We are constantly seeing, hearing, or reading about things that effect our everyday lives - new, important things that we call "news". We process many things that we perceive to be "news," most of it bad, sad, or disturbing in some way. We believe that the Bible gives us good news. That's what the word "gospel" means: a good message or good news. Many people feel empty or somehow at odds with God and all things pertaining to Him. The gospel is the road map to a restored, intimate relationship with God. Let's take a look at the stops on this road map that leads to a new relationship to God and the assurance of heaven when we die.
The first stop is to acknowledge that all of us sin because it is in our nature to do so. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners. And this sin touches every area of our lives. The Bible reminds us of this:
Romans 3:10-18 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (13) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: (14) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: (15) Their feet are swift to shed blood: (16) Destruction and misery are in their ways: (17) And the way of peace have they not known: (18) There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
In our natural state, we stray from the path of God's commandments and become lost in our sin.
Sometimes, when I am traveling with my family, I lose my way - I get lost. There are several things that can be said for being lost. First, there are consequences. I may wind up far away from my intended destination. Even worse, I might wind up in a place that exposes my family to great danger. Likewise, there is a dangerous consequence to sinning:
Romans 6:23 KJV For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This death includes physical death that came upon us all through the sin of Adam and Eve. But this death also includes spiritual death - eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.
There is a second thing that happens as a result of being lost. Like every other man, I wander down several roads because I refuse to admit that I'm hopelessly lost and can't find my way to my intended destination. I can see every woman who has ever been on a road trip with her husband nodding her head.
Because we are lost in our sin, we are utterly unable to find our own way to heaven. Since God is a perfectly holy God and heaven is a perfectly holy place, we can't get there from here. All our sins must be paid for before we can enter that holy place called heaven and face a holy being called God.
That's where the gospel shines through. Jesus Christ restores our relationship to by paying the penalty for our sins, He did that by offering Himself to be put to death in payment for our sins. He paid the penalty for sin that we rightly deserve.
Romans 5:8 (KJV) But God commendeth [demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
How do we obtain this restoration - this salvation? There are really only three ways we obtain anything: we earn it (pay for it), we steal it, or we receive it as a gift.
Have you ever been the guest of honor at a birthday party? It's silly to think you would have to steal your own birthday presents. It's also silly to pay someone for the packages they present to us. Would you receive a brightly wrapped package from a friend and say, "Hey, Sam, let me pay you for those DVDs"? Or would you say to your wife, "Wow! That set of books is just what I wanted. You're a great wife. Here, let me get my wallet and pay you back"?
Romans 6:23 (see above) contrasts the consequence of our sin - physical and spiritual death - with the restored relationship to God. This restoration which presents us as holy before God is a gift, given by Jesus Christ's offering of Himself to pay for our sins. Jesus Christ offered Himself for our sins as a gift! We can't bluff our way into heaven by trying to fool God. Likewise, we can't do enough good to get into heaven (remember, we are sinners and we continue to sin). That leaves the third option. We receive our salvation and our restored relationship to God as a gift.
The final stop on the road map is acceptance of our salvation as a gift of Jesus Christ and confessing this truth to God and to each other. The Bible tells us:
Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 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. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
There are no specific words or "magical prayer" to be offered before God, but I would invite you to pray in your own words. Your heartfelt and sincere prayer should convey these important points:
1. I am a sinner. I am hopelessly lost in sin because sinful thoughts and behaviors are in every area of my life.
2. Since I am a sinner, I am unable to make myself holy, left to my own efforts.
3. I believe Jesus Christ died in my place as an offering for my sins so that I can have a restored relationship with God.
4. I accept this wonderful gift which has been given to me through Christ's loving sacrifice.
I hope this helps to explain our understanding of the gospel - the great news we find in the pages of the Bible.
The first stop is to acknowledge that all of us sin because it is in our nature to do so. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners. And this sin touches every area of our lives. The Bible reminds us of this:
Romans 3:10-18 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (13) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: (14) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: (15) Their feet are swift to shed blood: (16) Destruction and misery are in their ways: (17) And the way of peace have they not known: (18) There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
In our natural state, we stray from the path of God's commandments and become lost in our sin.
Sometimes, when I am traveling with my family, I lose my way - I get lost. There are several things that can be said for being lost. First, there are consequences. I may wind up far away from my intended destination. Even worse, I might wind up in a place that exposes my family to great danger. Likewise, there is a dangerous consequence to sinning:
Romans 6:23 KJV For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This death includes physical death that came upon us all through the sin of Adam and Eve. But this death also includes spiritual death - eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.
There is a second thing that happens as a result of being lost. Like every other man, I wander down several roads because I refuse to admit that I'm hopelessly lost and can't find my way to my intended destination. I can see every woman who has ever been on a road trip with her husband nodding her head.
Because we are lost in our sin, we are utterly unable to find our own way to heaven. Since God is a perfectly holy God and heaven is a perfectly holy place, we can't get there from here. All our sins must be paid for before we can enter that holy place called heaven and face a holy being called God.
That's where the gospel shines through. Jesus Christ restores our relationship to by paying the penalty for our sins, He did that by offering Himself to be put to death in payment for our sins. He paid the penalty for sin that we rightly deserve.
Romans 5:8 (KJV) But God commendeth [demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
How do we obtain this restoration - this salvation? There are really only three ways we obtain anything: we earn it (pay for it), we steal it, or we receive it as a gift.
Have you ever been the guest of honor at a birthday party? It's silly to think you would have to steal your own birthday presents. It's also silly to pay someone for the packages they present to us. Would you receive a brightly wrapped package from a friend and say, "Hey, Sam, let me pay you for those DVDs"? Or would you say to your wife, "Wow! That set of books is just what I wanted. You're a great wife. Here, let me get my wallet and pay you back"?
Romans 6:23 (see above) contrasts the consequence of our sin - physical and spiritual death - with the restored relationship to God. This restoration which presents us as holy before God is a gift, given by Jesus Christ's offering of Himself to pay for our sins. Jesus Christ offered Himself for our sins as a gift! We can't bluff our way into heaven by trying to fool God. Likewise, we can't do enough good to get into heaven (remember, we are sinners and we continue to sin). That leaves the third option. We receive our salvation and our restored relationship to God as a gift.
The final stop on the road map is acceptance of our salvation as a gift of Jesus Christ and confessing this truth to God and to each other. The Bible tells us:
Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 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. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
There are no specific words or "magical prayer" to be offered before God, but I would invite you to pray in your own words. Your heartfelt and sincere prayer should convey these important points:
1. I am a sinner. I am hopelessly lost in sin because sinful thoughts and behaviors are in every area of my life.
2. Since I am a sinner, I am unable to make myself holy, left to my own efforts.
3. I believe Jesus Christ died in my place as an offering for my sins so that I can have a restored relationship with God.
4. I accept this wonderful gift which has been given to me through Christ's loving sacrifice.
I hope this helps to explain our understanding of the gospel - the great news we find in the pages of the Bible.