The Good News.
Ever since the first disciples of Jesus, this is what Christians mean when they say “the gospel”. The Greek word literally means, good news.
And though the world seems to keep changing, the “the good news” of Jesus has always remained the same. The grace and truth it brings is still as powerful today as the day Jesus first spoke it (Romans 1:16).
Throughout history, all peoples everywhere have experienced that there is something wrong with this world. We can’t find peace with our world, our neighbors, or ourselves. It only takes a careful look to realize that the problem is not just around us, it’s in us. The problem is us.
But that’s now things began. In the beginning God created this world and placed mankind at the top of his creation, like caretakers of their beautiful new home. It was glorious. It was loving. It was good. (Genesis 1-2:3)
Because God truly loves us, he gave to men and women a kind of freedom, the ability to choose to love and trust him. There is no true love without freedom, and there can be no true freedom without love.
But being able to choose to trust God also means we can choose not to trust God. At it’s heart, that is what we call sin. It’s turning away from the loving God who made us, choosing to be our own god instead.
The first man and woman, and every person since, has made the choice to not trust God. We trust, or have faith, in a million other things instead; like ourselves, money, relationships, health.
These things are not bad, but we make them into gods, we trust them to save us and make us whole, something they can never do (Habakkuk. 2:18; 1 Corinthains 12:2).
In our beliefs, thoughts, and actions we have all turned away from God. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). No matter how many good things we do for other people, we can never undo the sin we’ve already done against God.
Going to church, reading the Bible, giving money, living a moral life – none of those things can take away our sin (Isaiah 1:11; Hebrews 10:4; Matthew 15:8).
This sin has caused separation. We are separated from God by sin, spiritually dead. We struggle against creation and our fellow man because of sin. And because of sin, we even war against ourselves (Genesis 3).
We cannot bring ourselves back to life. We cannot reconnect ourselves to God. We need help. Someone must do something.
Someone has. This is the good news.
Even while we were opposed to God, he came to us in the flesh as the unique God-man, Jesus. He lived without sin and gave his life as payment for the sins of the world (Romans 5:6-8).
If God did not judge sin, he would not be good. He would not be loving. He would not be God.
Jesus the Messiah, upon the cross, took that judgment. Then, just as he said he would, he rose bodily from the grave on the third day, victorious over sin and death (Matthew 27-28; Mark 14-16; Luke 22-24; John 18-21).
Jesus now draws all people to himself (John 12:32), offering forgiveness (Acts 10:43), new life now, and eternal life hereafter (Ezekiel 36:26).
You don’t have to earn it or repay it. Even if you tried you couldn’t!
God is offering you the gift salvation freely by grace (Ephesians 2:8). You receive it by faith, trusting in the person and work of Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).
This is not just good news, it’s great news! The best news!
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
If you have questions, please ask them! God welcomes us to investigate, to ask, to search for truth and find Him, for he is near to us! Acts 17:27