The Gospel in a Nut Shell
The Good News, or Gospel, is really pretty simple…
God is good. I am not good. I need help. God loves me and wants to save me.
God is good. Somewhere inside of yourself you realize that already. In fact, it probably doesn’t surprise you at all to hear that God is more than just good; He is perfect. God doesn’t make mistakes. God doesn’t sin. God isn’t vain, or covetous, or lecherous. God is great, and His greatness demands our admiration (our worship). But, God is also holy. This means that God is completely other than anything in creation. God gets this distinction from being the maker of all things, including you, while never having been created Himself. He is the source of all life and defines both good and evil by comparison with His own character.
Like God? Good. Not like God? Not good.
So, how do we know what God is like? Well, it’s simple: He tells us. God reveals himself to us through the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, through His incarnation in Jesus Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, through the world around us, through all sorts of experiences and knowledge, and through other people. The closer these revelations are to the Word (the Bible) and the Word made flesh (Jesus), the more accurate a picture they present. And, the picture God gives us of Himself is that He is, and that He is holy and perfect.
God’s perfection is a good thing. In fact, it’s great! It means that we can depend on God to be consistent, to never change, and to never stop loving us. But, God’s consistent character can also be very bad news for us as well. This is because His holiness demands that we be perfect in order to enter into His presence. God will not be corrupted by our sin. So, when we are under sin, when we do wrongly and our lives are controlled by our mistakes and imperfections, we are excluded from His presence. This is what it means to say that I am not good. I don't measure up to God's character. I've fallen short of the mark. I may be a better person than Hitler or Bin Laden (or maybe not) but they aren't the standard, God is. Unless I can honestly say I'm as perfect as God, then I'm not good enough to enter God's presence.
"Wait a minute! No one can be as perfect as God!" - Exactly! But, that is what His holiness demands.
Here is one of my favorite illustrations of our sinfulness: If you're thirsty and I offer you a glass of water, you'd be glad to take it. But, imagine that while I'm handing you the glass of water I inform you that I've urinated in the glass, but "don't worry, it's just a little pee." Are you going to drink that water? That's what we try to do with God. We try to pretend our imperfection isn't that big a deal: "Don't worry, God. It's just a little sin." We forget that a little sin ruins the whole vessel, just like a little urine ruins the whole glass of water. God's not going to swallow that!
This situation is a result of God’s holiness and our imperfection, and it is a serious problem. When it comes to God's standard of perfection, even the littlest bit of sin is a deal breaker. Now, this sin is my fault, not God's. God would be perfectly justified in leaving me in my sin and imperfection. However, He is not content to just let us fall away forever without a fight. Remember, God created us and He loves us. Our sin breaks His heart. Therefore, He sent His son Jesus (the very image of who God is made flesh) to pay the penalty for our sin, so we wouldn’t have to.
Jesus did the impossible. He never sinned. Jesus never fell short of God's desire for Him. Jesus was a perfect man, living a life a faith in God the Father. Yet, He voluntarily bore our sin on the cross that we might know forgiveness. He suffered so we might be free. He died so we might have life. And, He rose from the grave, conquering death, to prove that God’s promise for us is real: we can be restored to God, even though we have sinned. God paid the penalty we couldn't pay and considers us perfectly cleansed when we acknowledge the authority He has given to Jesus. That is why they call it "Good News."
The Gospel (the “good news”) is so good because the “bad news” was so bad. Our state of being was so desperate without Christ that our new status as the children of God can only be described as a wonderful miracle. I am saved from my sin and God is still holy and glorified.
The best part for us is that the gift of God is Jesus Christ is free. It is offered to all of us, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. I cannot be good enough, because I cannot change the sin I have already committed in the past. Even if I am perfect from now on, I’ve already messed it up. So, Jesus offers us a new birth, a birth from above, a new life. And, this life is lived by the same power (faith) that introduces it into us. That is, the same God who gives us grace initially also sustains us by His grace, and just as we cannot earn our salvation we cannot maintain it. The whole thing is God’s work. We are simply receivers. God loves us so much!
Now, perhaps this Gospel seems too simple, but it is true. If you are a believer, a follower of the way of Jesus, then you know that it is God’s work in us that accomplishes His purpose for our lives. If you are not yet a Christian, then you can become so at any moment. Weigh the claims of Jesus. Pray for wisdom from the God who created you. Ask for faith and claim the salvation offered for you in Jesus. He made you, knows you, loves you, died for you, and is waiting for you to accept Him and the Lord (and Savior) of your life.
Jesus is Lord, and He wants to be your Savior!
God is good. I am not good. I need help. God loves me and wants to save me.
God is good. Somewhere inside of yourself you realize that already. In fact, it probably doesn’t surprise you at all to hear that God is more than just good; He is perfect. God doesn’t make mistakes. God doesn’t sin. God isn’t vain, or covetous, or lecherous. God is great, and His greatness demands our admiration (our worship). But, God is also holy. This means that God is completely other than anything in creation. God gets this distinction from being the maker of all things, including you, while never having been created Himself. He is the source of all life and defines both good and evil by comparison with His own character.
Like God? Good. Not like God? Not good.
So, how do we know what God is like? Well, it’s simple: He tells us. God reveals himself to us through the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, through His incarnation in Jesus Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, through the world around us, through all sorts of experiences and knowledge, and through other people. The closer these revelations are to the Word (the Bible) and the Word made flesh (Jesus), the more accurate a picture they present. And, the picture God gives us of Himself is that He is, and that He is holy and perfect.
God’s perfection is a good thing. In fact, it’s great! It means that we can depend on God to be consistent, to never change, and to never stop loving us. But, God’s consistent character can also be very bad news for us as well. This is because His holiness demands that we be perfect in order to enter into His presence. God will not be corrupted by our sin. So, when we are under sin, when we do wrongly and our lives are controlled by our mistakes and imperfections, we are excluded from His presence. This is what it means to say that I am not good. I don't measure up to God's character. I've fallen short of the mark. I may be a better person than Hitler or Bin Laden (or maybe not) but they aren't the standard, God is. Unless I can honestly say I'm as perfect as God, then I'm not good enough to enter God's presence.
"Wait a minute! No one can be as perfect as God!" - Exactly! But, that is what His holiness demands.
Here is one of my favorite illustrations of our sinfulness: If you're thirsty and I offer you a glass of water, you'd be glad to take it. But, imagine that while I'm handing you the glass of water I inform you that I've urinated in the glass, but "don't worry, it's just a little pee." Are you going to drink that water? That's what we try to do with God. We try to pretend our imperfection isn't that big a deal: "Don't worry, God. It's just a little sin." We forget that a little sin ruins the whole vessel, just like a little urine ruins the whole glass of water. God's not going to swallow that!
This situation is a result of God’s holiness and our imperfection, and it is a serious problem. When it comes to God's standard of perfection, even the littlest bit of sin is a deal breaker. Now, this sin is my fault, not God's. God would be perfectly justified in leaving me in my sin and imperfection. However, He is not content to just let us fall away forever without a fight. Remember, God created us and He loves us. Our sin breaks His heart. Therefore, He sent His son Jesus (the very image of who God is made flesh) to pay the penalty for our sin, so we wouldn’t have to.
Jesus did the impossible. He never sinned. Jesus never fell short of God's desire for Him. Jesus was a perfect man, living a life a faith in God the Father. Yet, He voluntarily bore our sin on the cross that we might know forgiveness. He suffered so we might be free. He died so we might have life. And, He rose from the grave, conquering death, to prove that God’s promise for us is real: we can be restored to God, even though we have sinned. God paid the penalty we couldn't pay and considers us perfectly cleansed when we acknowledge the authority He has given to Jesus. That is why they call it "Good News."
The Gospel (the “good news”) is so good because the “bad news” was so bad. Our state of being was so desperate without Christ that our new status as the children of God can only be described as a wonderful miracle. I am saved from my sin and God is still holy and glorified.
The best part for us is that the gift of God is Jesus Christ is free. It is offered to all of us, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. I cannot be good enough, because I cannot change the sin I have already committed in the past. Even if I am perfect from now on, I’ve already messed it up. So, Jesus offers us a new birth, a birth from above, a new life. And, this life is lived by the same power (faith) that introduces it into us. That is, the same God who gives us grace initially also sustains us by His grace, and just as we cannot earn our salvation we cannot maintain it. The whole thing is God’s work. We are simply receivers. God loves us so much!
Now, perhaps this Gospel seems too simple, but it is true. If you are a believer, a follower of the way of Jesus, then you know that it is God’s work in us that accomplishes His purpose for our lives. If you are not yet a Christian, then you can become so at any moment. Weigh the claims of Jesus. Pray for wisdom from the God who created you. Ask for faith and claim the salvation offered for you in Jesus. He made you, knows you, loves you, died for you, and is waiting for you to accept Him and the Lord (and Savior) of your life.
Jesus is Lord, and He wants to be your Savior!
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