At its core, the Gospel is Good News: the Greek word we translate as "Gospel" can also be translated as "Good News." But what is this good news and why do we need it? Perhaps the shortest summary of the Gospel is found in the often quoted verse of John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have etneral life.
The Gospel is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life with God
The LIFE of Jesus is good news because as a perfect Man, He satisfies the perfect requirement of God and His Law.
God offers life to any person who can live a morally perfect life (Leviticus 18:5, Luke 10:28). The problem, however, is that none of us have, or can, live a morally perfect life (Romans 3:23) and as a result, we earn death for ourselves (Romans 6:23). Even if we only break the Law at one point, we are guilty of breaking the whole thing (James 2:10). Jesus, however, as the God-Man, is without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Because He is the perfect Man, by His life He has earned life and will give it to all who trust in Him alone.
The DEATH of Jesus is good news because because in His death, He justifies sinners.
To be justified means to be declared righteous by God and therefore to be in relationship with God. In Romans 5:9, we read "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God." Only by Jesus, the perfect God-Man, dying in our place can we be justified and healed (Isaiah 53). For all who trust in Jesus alone, we are justified by God in Christ even though we sin (Galatians 3:23-29).
The RESURRECTION of Jesus is good news because He raises us to new life.
These are some of the greatest words in all of history: "He is not here, but has risen!" (Luke 24:6). Though He died, Jesus did not stay dead; He resurrected from the dead. And because Jesus has raised, we who believe have been "born again to a living hope through the resurrection" (1 Peter 1:3). This resurrection life includes not only having life with God, but also power to live more and more as Jesus lived (Romans 8:11). The resurrection of Jesus changes not just our eternity, but how we live here and now.
The FORGIVENESS OF SINS and LIFE WITH GOD are good news because we were made for God in holiness.
When we have faith that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the only way to be made right with God (John 14:6), we are forgiven of our sins. But the forgiveness of sins is so great, that the All-Knowing God chooses not only to forgive our sins, but forget them as well (Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 10:17). Therefore, we can draw near to God with the full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:21). But it gets even better than this! Not only are our sins forgiven and forgotten, but God gives us His Spirit to live in us so that God forever dwells with us and in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We were made by and for Jesus (Colossians 1:16) and because of the Gospel, we who are sinners by nature are made right with God to walk rightly with our God and King who loves us (Micah 6:8).
This is the Gospel. Do you have faith?
God is not interested in us merely having head knowledge about the truths of the Bible and how we can be saved. What God is after is faith. What God is after is complete trust in Him and surrender to Him. In order to be saved, you must affirm that Jesus did live a perfect life, that He did die on the cross, and that He did raise from the dead. But beyond just affirming these facts, you must trust Him. Have faith not only that He did live, die, and rise again, but that He is the only One that causes us to be forgiven and have life with God. If you would like to know more about how you can have faith or what a life lived in faith looks like, please contact us. We would love to serve you!