The Good News
Understanding the Good News
Man is a sinner
When Christians use the term "gospel," they are simply referring to the
"good news" of Jesus Christ. Now good news presupposes that there is also
bad news. You will fail to grasp the good news of Jesus Christ unless you first
understand the bad news, which deals with one’s relationship or standing with God.
The truth about your relationship with God is revealed in the only trustworthy source
that we have, God’s Word, the Bible. What does the Bible say? It says that everyone
is born a sinner through Adam’s disobedience, and that everyone is a sinner by his
own choice (Psalm 14:1-3
;
51:5
;
Isaiah 64:6
;
Romans 5:12
). A sin is any violation of what God requires or forbids. For example, to lie is
a sin (Colossians 3:9
). To harbor hate or ill will toward another human being is also sin (Matthew 5:22
). Those are a couple out of countless ways in which people sin.
The Bible says this to sinners: "Your iniquities have made a separation between
you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). Man knows that God exists as his Creator,
but willfully suppresses his knowledge of Him (Romans 1:18-21
). Because man is a sinner, he cannot do anything to reach God on his own
terms, no matter how hard he tries (Romans 3:10-18, 23
). Every person, then, lives in bondage to sin for which he is both responsible
and accountable to God (John 8:34
;
Hebrews 4:13
).
God is holy
One of the attributes or qualities of God is holiness. Holiness means that God is
completely righteous, pure, morally clean, and separated from sin. Since God is
absolutely holy, He will not tolerate sin and will judge it with severe punishment
(Joshua 24:19
;
Psalm 1:5
). Even one sin—by thought, word, or deed—violates
His perfect standard of holiness (James 2:10
). Failure to meet God on His terms results in condemnation to hell—a real place
of unspeakable and everlasting torment (Matthew 13:41-42
;
2 Thessalonians 1:9
). Since all men sin, there is no way for anyone to and escape hell by our own efforts
(Romans 3:20
;
Galatians 2:16
). It’s hard to imagine how perfect and holy God really is. In fact, He is so holy
that a person cannot even look at Him and survive.
Since God is absolutely holy, He is also perfectly just (Psalm 89:14
;
97:2
). That is, He is always and completely right in all His dealings with man (Deuteronomy 32:4
;
2 Samuel 22:31
). Since His law (i.e., His Word) is perfect (Psalm 19:7
;
Romans 7:12
), He is just in judging man for violating His revealed law. Unlike human legal
systems, His justice never allows a person to escape by "falling through the
cracks" or getting off on a technicality. God administers justice with 100
percent accuracy since all the evidence of each person’s guilt is plainly before
Him (Psalm 33:13-15
;
Proverbs 15:3
;
Hebrews 4:13
). So there are no legal loopholes
with God’s system of justice. Because He is holy, He will not tolerate sin; because
He is just, He will punish the sinner for breaking His holy law.
Christ died for sinners
Now comes the good news. God is gracious and has made a way so that men do not
have to suffer punishment. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life"
(John 3:16
). As the Son, Jesus is the eternal God, who took to Himself an additional
nature, humanity, through the virgin birth (Matthew 1:21-23
;
John 1:1-3, 14
;
5:18
;
10:30
;
Philippians 2:6-7
). Simply stated, God came to earth in human form, and His
name is Jesus Christ. Since Jesus is God, He is totally sinless (Hebrews 4:15
;
1 John 3:5
). He is also the Creator of the universe (John 1:1-3
). Everything that
exists has been created by Him and falls under His ultimate control. He therefore
has full authority and is Lord of all (Matthew 28:18
;
Revelation 17:14
).
About two thousand years ago, Jesus came to earth so that He could die a horrible
death on a cross to fulfill the Scriptures. In doing so, a bridge of grace was provided
between God and man. Jesus’ death served as a substitution for the penalty of sin.
God was, and still is, fully satisfied with the death of His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice.
Through Jesus’ death on the cross, a way of forgiveness was provided so that men
could be at peace with God and have their sins forgiven (Colossians 1:20
). Jesus
not only died on a cross, but also was raised from the dead. His resurrection proves
that God has accepted Christ’s work on the cross and guarantees a future resurrection
life for all believers (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23
). The good news is, therefore, that
a sinner, by trusting in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, can receive forgiveness
of all his sins and thereby receive eternal life (salvation). A person who has eternal
life is living in a right relationship with God in this present life, and when he
dies, will live forever with Jesus in heaven.
Receiving Eternal Life
Turn from your sin
No one can receive eternal life apart from repentance (Luke 13:3, 5
;
Acts 17:30
).
Repentance is simply an inward turning away from sin. A person who is repentant
will have a change of mind about who he really is. He will see himself as a guilty,
vile, and helpless sinner before a holy God. Consequently, he will have a sense
of sorrow for committing sins against Him, seek His forgiveness and cleansing, and
turn from practicing sin willfully to obeying God’s Word consistently (Matthew 5:4
;
Luke 18:13
).
Believe in Jesus
True repentance involves true belief in Jesus Christ as Lord. Repentance and belief
(or faith) are like two sides of the same coin. Repentance is a sinner’s turning
from sin, whereas belief is a sinner’s turning to Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:9
). To believe means to put one’s trust in Jesus alone as Savior and Lord (Acts 16:31
;
Romans 10:9
). Belief is not complicated¾it only
takes a childlike and humble faith in Jesus. But if one truly believes in
Jesus, his life will surely be characterized by obedience to Him (John 14:15
;
15:14
).
The believer will have a new desire to do what pleases Jesus and will no longer
delight in sin. That does not mean once a believer is saved he will be completely
sinless in this present life. But it does mean that there will be a new and ever
increasing desire to obey Christ and not to sin.
Receive God’s gift of grace
Having your sins forgiven and receiving eternal life are a matter of God’s grace,
which means He gives His salvation to repentant sinners as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9
). There is nothing you can do to earn His precious gift of eternal life. If
it were possible to earn, it would no longer be a gift. But eternal life is
something you can hunger and thirst after¾and receive,
if you repent and believe. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved"
(Acts 16:31). "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved" (Romans 10:9).
If that confession is truly believed and you commit your life to Christ and follow
Him as Lord, you’ll begin a new life of living for God and dying to self. You will
then be saved.
Count the cost
Jesus cautioned sinners to count the cost of following Him before believing
in Him. He illustrated His concern this way:
What king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down
and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter
the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still
far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. So therefore, no one of
you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions" (Luke
14:31-33).
In other words, Jesus was saying, "If you think you want to be My disciple,
first consider the cost of following Me: I must be the top priority in your life¾not your possessions or even your family. You must love
me supremely above everyone and everything" (cf.
vv. 26-30
). Jesus knew the
importance of planning for battle, but He also knew it was even more important to
plan for the battlefield of life. Eternal life and eternal death hang in the balance.
Call on the Lord
Jesus gives this invitation and promise to sinners: "Come to Me, all who are
weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Only Jesus
can forgive your sins and replace the emptiness and hurt that sin brings. Since
that is so, "seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and
let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God,
for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7). Will you repent of your sins
and believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord?