The Greek word for gospel means “good news.”
You may be familiar with this passage of the Bible, as its quoted often at Christmas time:
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
The good news of Jesus is for ALL people. That means me, and you, and your children too! Let's look first at why we need a Savior, then you will understand why this is such good news.
Sin Separates us from God
In just the first few pages of the Bible, you will read about the fall of mankind. When God made the world, everything was perfect and good. In fact, God would walk and talk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the midst of the garden. There was no death, no pain, no sin. Unfortunately, that didn't last. Adam, the first man, sinned against God - He disobeyed God. (Sin is any form of disobedience to God.) Since the time that sin entered the world, God's word says that all have sinned; we all have broken His law. God no longer dwells with man because of our sin.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
Each and every one of us has sinned:
..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.. Romans 3:23
..There is none righteous, no, not one Romans 3:10
God's word also tells us that the penalty for sin is death:
The soul that sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:19,20…
God Does Not Want Anyone to Perish
God knows all things, from the beginning. He knew man would sin, and He had a plan from the beginning to show us His love for us and to save us from our sins. He does not want us to die.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3
God has been revealing Himself to us since the beginning of creation in different ways. One way He reveals Himself to us is through the things He made:
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. Romans 1:20
Another way God reveals Himself to us is through His word, the Bible:
Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8
For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21
The Bible tells us how God made all things, how man fell from His relationship with God through sin, and how God has provided the way for us to be saved from our sins, and to live with Him forever.
God's Perfect Plan
Since God is good, He cannot overlook sin. A good judge cannot turn the cheek at unlawfulness. The law is in place to protect us. If someone were to harm your child, you would want the perpetrator to be punished accordingly. If the judge decided to let that person go, you wouldn't think the judge was fair or just. In the same way, God must punish all sin. He cannot allow sin to enter heaven, because He is holy - He cannot dwell with sinful man.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4
We can see from the above passage, that Jesus (The Word) was with God when He made the world, and that Jesus is indeed God. It also says that in Jesus is life. He is the light of men. Light is what shows us where we are going, we cannot see without it. Jesus is the light - He shows us the way of life. The scripture goes on to say:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Jesus became flesh when He was born of Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit:
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21
Throughout the Old Testament, God's people (the Jews) were under the old covenant, the law. The law commanded that there be sacrifices made for sins. It taught the people that the penalty for sin was death, and that without the shedding of blood, there could be no forgiveness of sins. They were instructed to offer up a young lamb, without spot or blemish, as a sacrifice for their sins on a continual basis.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
This is the good news! Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins. He is the unspotted lamb of God, who died for us - so that our sins could be forgiven!
Isaiah 53 is a beautiful passage about Jesus and what He has done for us:
...He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
...But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
...We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all…
This is how God shows His love for us:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
God loves us so much, that He made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. It is the only way that we can be forgiven, and it came at a great price.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The Risen Savior
After Jesus died, on the third day, those who went to go and anoint Jesus' body and prepare it for burial were greeted by an Angel who said:
“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6
God's word says that Jesus appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection! Think about that. In a trial, it's very difficult to convict someone of murder without a witness. If there is a witness, the defense will often try to prove that the witness is untrustworthy so that people will not believe them. However, if there is more than one witness, it becomes much harder to deny. Jesus chose 12 witnesses. They were there during Jesus' entire ministry, they saw His death, and they saw His resurrection. Not only that, but they all were badly beaten, tortured, and killed because of their witness about Jesus, and not one of them denied the things they saw in order to escape death. (John did not actually die at the hands of his torturers, although they attempted to kill him by throwing him into a vat of hot oil!) They were cut into two, beheaded, and crucified upside down. Yet they never denied Jesus. Would you believe a witness if that person knew that telling the truth would mean certain death?
Not only did Jesus appear to His disciples after His death, but He was with them for 40 days! Wouldn't you love to know what He said to them? Well, we can read in the New Testament many of the letters written to the churches by the apostles who were taught by Jesus throughout His ministry, and after His resurrection. You can also read the accounts they give about Jesus' life in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
After Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples He said:
...“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ... So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Mark 16:15-20
For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. John 5:22-23
Salvation Through Faith
Do you believe what God's word says about your sin, and about what He has done for you? God's word teaches us that if we repent (turn in our hearts from our unbelief and disobedience) and put our faith in Jesus, that we would be forgiven of all of our sins, and that we would receive the promise of eternal life:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 1 Cor. 15:1-8
There is nothing you can do to earn God's forgiveness and mercy. It is by faith in Jesus that we are saved, and that is the only way that we can be saved.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:4-9
If you believe these things and are ready to repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus as both Lord and Savior, you will have new life, forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. God will forget all of the sins you have committed:
Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6,7
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3:19
These promises are for you. God has commanded that this good news is to be preached throughout all the world, and then the end would come. Jesus is coming back again, but this time, He will be coming as King, in all His glory, to gather together all those who trust in Him, and to pour out His wrath upon those who reject His offer of mercy and forgiveness.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:30-31
Once Jesus comes again, there will be no more chance for salvation.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:14
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:10-13
If you have decided to repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus, please let us know! We encourage you to check out some of the resources below, but the most important thing you can do now is read your Bible. If you don’t have one, you can read one for free online here.
A Final Warning
God’s word warns us that there would be many false teachers in the last days:
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15,16
For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Cor. 11:14
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3,4
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. Acts 20:29-31
It is very important that you test everything that you hear with God’s word so that you will not be led astray. You can only do this if you are diligently reading His word and trusting Him to teach you the truth.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11
Be sure to start reading your Bible every day. Here's a free Bible reading plan to help you get started. It's very important that you grow in your faith.
More resources to help you as you grow and read God’s word:
Blessed Hope Chapel Podcasts
Blessed Hope Chapel YouTube Channel
Good Fight Ministries YouTube Channel
