What is the Gospel? Part 2

Several good bloggers have answered this question much better than I will. So I want to take this to more of a practical level. As pastor of a small, rural church, I have been challenged many times on how I am presenting Christ to this flock. Having not grown up Mennonite, I am learning a few things about Mennonite theology and how it has changed. When it comes to the Gospel, the church and I can identify with reducing it to just the salvation aspect--fire escape from hell. We have paid little attention to its fuller message. The Gospel is not only Christological (all about Christ), but it is also Theological. The average church member does not have to be afraid of theology for in its simplest form it is a study about God. In being theological, the Gospel has a number of theological terms attached to it. Some of those terms are redemption, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, adoption, etc. Mennonite theology teaches that believers can lose their salvation. Yet, when we study some of those theological terms, what they really mean, and what they look like, it is very difficult to conclude that we can lose our salvation. The Bible NEVER speaks about a believer becoming unredeemed, unjustified, unreconciled, unadopted. It is an absolute impossibility. Just one passage to consider is Ephesians 1. By considering all the phrases "in Christ," and "in Him," it can be seen that the believer is secure forever. Just verses 13-14 are enough to enlighten me. The Holy Spirit has been given to the true believer in Christ as a secure deposit for what is to come. He is a guarantee that I am Christ's forever. Now when it comes to understanding grace and sinful failure and sanctification, well, that's a whole different study.