In my previous post, I tried to explain why God is not placated by human traditions such as going to church only on Christmas and Easter. Going one step further, God is also unimpressed by the act of going to church every Sunday, or twice weekly, or even going every day. The Bible teaches that there is nothing we can do in our own power to become righteous before God. If that were the end of the story, it would indeed be a sad ending for us all. The good news however, is that in Christ, God has not only made a way for us to fulfill our purpose in life, but has also provided us a way to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
I'm not a theologian by any means, but I am passionate about Christ and God's word. Because of that passion, I've spent a lot of time researching the gospel so I can hopefully present it clearly. The following paragraphs are my attempt at a clear presentation of the Gospel. It is simple in a way, but it is also very deep. I pray that if your life isn't completely devoted to Christ, that you'll stick with it through the end.
The word gospel means good news, and in this case, the good news about Christ. This good story begins with God and His original purpose for our lives. In Isaiah 43:7 we read that God created each of us to bring glory to His name. In Psalm 29 King David writes, "Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." This idea of giving glory to God permeates the scriptures. However, another idea that permeates scripture, is that man, in his own power, can do nothing to bring glory to God.
While the world around us struggles to separate good from bad, scripture is clear on the matter, declaring we are all bad or sinful. You might be thinking of people in your life who seem basically good, especially compared to people like Hitler or Bin Laden. Those are the really bad guys right? The Bible disagrees. Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "All" pretty much covers it. Have you ever placed any objects above God? Have you ever misused God's name? Have you dishonored your mom or dad? Have you lied? Have you lusted? Have you ever been jealous of the things other people have? The list goes on and on, but for most of us, including myself, this is probably as far as I need to go. God's standard is perfection, and none of us is perfect.
So what does sin get us? Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us, "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." In Genesis and elsewhere in scripture we read about another consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 gets right to the point when it says, "For the wages of sin is death...". So sin ultimately separates us from God and causes death. This separation is eternal as God cannot allow unpunished sin into his presence. The Bible teaches that the eternal separation is lived out in a real place called Hell. A place of eternal punishment. Once again this would be a very sad ending, but God in His mercy comes to the rescue.
Several hundred years before Christ, the prophets began teaching about God's rescue plan. In Isaiah 53 we read about a savior that would come to pay for our sins. It says that he would be pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities and that the punishment he would endure would bring us peace with God. This chapter also states that after the Savior's death, he would be raised to life again showing his victory over sin and death. In Isaiah 35 it says that this savior would cause the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. In chapter 61 Isaiah goes on to say that this savior would preach the good news to the poor. Could Jesus be this savior? John the Baptist, who was in prison during Jesus' ministry, was experiencing some doubt about the savior's identity, so he sent his friends to Jesus to ask him if he was in fact, the long awaited Savior. In Luke 7:21-22 it says, "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, 'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" In other words, "I am the Savior and the proof is my fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies". In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and in the following books that make up the New Testament, we read that Jesus fulfilled the remaining prophecies about the Savior. He was pierced and hung on a cross, died for our sins, and was raised to life after 3 days to show His victory over sin and death. So what is our response to this Savior?
The Bible teaches that if we turn from sin, and turn to faith in Christ's death for our sins, that we become righteous before God. The sins that separate us from God and from life are erased, and we are given the free reward of eternal life. Through Christ, we can bring glory to God once again, and fulfill our life's purpose. Here's the story as told by Paul in Romans 3:20-25 "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood." Through this forgiveness we receive eternal life. Romans 6:20-22 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."
The choice is yours to make. If God has tugged at your heart through any of these scriptures, if you feel convicted of sin in your life and desire a rescuer, Christ is that rescuer. Ask God to accept Christ's sacrifice for your sins and to forgive you, then use the rest of your life to bring glory to God. In the New Testament it was a sign of obedience, that once you received salvation you would get baptized as a symbol of your death to sin and new life in Christ. Baptism doesn't save you, it's just a sign of obedience. So if you have received salvation, why not go to a local Bible believing church and get baptized to show what Christ has done for you. If you are not a believer, I pray you will consider faith in Christ. If you are a believer, I pray this (very long) post has blessed your walk with God. Thanks for sticking with it!
