Jesus is Lord and Savior. The Bible declares in John 3:16 that God did not leave us in this helpless state, destined to face the punishment our sins deserve. Instead, God chose to act on our behalf. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The Bible tells us that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who lived a perfect and sinless life as a man, and died a sacrificial death on a cross, taking the punishment our sins deserve (Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 20:28). Isaiah 53 says it like this: “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Amazingly, Jesus rose from the grave three days after His crucifixion, demonstrating that His sacrifice was accepted, and that all who believe in Him will truly have eternal life (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:3). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He lived a perfect life on our behalf, died a sacrificial death in our place, and rose from the grave. Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). Truly, no one is reconciled to the Father but through Him alone (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5). Indeed, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
All Must Repent and Believe in Jesus. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Such faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin to pursue Christ and obedience to Him (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3; 1 John 2:3). It is not enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they do not love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in grateful obedience to the God Who so graciously saved us (Ephesians 2:10).
All people have a choice to make. Either you can repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and thus receive eternal life. Or you can continue living in unrepentant sin, with the sobering certainty that you will one day be held eternally accountable by God for your sinful actions (John 3:36). This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the good news that God has provided a way for sinful people like us to be reconciled to Him and live eternally with Him in heaven. If you have questions about becoming a Christian, or want help in knowing how to live the Christian life, please contact us.
For Personal Study:
What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert The Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges Christianity Beyond Belief by Cliff McManis
Put simply, the gospel is the good news of the free gift of salvation offered through faith in Jesus Christ. To fully grasp the nature of the gospel message, consider the following truths found in Scripture:
God is Our Sovereign Creator. Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals that it was God the Son—Jesus Christ—who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
God is Holy. God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3). Therefore, He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13; Habakkuk 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Mankind is Sinful. According to Scripture, all people are guilty of defying God’s authority over their lives and living according to their own standard of morality. The Bible calls this defiant attitude towards God, sin. Scripture states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way” (Isaiah, 53:6). As sinners, all people have missed the mark of God’s perfect standard of morality in thought, word, attitude, and action. That does not mean we are incapable of performing acts of human kindness. It does mean, however, that we are utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12). This creates an eternal problem for us…
Sin Demands a Penalty. God's perfect holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death and eternity in hell (Ezekiel 18:4). Indeed, the Bible declares that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That is why simply changing our patterns of behavior cannot solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. According to Scripture, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We are all deserving of eternal punishment in hell, but thankfully, God had a plan to rescue us from the punishment our sins deserve.