We live in a day and age of much “bad news.” Evil, oppression, sickness, and death run rampant. Have you ever wondered if there is any hope to get beyond these things? Is there any “good news” that can overcome this bad news?
There is good news - historically, the only good news which can save you, me, and the world has been called the “Gospel.” Sadly, many are obscuring and abandoning the Gospel today. Yet, it is a simple, straightforward message of good news. The Gospel can be summed up in four points: God, Mankind, Jesus, and True Faith. These four points explain our need for salvation and the means God has provided for our salvation. This is the Gospel:
God. The Bible says that God created and owns everything, including all of us. God is holy. This means that He is absolutely without sin and requires us to also be completely sinless. (Genesis 1:1; Leviticus 19:2; Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 6:3; Isaiah 42:5; Matthew 5:48)
Mankind. According to Scripture, man sinned against God and is utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God. We are all sinners. For our sin, we are spiritually dead and will also die physically, one day being eternally separated from God. We cannot save ourselves by any good works we do, and deserve only God’s righteous wrath. (1 Kings 8:46; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:10-20; Ephesians 2:8)
Jesus. In love, God sent His only Son into the world. Jesus Christ is God in flesh who was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, and died although He was innocent. His death took man’s sin upon Himself and bore God’s righteous wrath to satisfy His just demands in the place of sinners. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and He now lives again! He has ascended into heaven, from where He will return one day to judge the living and the dead. (Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:1-18; John 3:16; Acts 10:34-43; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:9; Revelation 19:11-21)
True Faith. The Bible promises that those who put their faith in Jesus will be saved. True faith means agreeing with God that you are sinful, acknowledging your sins to Him and your inability to save yourself, then confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, the only Saviour, and believing that God raised Him from the dead. This involves making a conscious choice to repent and be obedient to Him. To repent means to change your mind by turning away from sin and turning to follow God. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ have eternal life, know God, and look forward to a future resurrection when they will receive new bodies and live with God forever. (Mark 1:15; Luke 13:5; John 11:25-26; John 17:3; John 20:31; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 2:3; Revelation 21:1-8)
What does it mean to be a Christian? Please click here to read more.
If you have questions about the Gospel, how you become a Christian, or how you can live the Christian life, please contact us!