You may have heard the term “the gospel,” but what does it really mean? Sadly, it’s entirely possible that you may have gone to church many times or have Christian friends or family members, but you have never heard about the gospel. If this is you, I want to apologize to you. Too many of us Christians fail to talk enough about the central tenet of our faith. For this reason, I have outlined the gospel below. I would ask you to read it. It won’t take long, and a few minutes of your time now could be worth an eternity later.
God created and rules the world
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Gen 1:1
God is the creator of the world. Because he created the world, he is in charge of it. He is the ultimate ruler of the world. But he also loves his creation. He placed humans in the world to rule his creation under him, to care for it according to his rules, so that it (and we) might flourish, and so that we might know him.
We all have rebelled against God
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. – Rom 3:10-12
But each of us–including you and me–have rebelled against God. How, you ask? By trying to run our life our own way, without him. We think that our way is better than God’s way. What do I mean by this, you say? I’m glad you asked!
God has told us how to live in the Bible. The foundation of his rules are the Ten Commandments. Now it’s pop quiz time: How many lies have you told in your life (even white lies)? Hundreds? Thousands? More? Yet God says in the ninth commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Have you ever stolen anything–even something small or of little value? God says in the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” How about the very first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Have you ever put anything–anything at all–above your relationship with God? Money, power, sex, drugs or alcohol, entertainment, sports, hobbies, your job, your car, your house, your kids, or yourself?
If you have ever lied, stolen, or placed something in your life above God, then you have broken God’s law. You are a lawbreaker who has rebelled against the creator of the world.
The penalty for rebellion is death and judgment
It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. – Heb 9:27
God is a holy God; he doesn’t take rebellion lightly. Our rebellion, also called sin, caused death to enter into the world. Each of us will one day die and face God to give an account for our lives. If you stand before a holy God as a rebellious lawbreaker, what do you think he will do?
In a human court of law, the judge demands justice. If the defendant said, “Judge, I know I have committed some crimes, but at heart I’m a pretty good person,” would the judge let him off? Of course not! Any good judge would say, “It doesn’t matter how good of a person you think you are. We are here to see that justice is served for the crimes you have committed!” In the same way, God demands justice for the sins we have committed, regardless of how good of a person we think we are. The penalty for sin is not only physical death, but spiritual death. This means an eternity spent apart from God in a place called hell.
God sent his son to take our penalty
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Rom 5:8
Thankfully, God loves us too much to leave us to our deserved eternity in hell. God sent his own son, Jesus, to the world. Jesus lived the perfect life that we can’t. He never rebelled against God, never chose his own way over God’s way, never sinned. Yet by his death on the cross, he took our penalty. His death covers our sins, and he paid the price of our sin for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead to rule the world
By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Pet 1:3
God’s plan did not stop at Jesus’ death, however. Three days after Jesus died, God raised him from the dead. Jesus conquered death and now sits at the right hand of God as ruler of the world. One day, the Bible tells us that he will return to judge it.
Which way will you choose?
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. – John 3:36
So which way will you choose? You have two options:
Our way. You can continue trying to live life your own way, in rebellion of God. The end result of this choice is death, judgment and eternal condemnation.
God’s way. You can choose to accept the gift of salvation available through Jesus. You can submit to his rule, and let his death be the payment for your sins. The end result of this choice is to be forgiven by God, and to receive eternal life.
If you want to choose God’s way of salvation through Jesus, then that is awesome! Do the following:
- Pray to God. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus to be the ruler of your life.
- Read the Bible. The Bible is God’s word to us; it’s how we learn about him and about how to live in ways that are pleasing to him.
- Find a church. We need others to help us live for Jesus. Find a local church that takes the Bible and the gospel seriously, and get involved! In fact, we would love for you to join us at Northwind!
If you have further questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you fully understand what Jesus did for you.
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