1 Thessalonians 1:5
...because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

As we have observed in this verse, the gospel must first come in word. That is, it must be clearly and boldly spoken. It does little good to speak of everything other than Christ and hope the listener somehow puts the pieces together. No, we who have been saved by the grace of God have also been given the ministry of reconciliation "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations." [Luke 24:47]

We have also noted how the gospel must come in power and the Holy Spirit. No one has ever been won to Christ by logic or debate. No soul has ever been saved by any measure of human effort or intellect. It is only the gospel of Christ, empowered and ordained by the Holy Spirit, that can convict a person of sin and grant repentance unto a new life in Christ.

Finally, the gospel must come with full conviction. From a very practical standpoint, the message of Christ isn't one that is always welcomed, primarily because it reveals the depravity of our sin when compared to the eternal glory of God. No one likes being told that they are wrong or in need of help, yet the gospel teaches both. Avoiding the issue of sin and the need for salvation may make for teaching that leaves people feeling better about themselves, but it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How appalled Christ must be when His name is associated with this type of falsehood. In the announcement of His birth, the message is clear: "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." [Matthew 1:21] If sin did not matter to God, then why would He send Jesus to save us from it? Why watch His own Son be betrayed and murdered if not for a divine purpose?

Whenever the gospel is shared, it must begin with the glory of God and the sharp contrast between His holiness and our wicked sinful nature. The new covenant established by Christ does not mean that our sin no longer dishonors God or that God has eased His attitude towards it. The holiness of God has never changed and neither has His wrath toward sin. The only reason we can experience forgiveness is because the wrath of God has already been applied to our sin -- a wrath that Christ took on our behalf.