What Are the Essentials of the Gospel?

What are the essentials of the gospel? Acknowledging the depravity of man? Really seeing one's own sinfullness? Crying out to God for mercy and new life? Believing in the provision of Christ? Allow me to explore this topic with you by reading you 2 selections from an autobiography of a professing christian that I just finished. Here is the first...

"It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists, if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce men and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out His grace upon us? Can there be any doubt where wars come from and where peace comes from, when the children of this world, excluding God from their peace conferences, only manage to bring about greater and greater wars the more they talk about peace?...
There is not a flower that opens, not a seed that falls into the ground, and not an ear of wheat that nods on the end of its stalk in the wind that does not preach and proclaim the greatness and mercy of God to the whole world...
(On his conversion) But now I lay on this bed, full of gangrene and my soul was rotten with the corruption of my sins...I was overwhelmed with a sudden and profound insight into the misery and corruption of my own soul, and I was pierced deeply with a light that made me realize something of the condition I was in, and I was filled with horror at what I saw, and my whole being rose up in revolt against what was within me, and my soul desired escape and liberation and freedom from all this with an intensity and an urgency unlike anything that I had known before. And now I think for the first time in my whole life I really began to pray-praying not with my lips and with my intellect and my imagination, but praying out of the very roots of my life and of my being, and praying to the God I had never known, to reach down towards meout of His darkness and to help me to get free of the thousand terrible things that held my will in their slavery."

Now when I read this passage I am amazed at this man's testimony. From his own lips he perceives the wickedness of all men, his very own wickedness, his need of a savior/God, and he cries out for just that. Has this man not fully grasped the essentials of the gospel and done so more excellently than many in our day?

Now, read this second passage, written by the same man.

"Glorious Mother of God, shall I ever again distrust you, or your God before Whose throne you are irresistible in your intercession? Shall I ever turn my eyes from your hands and from your face and from your eyes? Shall I ever look anywhere else but int eh face of your love, to find out true counsel, and to know my way, in all the days and all the moments of my life? As you have dealt with me, Lady, deal also with all my millions of brothers who live in the same misery that I knew then; lead them in spite of themselves and guide them by your tremendous influence, O Holy Queen of souls and refuge of sinners..."

When I read this second passage, all that was good about this man seems to be as nothing. Here he acknowledges a second god, one who offers salvation as Christ does. One who intercedes as Christ does.

Readers, what are the essentials of the gospel? I challenge you to give me a good answer with scripture and good reason.