Good News!
In the difficult times in which we live, good news is hard to come by. However, we have some very good news for you; news that does not depend upon the economy, or political parties, or military strength. It stands firm in the midst of turbulent times and changing circumstances. The good news that we have for you is called the gospel. If you want to have genuine hope and lasting change in your life, then you need to understand the gospel.
The Gospel
The word “gospel” means “good news.” In His kindness, God has sent good news into His world. This good news is about God Himself and your relationship with Him. Before we tell you the good news, you need to know something about God Himself.
God is Holy
That God is holy means He is not like us. He is Spirit (John 4:24). He is also your Creator; you are His creature (Psalm 100:3). This means that God is the one who sets the standard for how you are to conduct yourself in this life. God’s purpose in creating you is so that you would glorify Him (1 Peter 4:11). This world is not about you – it’s about God. His standard for you is to be exactly like Him in everything you think, say, and do (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:16). Still, before you hear the good news, you need to know something about yourself.
You are not Holy
In your heart of hearts, you know that you do not live up to God’s standard for you. Failure to meet God’s standard is what the Bible calls sin (Romans 3:23). You are a sinner by nature and by practice. This makes you an enemy of God and places you under His condemnation. The penalty for this is death – spiritual separation from God for eternity.
Not only this, but you have nothing to offer God to reconcile your relationship to Him (Isa 64:6). Many try to do good works to earn favor with God, but He has not established works as a means of reconciliation. He is the offended party; He sets the terms of truce, and they are a life for a life. God requires a perfect offering to atone for your sins – something you cannot offer because you are corrupted by your sin and without remedy for the situation.
You must be asking yourself, “Where is this good news about God you promised?”
Here it comes:
Jesus Christ is Your Substitute
God is a gracious, merciful, loving Being. He is a saving God. In His mercy, He sent His Son to become a man, so He could represent man in paying God’s penalty for your sin. He lived the perfect life required of you and died the death you earned by your sin (2 Corinthians 5:17), being crucified in order to secure your salvation. That Jesus’ death was accepted by God the Father was shown by His resurrection from the dead. Think about this – God, from whom you have separated yourself by your sin, gave His own Son to die in your place so that you could be reconciled to Him. What a God! What a Savior! So how can you receive this salvation, you ask?
You Must Repent and Believe
Repentance is not a common word in our times. It means “a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior.” God requires you to change the way you think about Him. Instead of rebelling against Him, you need to humble yourself and acknowledge that He is God, that you have sinned against Him, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins against Him. You must believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord of your life and that God, after accepting His death as payment for your sins, raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
If you will repent and earnestly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved – God promises to give you eternal life, and His word is gold! Yes, it is that simple. Faith in Jesus will cost you everything, but you will gain everything that matters in life.
If you have done so, then we want to help you as you begin your wonderful, new life walking with God. Send us an e-mail, or give us a call. We will rejoice in the opportunity to disciple you as you grow in your relationship with God.