The GOOD NEWS
What is the Gospel?
"Gospel" means "good news" and there's no doubt that THE GOSPEL is good news. However, that doesn't mean it's all good news. When asking the question, "What is the GOSPEL?" one must understand that they are asking about the most important thing in the world, and a simple, one-verse answer is absolutely not ever going to cut it. Especially when you consider that GOD opens the GOSPEL of Mark with, "The beginning of the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST, THE SON of GOD." So, if that's just the beginning of THE GOSPEL... how are we supposed to share THE GOSPEL with someone? Read the whole book of Mark with them? Matthew, Luke, and John as well?
Let's talk about it.
GOD made you on purpose
I like to start at the beginning. GOD fashioned you in the womb, HE says. Before HE started time and began creating the earth, HE made you. Not only did HE finish HIS work designing who you would be, but HE fashioned you in the womb "for HIS own good pleasure." So GOD doesn't just love you... HE likes you.
That's good news, right?
Maybe you and I don't see eye-to-eye on some things. That's alright. We can talk about it, but for now, let's move on in THE GOSPEL.
Fallen nature
Good news isn't good news without bad news.
The bad news is, we are all born sinners. We go against what GOD says humans should do, from birth. We scream and cry when we don't get what we want, and a growing number of adults today never grew out of that. When we get angry, we have a natural instinct to pinch... or hit. Some of grow up to continue this behavior. These behaviors are called assault, battery, and murder. We have a natural instinct to take what we see and what we want. We start off thinking everything belongs to us and just reaching out to take it. We all grow up taking things away from other children, our friends, our family... and some turn into thieves, robbers, and con artists. GOD sees the heart, not just the exterior, like we do. HE sees the anger in a person's heart and GOD knows that if no one was around and you knew you wouldn't get in trouble... you'd pop that person right in the nose! Or worse. And so GOD says if you hate someone in your heart, you are guilty of murder. In HIS eyes... you're guilty. We like to deny these thoughts and feelings when others might ask, but GOD knows the TRUTH.
All are guilty.
GOD says, "None are good. No. Not one."
Left to our own devices, the whole world became utter violence, continually, until only one person was left on the earth seeking after GOD.
So... He started again, and here we are. Now what?
Well, knowing the outcome of the first go-round, and every conceivable detail of every conceivable perspective... HE created THE WAY for a human to escape judgment.
Judgment?
Yep. Judgment.
In "THE GOSPELS," we see JESUS telling the religious leaders that although they claim to be "sons of Abraham" and have no need to repent, JESUS says they are actually, "sons of their father, Satan," because they did the same things Satan does. Sin against GOD. They were fake. They were prideful. They were selfish. They were hateful, even violent. And they covered all that up with "good works". JESUS isn't fooled. When we sin against GOD, we do what Satan does. So at the end of our evil and wicked life, we go where Satan is destined to go. Hell.
Why else would you need a savior in the first place?
Save you from what?
Hell.
JESUS talks about Hell several times.
In Matthew 5, JESUS says hate, calling a person a piece of trash, or even just "stupid" is enough to be sent to the "fiery Hell". HE says it would be better to cut off your own hand or rip out your own eyeball than go to Hell. In Matthew 23, HE tells the religious leaders they make disciples that are twice as wicked as they are... "sons of Hell," HE calls them. In Mark 9 HE tells them that Hell is their destiny and asks them how they will escape it. GOD says in James that HE has the power to throw you in Hell and you should fear HIM. GOD says HE sent angels to Hell to be held for judgment in 2 Peter 2.
Good News
GOD is patient. HE is kind and gentle. HE understands you better than you ever could... and HE LOVES you. HE LOVES you more than your mind is capable of imagining. And... HIS LOVE is a better, stronger, more faithful LOVE than any other love you will ever experience. It's perfect LOVE. So amazing is this love, GOD says, that while you were a sinner... JESUS died for you. HIS death was personal for you. Your sins were paid for by HIS death on the cross. HE paid your debt with HIS FATHER. This way, no penalty can fall on you for your sins all throughout your life, because they were paid for. Done.
And JESUS said, "It is finished."
Good news, right?
Well... only if you believe it.
Your heart is before GOD and HE knows all that is in it at every moment. GOD says our every thought is before HIM. Nothing escapes HIS close eye.
So, it must be real.
And here's the rub.
The only way you could know is for you to be exposed to HIS WORD. That's where THE GOSPEL is. If you reject HIS WORD, you reject JESUS. No faith. You don't really believe. So, you are not saved.
The only way for JESUS to die for your sins is if HE is GOD. HE tells the religious leaders as much and they want to kill HIM!! If you deny that HE is GOD like they did, then you deny HIM... and you don't really believe.
HE rose from the dead, proving to the whole world that HE IS in fact, GOD, and yet the world denies HIS resurrection. If you deny what HE did then you do not really believe.
HE says HE is KING. The TRUE KING of Israel, no less. HE says HE will come again to rule over the earth from Jerusalem in Israel. If you would deny Israel and HIS authority as KING OF KINGS, then you reject HIM and you do not truly believe.
HE ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of HIS FATHER, and promised HIS disciples that HE will return and take them, past & present, to be with HIM in Heaven when the world is tested in the Tribulation Period. If you would deny that JESUS is on HIS throne at the right hand of HIS FATHER, then you do not believe.
GOD said, "Do not take my name in vain," and JESUS again said, "Why do you call ME LORD, and do not do what I tell you?" Don't be a hypocrite. You can fool yourself and everyone else, but not GOD. It won't go well for you.
So, What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that JESUS is MASTER and you will be saved.
Contemporary BIBLES will say "LORD" instead of "MASTER," but make no mistake, it's MASTER, and it's 100% absolutely slave language. If that offends you, consider this... JESUS told hundreds of people they'd have to "eat HIS flesh" and "drink HIS blood" if they want to have life and a part of HIM and live forever. They had to stick around to find out what HE meant by that... if they really believed. Turns out, HE meant it figuratively, that HE is THE WORD, and we need to digest HIM and take HIM in, AND... HE would also use bread and wine with HIS disciples, signifying HIS flesh that would be ripped apart for them, and the blood that would be drained out of HIS body for them. Not every slave/master relationship is bad. Even with human masters, slavery proved to be the best thing that ever happened to many, many people. But in a fallen world, every system is corrupted by us, and so slavery was done the wrong way, with hate and violence and prejudice, especially in the United States. No wonder we changed the words.
THIEF ON THE CROSS
The thief on the cross was saved. He did not attend church. He did not get baptized like JESUS commands us to, no. He DID repent of his sins, as we all must. He started out yelling at JESUS along with the other criminal, that if JESUS was really GOD, then HE should come down off the cross and same HIMSELF and them. But he was a captive audience, with no choice but to hang there, dying, but also observing THE LAMB OF GOD right before his eyes, dying on the cross as well. And before long, the thief was convinced that JESUS IS who HE says HE IS. He repented first, telling the other criminal that 1. JESUS was innocent and did not deserve this, and 2. They were both criminals and deserved to be punished with death. Then he turned to JESUS. "LORD," he said. There. He believed in his heart. It came out of his mouth as a result. "Remember me," he said. He believed that JESUS would survive death. "Remember me when YOU enter YOUR Kingdom." So he believed JESUS was GOD and KING.
And JESUS said the man would be with HIM that very day, in Paradise. (that's another conversation)
So, we are saved by faith alone, and only by JESUS.
"No one comes to THE FATHER, except by ME," JESUS said.
And, "No one comes to me unless THE FATHER leads them."
GOD is calling you by HIS HOLY SPIRIT... on your heart... to come to HIM.
To give your life to HIS SON. To bow down and worship HIM.
The HOLY LAMB OF GOD who died for you.
The only unforgivable sin, GOD says, is to reject this call from HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
You cannot survive without JESUS, and JESUS in you.
So, pray. Talk to HIM. HE says if you will seek HIM out with all your heart, you will find HIM.
Believe.
Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth
that JESUS is LORD, and you will be saved.
Repent.
Surrender.
Give your life to HIM like HE gave HIS life for you.
JESUS says, "Whoever loves their life will lose it. Whoever
will lose their life for MY sake will find LIFE."
Now, listen.
You're not on the cross.
The thief didn't have to do anything. He died.
That's not you.
So... what's next?
How do we live for JESUS?
We become disciples, just like HIS disciples did.
There's a few things you should know about that.
Click on "What is A Christian?" on the main page.