What is the Gospel?

GOD

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  God has created everything including us.  Because He is the Creator and the King, He determines the rules and the standards for His creation.

MAN

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  The problem is that all of us have rebelled against the King.  We have all sinned against God and we are under His wrath and judgment (John 3:18).  If we remain in this sinful condition, we will die separated from God for eternity (Luke 12:5).

CHRIST

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).  The solution to the problem is that God gave his only Son (John 3:16).  God’s Son became a man and He obeyed the law perfectly for us (John 1:14 & Hebrews 5:9).  He succeeded where we failed.  This obedience allowed Christ to become a sacrifice and experience the wrath and judgment of God for us on the cross (Galatians 3:13).  He died as our substitute and He experienced the death we deserve because of our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).  God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and raised Him from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).  Jesus is seated at God’s right hand and He is returning soon (1 Peter 3:22 & 4:5). 

RESPONSE 

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).  The good news is that God has provided the solution to our problem.  However, we must respond to what God has done in Christ.  We are saved by God’s grace, but we experience His grace by trusting in Christ alone for our right standing with God (Ephesians 2:8).  True saving faith is marked by repentance, which is turning from our sin and turning to Christ as our Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15).  If you are trusting in Christ, you can be confident you are forgiven and you will be with Christ forever (John 10:28).