God's Gospel

It's the bad news that makes the good news so "good."

The bad news is that you and I are born sinners. That truth is from God as revealed in the Bible. Look at the verses below; study what God says by paying careful attention to the words in each passage.

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" Romans 5:12

Adam, the first man disobeyed God. Sin came "into the world through one man." The result was death—that is, Adam experienced spiritual death. His sin separated him from God, his Creator...his source of life. Immediately, Adam and his wife Eve hid from God. They wanted to be far off from their Maker. This is the nature of spiritual death...a separation from God, the Author of spiritual life. Look at the words: see how this spiritual death "spread to all men." The evidence is "all sinned." Sin's outcome also includes physical death—Adam and Eve and all their descendants have experienced physical death...the death of the body.

Open your Bibles and read God's account of sin entering the world "through Adam." See Genesis 2:4-3:24.

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 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.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:9-18

Did you pay attention to the words? Remember that God 'authored' the Bible. What is his emphasis? "No one" is sinless..."no, not one" righteous person can be found. "All have turned aside." The 9 negative words (no, none, not) make it un-mistakenly clear that all mankind has "turned aside"—gone astray...journeyed far off from God.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

This short verse is a conclusion. "All" are sinners and "fall short" of what God intended from the beginning. And what had God intended? That those He created would honor and worship Him and have a relationship with Him.

And now, God's good news to you—God loves sinners!

He actively shows them grace; he has undeserved kindness and favor for those far off; he sacrifices for sinners so we might return to our lost relationship.

We have no hope unless God shows us love and graciously saves us. And that is exactly what He has done!

These verses from the Bible tell what God has done:

"For while we were still sinners, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 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.

Since, therefore, we have been justified (made right) by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled by God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." Romans 5:6-10

God's punishment for sin is death. The life blood would need shed. For centuries God allowed animals to be sacrificed—their blood shed—to cover the sins of people. But, since sin came into the world through a man, the sacrifice required a man. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is that Man. The blood of Jesus does more than cover sins; the blood of Jesus takes away—removes, cleanses—the sin. God declares:

"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Hebrews 10:17

Jesus' sacrifice for you has made you right before God...justified you.

Jesus' sacrifice is acceptable to God.

Jesus' sacrifice satisfied the expectations of God. See Isaiah 53 v11:

"Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities." Isaiah 53:11

Yes, Jesus was crucified, he died, he was buried, but he rose from the dead.

Jesus is alive!

Jesus lives to save sinners.

"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 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." John 3:16-17

God has no desire for anyone to perish...to take the death punishment for one's sins upon oneself.

God gave Jesus, his Son—to receive the punishment.

When you receive the work of Jesus Christ as your substitute sacrifice...that is, you trust his work for you and his living now for you, your relationship with God has been restored. You have been brought near for a living relationship with him. This act of faith and trust in Jesus and his work is often called "being saved."

This receiving of Jesus into your life becomes a satisfaction in what Jesus has done and a dependency on his living to have a relationship with you. With thankfulness, you turn from sinful habits and you rest your life in Jesus' care—not your own.

End of the Good news?

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

There is more good news.

God makes a person a "new creature in Christ." The "old passes away" and the person "becomes a new creature in Christ." A new life, a God-directed life comes. This is not optional. God will perform it.

What passes away? Old sinful habits. Sinful, unkind attitudes fade away. Lifestyle changes. Living for self-interests is replaced with interests that benefit others. These changes are God-directed and God-produced. Some "new creature" changes appear immediately; other changes come into your life more gradually. But, you will be able to detect changes in your life—the born again experiences Jesus taught about in John 3v1-8:

You Must Be Born Again

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:1-8

A short summary:

The entire Bible is the story from God of his redeeming his people from sin—all accomplished in Jesus Christ, his Son. He has paid the price—purchased you from the sin debt you owed. That work of salvation is finished. Christians do not work to save themselves; for in doing so, they are rejecting the work Jesus has already done. Dying on the cross, Jesus' stated:

"It is finished." John 19:30

Salvation is God's work to restore you to a relationship with him. God's restoration produces a new life significantly changed from one's past and significantly different from what the world promotes.

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