THE GOSPEL
The gospel, the wonderful message of the Bible, declares that the triune God is the loving Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. He created mankind in His own image to reflect His glory and share His joy.
Revelation 4:11
But the Bible also testifies that humanity rebelled against God. Our sin against God defaced the beauty of His image in us, twisted our once pure desire for God upon ourselves, and brought God’s curse upon the whole creation. Sin so corrupts every aspect of our humanity that sorrow and suffering pervades our whole existence.
Romans 3:10-12; Genesis 3; Psalm 14:1-3
We have all rejected God‘s authority and tried to run our lives in our own way without Him. Sin is cosmic treason. Because we transgress His law and offend His infinite holiness, God sentences sinners to eternal punishment. Isaiah 53:6; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 25:46
However, the Bible also declares the good news of forgiveness and reconciliation with God. God lovingly sent His only Son into the world, to become the Man, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God the Father, and though He was God the Son, He willingly took our guilt and punishment upon Himself by suffering on the cross. Then He arose from the grave victorious over sin and death. His substitution for us makes it possible for God to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with Him.
Romans 3:10-12; Genesis 3; Psalm 14:1-3
We cannot earn God’s favor by doing good works. Sin taints everything, even our motivations. To be saved from God’s wrath, we must recognize and repent of our sinfulness, believe that Christ paid the penalty of our sin, and call upon the Lord to forgive and restore us to His favor because of Jesus Christ. A Christian confesses that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and rose again on the third day to offer the promise of forgiveness to whoever believes in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 5:1-8