The Good News

During a previous blog, I briefly mentioned the Gospel message. I just wanted to take this time to explain it in a deeper way. I never want to rush through the unbelievable news the Bible has for all of us. And I have no idea who is reading this blog, but I felt compelled to share this with you this week. If you do not have a personal relationship with the living God, then I plead with you to take the time to read this. Also, as a believer, I have been reading about how important it is for us to remind ourselves of the Gospel on a frequent basis. As Christians, it is the reason why we live and have the hope to live eternally.

First of all, when I say the word “Gospel,” I mean the Good News that the Bible preaches to us, and it really is incredible news. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Everyone who has ever lived or who will ever live is a sinner. We all have sinned. If we are being honest with ourselves, we should all recall a time in our lives when we either lied, cheated, stole, or did something of that nature. We all fall short of God’s glory. The Bible also tells us in Romans 6:23 that there is a penalty for our sin. It declares, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because God is a just, perfect, and holy God, he cannot allow any sin to enter heaven. Since each one of us has sinned and the penalty of that sin is death, our state seems to be hopeless. The death the Bible speaks of is a spiritual death. If we die without Christ, our sin sends us to hell where we spend eternity separated from God in a real and horrible place.

I know that is a harsh truth, but here is where the Gospel or Good News enters. Let me write the entire verse in Romans 6: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” Since we have sin in our lives, we needed someone to come and pay the penalty for our sins if we had any hope of knowing God or spending eternity with Him. I mentioned before that God is holy and just, but praise the Lord that He is also filled with grace, mercy, and love. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, paid the penalty for our sins. God, in His limitless love, sent Jesus to come and live a perfect life without sinning even once. Jesus lived a life as fully God and fully man. He then died a gruesome death by being crucified on a cross. God accepted His Son’s death as the perfect atonement or forgiveness for anyone who would believe in Jesus’s name. His death justifies us before God and makes us at peace with God.

Christ’s death on the cross gives Christians forgiveness of sins. However, God did not stop there. After three days of Jesus being dead in the tomb, God raised or resurrected Him from the dead. He raised Christ up to heaven where He now sits on His throne forever. While Jesus’s death gives us the forgiveness of sins, His resurrection shows us that He overcame death and offers anyone who follows Him to have eternal life in heaven forever. How amazing is that? I can’t express with words the love God has for all of mankind. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus wants to rescue us from our sin and give us eternal life!

So, how can we know God? How can we have Jesus Christ living in us? How can we be saved? How can we have eternal life with God in heaven? The Bible answers that better than any man can. We read in John 3:16 that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The Bible says in Romans 10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10 also says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Jesus said in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Acts 3:19 calls us to “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Repentance is realizing and admitting you are a sinner and turning from your sin to Christ Jesus. It is forsaking your sin and asking God to save you from it.

I know that I just wrote a bunch of verses. Let’s summarize and make sure we understand how we can be saved from our sin and know God personally, experiencing eternal life with Him that starts now and continues in heaven throughout all eternity. Jesus said in John 6:37, “The one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out.” I want to first say that there are no magic words that can save you. There is not one perfect prayer that God will hear. Look at what the Word says. We must simply admit that we are sinners, turn from that sin with a genuine heart, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that His death alone can forgive us of our sins, and ask Christ to save us and take control of our lives. He will not cast us out if we do that. It does not have to be prayed in any particular order, said in some religious fashion, or spoken with any particular volume. No act of man can save us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Just cry out to Jesus and tell Him you want to be rescued from your sin, that you need Jesus’s forgiveness, that you believe He is the true Son of God and was raised from the dead, and that you want Him to live inside of you. He will not reject those who come to Him with a genuine and repentant heart. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!!

Again, I have no way of knowing exactly who reads this. But I have prayed that God would take His Gospel message and penetrate someone’s heart with it. I cannot force anyone to believe in Jesus Christ. I can only say that He lives in me. I cannot with words or by debate reason someone into coming to Jesus to save them. I can only testify to His power inside of me. He has changed my life and has rescued me from sin forever! He is the only hope that I have! I cannot imagine being alone in a foreign land without Jesus Christ living in me. I cannot imagine living in America and living the rest of my life without the love of Christ in my heart. Please do not delay. If God is leading you to be saved, please ask Jesus to save you today! We are not guaranteed tomorrow. I do not want to mislead anyone. Becoming a follower of Christ does not promise us that our lives will suddenly get easier. In fact, a lot of times we will face more trials because of our faith. But Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Having Jesus in our life may not make our circumstances easier, but He promises to be there living in us and giving us abundant life. He will be there for us no matter the circumstances. Again, I ask that if you know you need Christ in your life, please settle the matter today and invite Him into your life!

Feel free to email me at Rowdyreptile50@earthlink.net with any questions. I would love to talk to you about it. I wanted to make this as clear as possible, but I know I am human and am imperfect. I take God’s Word very seriously, and I pray that the truth was communicated accurately. Also, I want to encourage you to talk to several people in your life who you believe to be following Christ. Talk to a Christian that you respect. If you go to a church that preaches the Bible, talk to your pastor. But most importantly, read the Word of God and talk to God! He alone can save you!