Christ Jesus was the first to preach the gospel; as it is written, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Hebrews 2:3-4) So Christ first preached the good news apart from His death on the cross, for He preached the gospel while He still yet lived; saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) Then He made atonement for sins on the cross, inaugurating the new covenant in His own blood.
Yes, He prophesied about His death many times, but no-one understood Him, and it was a cause of sorrow unto His disciples. So what then is the gospel? What is the good news which Christ first came to preach? Yea, it is the gospel of faith. He healed many because of their faith in Him; saying at one time, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50) And again another time, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:48) And again, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:19) And, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." (Luke 18:42) So a person’s faith made them well by the grace of God, and they received salvation, the forgiveness of their sins.
And when Christ was displeased, was it not because of the people’s unbelief? As He says, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26) And, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) And again, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Matthew 17:17) For the root of every disobedience and sin is unbelief; as Christ says, “Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;” (John 16:9) And the apostle says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)
Furthermore, testifying that the Father sees every secret thing, Christ preaching faith, says:
“When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (...) But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (...) But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-18)
For believing the Father sees every secret thing, we put away deceit, insincerity, and impure thoughts, because, although these are hidden from the eyes of man, they are seen by God. But the wicked says, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it." (Psalms 10:11)
And furthermore, testifying that the Father has created every living thing, Christ says,
"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (…) And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” (Matthew 6:26-29)
"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
For “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) And God’s creation is a teacher unto us who have eyes to see and ears to hear; as it is written, “Now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you.” (Job 12:7-9)
Also, according to faith, Jesus taught, "Give, and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38) For who do you know, who believes God has given all things, even eternal life to come, yet is stingy with earthly goods which perish? And Jesus taught, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” (Luke 6:37) For who do you know, believing God has not judged our sins nor condemned us, but rather justified us by faith in His Son, forgiving us of all our trespasses — which are many — yet does not forgive petty faults and condemns his neighbor, not pitying him? As He also says, ”If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:15) For such a man has departed from the faith, forgetting that he has been washed from his former sins. (See also 1 John 3:17 and 1 John 4:20 about love in truth)
And finally, Christ preaching faith says, "Everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) For who do you know, believing God justifies men through the testimony of Jesus Christ, will not speak of Him before others? As the Psalmist said, “I believed, therefore I have spoke.” (Psalm 116:10) As the apostle Paul defines the gospel: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."” (Romans 1:16-17)
And if it is by faith, then it is according to grace; as it says, “This reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace.” (Romans 4:16) And, “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” (Romans 11:6) And because of His grace, we are gracious — for He makes us righteous through His righteous act. As it says, “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) And love fulfills the entirety of the law. So God makes us just and right and perfect through His Son, through what He did for us, and through our faith in His perfect work. “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;” (1 John 3:7) Yet I have shown in this brief study how a man is truly righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, for He imparts righteousness to us through faith. And I have shown that the gospel is the revelation of faith which Christ first preached; and how faith, apart from works, is accounted as grace; but sincere faith produces works from a good conscience and a pure heart.