The Heart Of The Gospel

[KenH]

The fact is, it's not a matter of intelligence to read and believe the word of God

Amen! It is a matter of the free grace and sovereignty of Almighty God:

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Acts 13:14 Whose heart the Lord opened.

Acts 13:48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

[JonC]

The gospel of Christ is inclusive of "justification" and of "imputation of the Christ's perfect righteousness" and of "the basis of justification", and of "the scope of Christ's work", and of "Christ's atonement". Without these items, then one is proclaiming a false Jesus and a false gospel. To proclaim a false Jesus and a false gospel was condemned quite vehemently by the apostle Paul:

Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again,
If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

No, the gospel is not inclusive of those things as one can be saved apart from understanding justification, sanctification, etc, but they cannot be saved without understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You are conflating information about the gospel, and things that are accomplished through the work of Christ, with the gospel itself.

 

[Silverhair]

In fact, He also makes it a point to tell us that He did not save most of those who we as men would think He would or should...
The rich, the powerful, etc.;
Those who have everything in this world, those who are wise in the ways of this world, those who seek Him by way of what seems right to us as men:

You are correct. God saves those that have freely trusted in His risen son.

His way destroys the wisdom ( of their own hearts and minds ) of the "wise", and imposes His own wisdom and righteousness on the situation.
He saves according to His mercy alone, and not any work of righteouness.

The error of the wisdom of the men who promote false views has been pointed out many times on this and other boards but some still call faith a work.

 

[KenH]

they cannot be saved without understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit gives God's elect, those whom the Holy Spirit regenerates and then gives to them the gift of faith in the Lord their RIGHTEOUSNESS and the gift of repentance of dead works, the knowledge of the gospel of Christ - how God justifies sinners, how their sins were imputed to Christ and He paid the sin debt that they owed, how Christ's perfect righteousness that He worked out was imputed to them, and the scope of Christ's totally successful propitiation for those whom God chose before the world began and gave to His Son to be their Surety. Thus, God's elect know the true gospel and the true Christ, and that they have not succumbed to a false gospel and a false Christ.