
Hence, Pastor David Jang insists that Jesus’ death and resurrection are not just small or localized events but the “cosmic pivot” that spans all eras and realms. Realizing this, a believer goes beyond merely participating in religious ceremonies and experiences a total transformation of existence. Even in the face of suffering and despair in this world, Jesus already bore it on the cross, and by rising from the dead, He ultimately overcame it; therefore, we can hold on to hope in any circumstance without being locked in hopelessness.
Pastor David Jang passionately prays that this cosmic act of salvation and resurrection will be a “concrete reality” in each individual’s life as well. In his ministry and educational settings, he consistently emphasizes that statements like “the gospel changes the world” must tangibly apply to the everyday life of the Church and believers. If we fail to experience the work of the gospel in daily life, then the cosmic grandeur of this salvation event may remain mere doctrine or theory. However, when we hold on to the power of the resurrection and follow Jesus’ way of love and service in our lives, then “God’s reign” becomes a reality—both within the community of faith and beyond, in the broader world.
Furthermore, the Bible’s promise of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21) is both the consummation and ultimate direction of the resurrection. Pastor David Jang views this not as something we experience only after death; rather, it is the reign of eternal life that has already begun through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By believing in Him, we can already participate in the resurrection life here on earth, and one day, the entire world will enter into the fully completed realm of salvation at Christ’s return. Thus, resurrection carries both “fulfillment and tension,” simultaneously realized and still awaited.
Throughout Holy Week, culminating in Easter, the Church tradition has focused on “the cross and the resurrection” as its core theme. Pastor David Jang explains that while the path to the cross was a journey of suffering and shame for Jesus, it ultimately concluded in “glory and victory.” Although Jesus was crucified in the place of sinners rather than as a recognized righteous man, cosmic love and redemption exploded in that place of death. Everyone—past, present, and future—who believes and accepts this enters into the resurrection with Jesus.
He goes on to suggest how this resurrection faith must be concretely realized in the Church community. If the Church is the body of Christ, it must be the place where “resurrection life” is proclaimed to the world. This means practicing compassion and sharing with the poor, proclaiming truth against unjust powers or worldly trends, and loving and serving one another in a way that demonstrates genuine reconciliation and peace that the world cannot fathom. Pastor David Jang says these are the fruits that naturally follow in a community that truly follows the risen Jesus.
In conclusion, the salvation and resurrection as a cosmic event open the broadest horizon in Pastor David Jang’s message. Beyond addressing the individual’s sin problem, justification, and freedom in atonement, this event reorganizes all history and the entire universe. He reiterates this point numerous times, urging believers not to reduce the gospel to a “religious doctrine” or “pious knowledge,” but to receive it as the sweeping drama in which humanity and the entire cosmos participate. And at the center of that drama is the “paradoxical power of love” demonstrated in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This love contains true life and truth that no myth or other story can encompass, and it provides eternal hope to those who believe.
Looking at the gospel through these three pillars—(1) “God’s love,” (2) “the path of atonement,” and (3) “cosmic salvation”—ultimately reveals that the way of Jesus Christ is the way of love and salvation, and that His suffering and resurrection remain the singular hope for all eras and for the entire cosmos. Pastor David Jang encourages believers to carry this truth into repentance, faith, and dedication to living it out. No matter how deep the trials, temptations, or despair one may face in life, he urges holding on to the cross and the resurrection that Jesus already walked and perfected as the path of truth and life. That is how life is wholly renewed, and the gospel becomes the power that transforms our hearts, our communities, and even the world.
Ultimately, Pastor David Jang’s sermons go beyond the theological or doctrinal question of “what the gospel is” and challenge us with the practical question of “how to live out the gospel.” Jesus’ humility and obedience, His servanthood and sacrifice, and above all, His atoning love are values desperately needed in our world today—indeed, they are the method by which the Kingdom of God is established. And at the center stands the event of “the cross and the resurrection,” which alone solves humanity’s problem of sin and death and ushers in a new era for both individuals and the entire world—what Pastor David Jang calls the “cosmic gospel.”
This message can be applied across a wide range of areas, including church worship and ministry, the spiritual life of believers, and the Church’s role in society. Following the model of the cross, believers are called to care for one another, journey outside the camp together, and share the joy of the resurrection with the world—though this is by no means easy. But Pastor David Jang insists that Jesus has already shown us the way and guaranteed its power through the resurrection. Therefore, those who believe and depend on this love and power can cast aside fear, standing firm in the truth and bearing witness even in a world shrouded in darkness.
In conclusion, all of Pastor David Jang’s teachings can be distilled into one great theme—“the gospel”—which is explained through three interconnected pillars: “God’s love,” “the path of atonement,” and “cosmic salvation.” These three pillars are inseparable and work together to lead us to the true salvation found in Jesus Christ. Thus, those who hear and contemplate this message are reminded repeatedly that Christmas celebrates Christ’s coming, Holy Week contemplates His cross, and Easter rejoices in His victory—all part of one story of salvation. And this prompts us to recognize how majestic and astonishing God’s drama of redemption truly is, unfolding in all of history, the cosmos, and in our daily lives.
Hence, the gospel allows us to learn about God’s nature, who loves sinners to the very end despite our limitations and sins, and to form a community that imitates that love, going forth to serve the world. Atonement moves beyond the strict legal framework of crime and punishment, bestowing on us the new identity of children of God and granting genuine freedom and joy. The cosmic salvation and resurrection event points to God’s plan for the entire world, beyond the concerns of individuals. Those who participate in it already live in a new era, longing and hoping for its eventual fulfillment.
When all these insights converge, we realize that the gospel message Pastor David Jang proclaims is not merely theoretical but becomes the “living Word” that transforms every area of life. Ultimately, we need the gospel because human history and the cosmos cannot save themselves. The way for sin and death to be overcome was opened only by the coming, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God—and all who walk this path receive eternal life and victory. This, Pastor David Jang continually proclaims, is the very heart of the gospel and the greatest invitation and gift extended to us all.