The Gospel

The Bad News

After the creation of Adam and Eve, mankind disobeyed God, and sin entered the world. That disobedience drove a wedge between God and mankind because every human born after Adam carried the curse of death and a rebellious nature toward God. Because of this rebellious nature, all of us have sinned and broken God’s laws. Everyone has lied, stolen, lusted, coveted, and so on.

As a result, God’s impending wrath abides on humankind. God, as a just and good Judge, must punish sinners; otherwise, He would be corrupt and lacking integrity. Our good deeds and our works can never bridge the gap between us and God, our Creator. In any legal system, good deeds never outweigh bad deeds. Criminals must have their day in court and must serve their sentence.

God is the Eternal Judge, and crimes against Him carry eternal consequences. The punishment is banishment from the goodness of God—eternal separation from Him—spent in Hell. If any one of us were to die and stand before this just Judge of the universe, who must punish us for our crimes, the only option would be for God to send us away from His presence, banished to Hell for all eternity.

The Good News

However, yes, God is just, and He is righteous, and He must punish criminals. But He is also loving and rich in mercy. Because of His mercy, He has held back His wrath and instead sent His Son, Jesus Christ—the second Member of the Trinity, God Incarnate—to take on human flesh. The Creator laid aside His crown and lived among us as one of His creatures.

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, never once committing sin. He fulfilled the just requirements of the law—in other words, He was the perfect man. Then this sinless, perfect man who had never sinned became the embodiment of sin. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, and humiliated. He was then hung on a cross and crucified before the eyes of the world.

In doing this, Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man, bridged the gap between mankind and God. He reconciled humanity to its Creator. Jesus served as the substitute for you and me. He took the wrath we deserved, and it pleased the Father to crush the Son. Why? Not because He loves cruelty, but so that God could be both just and the Justifier.

Now, if we will repent—come into agreement with God about our sinfulness—and throw ourselves upon Christ, trusting wholly in Him to save us, then He will save us. God will credit the righteousness of Christ to your account. Not only will your penalty be paid by Christ, but He will also clothe you in His righteousness.

By the grace of the one and only holy, righteous, and just God of the universe, you can be spared the punishment you deserve. When you pass from this life, you will go on to live with the Lord in Heaven, where there is no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more shame. We will be made whole—glorified, lacking nothing, and forever in the presence of our Lord, free from the effects of sin.

Walk in Faith

This is the Gospel—the good news presented in the Holy Scriptures. Search your conscience and ask yourself, “Am I a good person? Have I sinned?” Ask yourself: if you were to stand before God and answer for your thoughts and deeds, what would the verdict of the just Judge be?

Salvation is readily available. The free gift of God is eternal life—but following Jesus will come at a cost.