What Is The Gospel?
We don’t have to look hard to find brokenness all around us. Our world is filled with violence, disease, abuse, and pain. This is not how God made the world to be. Yet all these things exist because of the sin of mankind, whom God created with the capacity to choose obedience or disobedience. Sin is man’s rebellion against God’s rule in his life. Sin is a destroyer, wreaking havoc wherever it is found. It promises pleasure, but always delivers pain.
The Bible teaches us that sin is not just out there, it actually resides within all of us (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23, ESV Translation). It is this sin that alienates us from God, works to destroy our earthly relationships, and holds us in bondage to all kinds of vices. Try as we might to stop sinning, none of us is able to do so.
“The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).” Our sin brings the ultimate consequence, spiritual death. Sin not only destroys our lives in the here and now; but it brings with it condemnation for all eternity. Sin, then, is the greatest problem facing mankind in the world today.
The Good News of the Bible is that God has made a way for your sins to be forgiven, a way for you to be set free from the bondage of sin, and a way for you to enjoy spiritual life forever with Him. The Bible is clear that there is nothing you can do to earn this salvation from the penalty of sin (Ephesians 2:8-9). The solution to this problem lies beyond you.
It is this sin that alienates us from God, works to destroy our earthly relationships, and holds us in bondage to all kinds of vices.
God, Himself, has provided the means of salvation by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus is God Incarnate, God in the flesh (John 1:1,14). As God, He was able to live a sinless life (Hebrews 14:5), perfectly fulfilling all of God’s requirements for mankind. Furthermore, His sinlessness removed Him from the penalty of death awaiting the rest of mankind.
Jesus Christ willingly chose to take our place on the cross, to pay our penalty of death, and become our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8). He took upon Himself the sins of the world, and in one perfect sacrifice, covered the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). On that cross He truly died, but the grave could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). On the third day, He rose victorious over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He provides this salvation as a free gift (Romans 5:17) to all who believe in Him (Acts 16:31). The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). God’s forgiveness will only come to you by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Today, if you confess Jesus as your Lord and believe in His work on your behalf, you too can be saved!
Once saved, God begins the work of making you new- of mending what was broken (2 Corinthians 5:17). You become His minister for change in this broken world. You get to be a part of His redemption story of making all things new.
If you would like to know more about this Gospel, we would love to hear from you. Come join us on a Sunday morning. Send us an e-mail. Give us a call. We are eager to serve you!