The Gospel What is “The Gospel”? Literally translated “the gospel” means “the good news.” So, what is the good news? There is a lot of good news: getting a good job, getting a promotion, having a nice house or a new car, having a good relationship with your spouse, children or friends, getting to go on a VACATION! However, none of that is the gospel. In order to understand the gospel, you must first understand the bad news. The bad news is that we have all sinned. Even worse news is that sin must be punished, must be paid for. Worse news yet is the way that sin is punished. Now, the same person who would readily admit they are not perfect may be very apprehensive to admit that they are a sinner. The good outweighs the bad, right? You may be aware of the story of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. They had one rule to obey…and they didn’t. They ate the forbidden fruit (they sinned) and as a consequence they eventually died…as the result of one sin. Death has reigned in the world ever since. No one can throw a rock so high that it won’t come back to earth. No matter how many “good” things you do in this world those “good” things can’t make up for even one sin. The good news is that someone did pay for sins. His name is Jesus Christ. For those who fail to repent of their sins God will pour out His wrath on them in the form of hellfire. Those who repent and believe…and who walk through life taking steps of repentance and belief…God will save because Jesus took God’s wrath for them upon Himself when He died on the cross. For a believer in Jesus, God looks at Christ instead of the sin, the death of an innocent to pay for the guilty. It can be difficult for a “good” person to see the need for a Savior. God says we are dead in our sins, so it is impossible for anyone to see the need for a Savior without God regenerating the heart. What do dead people do? Do they turn to God? No one turns to God until He draws them. There are no pithy or pointed words so convincing that by reading a short summary of what the gospel is one will be convinced that they should fall down and repent and worship God. No one has ever been argued or preached into heaven. The gospel is offensive because it tells us we are wrong and He is right. I write this as clearly as I know how to those who are aware there is something wrong but just can’t put a finger on it. Have no doubt about the bad news. Rejoice that there is good news. Repent (turn away) from sin; if you don’t know what your sin is ask God to reveal it. By God’s grace, and by His grace only, will you be saved.
God blesses us not because we are good but because HE is good!
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