Good News!

The Bible is a large book with much to say, but there is 1 central message found throughout, which literally means "Good News". In order to understand the magnitude of the "Good News", we must first understand the monumental problem of the "Bad News"- Sin.

Sin is the cause of all the hurt, pain, and suffering that we encounter in this world. God created the world and mankind in a perfect, sinless state. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose to sin, and every human since then, has made that same choice. The problem for us is that God is perfect and sinless, so we can't approach him, because of our sinfulness. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that the wages (cost) of our sin is eternal death. Thankfully, the verse goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is where the "Good News" comes in.

You may have heard about the word, "Gospel", before, but we want to make sure you understand what it is, and what it means for you. Gospel is a word found in the Bible. It is used 101 times in the Bible, and the word literally means, "Good News". The Gospel is defined for us in I Corinthians 15. The Bible says-

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

"The Gospel"- is made up of 3 parts- the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is based on the concept of understanding these truths and the purpose behind them.

First, the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus willingly did what we could not do ourselves. Being God, He was and is sinless, and, because of His love for us, He chose to be born as a man, so that he could sacrifice Himself for the sins of all mankind. He lived a perfect, sinless life, and He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sin.

After Jesus's sacrifice for sin on the cross, He was placed in a tomb, where he remained for 3 days. The resurrection is vitally important, because if Jesus didn't rise from the tomb, the Bible says in I Corinthians 15:17 that are faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins. The resurrection of Jesus proved that He is God, and that His sacrifice for our sins was acceptable.

Because Jesus rose from the grave, He has the power to raise us with Him when we leave this world. He has the power over sin and death, and He has provided a way of salvation from the penalty of our sin. Through his salvation, we receive eternal life and a new life in Christ.

The best news is that all of this was done by Christ for you and me. This offer of salvation and eternal life is available to all people, regardless of who we are or what we've done. Not because of what we have to offer to God, but because Jesus has all ready paid for the cost of it on the cross.

Do you recognize that you're a sinner in need of a Saviour? The Bible says in Romans 10:9-

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

If we understand that we are sinners in need of a Saviour, and we believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and ask Him to save us, He promises to do that very thing. The Bible says that when we do that, we experience a new birth and a new life in Christ. We immediately receive the eternal life of Christ that is promised, but we receive so much more- peace with God, an eternal home in heaven, power over sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us...

The best place to learn about this new life and grow in your faith is a local church that teaches the Bible and provides godly fellowship. We'd be happy to be that church for you, or help you find a church in your area.