What is the Gospel?
What comes into your mind when you hear the phrase good news?
Do you think of graduation, a promotion, a salary raise, a jackpot prize worth millions of pesos, a house and lot, a brand new sports car, or an all-expense-paid trip to your dream destination?
What ever it is, nothing in this world can ever compare with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The word “gospel” literally means good news.
But this good news is different from the news you watch on TV, hear on the radio or read in the papers. The gospel is God’s good news to the world—the greatest news anyone will ever know.
But before we get to the good news. There’s a really bad news for all of us.
The Bad News
The bad news deals with God’s character and our sinfulness.
GOD, our Creator, IS HOLY and He demands perfect holiness from us.
Failure to follow God perfectly puts us in a horrible position. God’s holiness would not have been a problem if we were just as holy as He is. But the problem is, we’re just the exact opposite.
The Bible says:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.”
“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'”
We Are All Sinners
No one is exempted.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.'” – Romans 3:10-12
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” – James 2:10-11
Because God is holy, He must punish sin and judge all those who practice it.
“The soul who sins shall die.” – Ezekiel 18:4
“For the wages of sin is death…” – Romans 6:23
This death does not only mean physical death but also spiritual death or the eternal separation from God in hell—the place where sinners experience the never ending torment of God's full and furious wrath.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
“This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20: 14 -15
We may do all sorts of good works but they will never be enough. Good works won't work. God's standard is sinless perfection.
“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'” – Galatians 3:10
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Here's the good news!
God is not obligated to save anyone. He would be perfectly just if He left us all under His righteous judgment. Truth is, all we deserve is God’s wrath for our sins.
But because God is not only a Righteous Judge but also a Merciful and Loving Father, He sent His only Son to save us.
JESUS CHRIST, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and sinless life in our world, took our place, and died on the cross to absorb the full wrath of God for all our sins.
Jesus’ death is not the end of the story. He did not remain dead. There is an empty tomb. Jesus rose from the grave!
Jesus is indeed the Living Lord and Savior!
The Bible says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation1 for our sins.”
1 Propitiation is a substitute sacrifice that satisfies the wrath of God.
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
“[Christ] was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
How will you respond?
How you respond to the gospel will determine where you will spend your eternity.
You must respond in FAITH and REPENTANCE. To have faith in Jesus or to believe in Him is to trust in Him alone for your salvation. To repent means to turn from sin and turn to God.
The Bible says:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life…. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
If you want to respond to God's good news, take this time to personally pray to God.
Acknowledge that God is Holy and that you are a sinner deserving His wrath.
Confess your sins to God and turn from them.
Believe or trust that Jesus alone can save you.
Got questions?
Call: (032) 412 3419
Email: inquiry@lwitpark.org
Visit: G/F Skyrise 1, IT Park, Cebu City
Got questions?
Call: (032) 412 3419
Email: inquiry@lwitpark.org
Visit: G/F Skyrise 1, IT Park, Cebu City
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