Hey! You scanned the code, so you must want to hear the Good News I was talking about.

Well, here it is:

The Good News

God is just and righteous, but He is also loving and full of mercy. Instead of leaving us to face the punishment we deserve, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ. He came into the world and became a man while remaining fully God. The Creator came to live among His creation.

Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. He never lied. He never stole. He never lusted. He never hated anyone. He never broke God’s law. He was the perfect man. But even though Jesus had never sinned, He willingly took the punishment that sinners deserve. Jesus was beaten, whipped, mocked, and humiliated. Then He was nailed to a cross and crucified. Jesus died in the place of sinners. He took the judgment we deserved upon Himself.

The Bible says:

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus did not become a sinner. He remained perfectly righteous. Instead, He took our sin upon Himself and paid its penalty.

Why would God do this? Because God wanted to show both His perfect justice and His great mercy. At the cross, God did not simply ignore our sin. He punished sin while providing a way for sinners to be forgiven. God can be both just and the Justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).

But Jesus did not remain in the grave. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated death and showed that He truly is the Son of God and the Savior of sinners. The resurrection showed Jesus’ claims to be true.

So what must we do? We must repent and believe. To repent means to turn away from our sin and turn toward God. It means admitting that our sin is wrong and surrendering our lives to God. To believe in Jesus means more than simply believing that He existed. It means trusting completely in Him to save you. It means trusting that His death is enough to pay for your sin and that His resurrection is true.

When we repent and place our faith in Christ, God forgives us. He does not forgive us because we have become good enough. He forgives us because Jesus paid the price for our sin. God counts Christ’s perfect righteousness as ours. Our sin is counted as paid for because of Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us.

This is grace. Grace means receiving God’s undeserved kindness. You cannot earn salvation. You cannot work your way into Heaven. You cannot be good enough to make up for your sins. Jesus Christ is your only hope.

Because of God’s grace, you can be forgiven. When you die, you can have eternal life with God. One day, everyone who belongs to Christ will be made completely new. There will be no more pain, sorrow, death, or sin. We will live forever in the presence of our Lord.

So what’s the BIG question?

This is the Gospel, the good news found in the Bible.

Now ask yourself some honest questions: Have I sinned? Have I broken God’s laws? If I stood before God today, would I be innocent or guilty? If you are honest, you know the answer. You are guilty.

You cannot save yourself. Your good works cannot erase your sin. Your religion cannot erase your sin. Going to church cannot erase your sin. Only Jesus Christ can save you.

God commands you to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Turn away from your sin. Turn to Christ. Trust Him completely. Ask God for mercy and forgiveness, and place your life in the hands of Jesus.

Salvation is God’s free gift. The Bible says, ‘the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23)

But following Jesus is not a promise of an easy life. Jesus calls us to follow Him, obey Him, and surrender our lives to Him.

The Gospel is not simply an invitation to become a better person. It is the good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners, rose from the dead, and saves everyone who repents and trusts in Him.

So here is The BIG QUESTION:

Will you put your trust in Christ today?

The only correct answer is “Yes!”

Yes, I will turn from my sin. Yes, I will trust Jesus Christ. Yes, I will follow Him as my Lord and Savior.

If you want to trust Jesus with your eternity, you can call out to God right now.

Pray to Him.

Talk to God honestly. You do not need special words. You do not need to pray a certain prayer. God already knows your heart.

Confess to Him that you have sinned against Him. Admit that you have broken His laws and that you cannot save yourself.

Ask God to forgive you because of what Jesus Christ did for you.

Tell God that you are turning away from your sin. Ask Him to help you fight sin and to live a life that honors Him.

Confess that you believe Jesus is the Son of God. Confess that you believe Jesus died on the cross and paid the full penalty for your sins. Confess that you believe Jesus physically rose from the grave and is alive today.

Trust completely in Jesus Christ to save you.

Ask God to help you live your new life as a Christian. Ask Him to give you godly desires, protect your faith, help you grow, and keep you from falling into sin. And if you do sin, know that you have Christ as your advocate.

Remember, the words you pray do not save you. Jesus saves. Your salvation rests on Christ, not on how perfectly you pray.

Your New Life

My friend, if you have truly repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you have been brought into God’s family. You are now my brother or sister in Christ. Your old life is not the end of your story. You now have a new life in Christ.

Here are some things I want you to do as you begin this new life.

First, get baptized.

Jesus Himself was baptized, and He commanded His followers to be baptized. Baptism does not save you. Jesus saves you. Baptism is an act of obedience. It is a public picture that you belong to Christ and that your old life has died and you have been raised to walk in new life.

Second, find a good Bible-teaching church.

Find a church that believes the Bible is the Word of God and the ultimate authority for what we believe and how we live. Find a church that teaches the truth about God and treats Him with the reverence He deserves as our Creator and King. Then attend faithfully.

The Bible tells Christians not to stop gathering together with other believers. We need one another. Be part of a church family. Serve. Worship. Learn. Encourage other believers, and allow other believers to encourage you. Gathering with God’s people is a wonderful gift.

Third, spend time every day in prayer and in God’s Word.

Talk to God through prayer. Read the Bible because it is God’s Word to us. Cherish it. Read it. Study it. Think about what it says. Ask God to help you understand His Word and obey it.

As you learn more about God, I pray that you will grow to love Him more and more. You will see His grace, mercy, holiness, justice, and love throughout His Word.

Finally, share the Gospel with others.

You have just heard the good news. Now tell someone else. Tell them that there is a holy and loving God who sent His only Son to save sinners. Tell them that Jesus Christ died for sinners. Tell them that Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death. Tell them that Jesus is Lord and that He calls us to repent and believe in Him.

You do not need to know everything before you tell someone about Jesus. Tell them what you know. Tell them what Christ has done. And point them to the Bible, God’s Word.

....if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9b (ESV)

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1:15 (ESV)