What Is The Gospel?

The “gospel” means good news! It is the glorious message regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially His death, burial and resurrection, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Paul says that the gospel is of “first importance,” and we believe that the gospel is the most important message in the world because it tells people no matter who they are or what they’ve done how they can have a relationship with God because of what Jesus Christ has done for them.

The Bible teaches that there is only one God who exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19). God is holy which means that He is perfect (Isaiah 6:3). In fact, he is even more holy than we could even fathom! As human beings, we all have sinned against God through our thoughts, words and actions (Romans 3:23). The just penalty for our sins against the holy God of heaven and earth is eternal punishment in hell and a life forever apart from God’s peace and joy (Mark 9:48; Revelation 20:15). However, God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2). Jesus died to provide a way out of our guilt and shame (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:22). He suffered an excruciating death in our place, willingly enduring the righteous wrath of God because of His great love for us (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus was buried and He rose again conquering death, hell and the grave (Matthew 27:57-Matthew 28:10). After appearing to over 500 eyewitnesses and thereby proving that He rose from the grave, Jesus ascended into Heaven and will soon return physically and gloriously (1 Corinthians 15:5-7; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:12). All who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be saved from eternal destruction and will be given eternal life (Acts 16:31, Romans 6:23). Our good works cannot make us right with God because we are still imperfect and therefore, God requires that we place our faith in Jesus Christ so that can we be saved (Galatians 2:16). Jesus made clear that He is the only way to heaven and so, we must surrender our life to Him now because we do not know when our last opportunity to do so will be (John 14:6).

If you have never asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior and you would like to surrender your life to Him, God wants you to give your life to Christ now. God will save you and forgive you of all of your sins – no matter how bad they are or how many. The Bible promises “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

You can pray a simple prayer like this, and Jesus will come into your life and save you from your sins:

“Dear God,

I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for my sins, was buried and rose again. I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I ask you to save me. Please grant me a relationship with you through Jesus Christ and please grant me a home in heaven. I surrender my life to you God and I turn from my sins. I believe that through faith in Jesus Christ I am saved.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.”

If you have now trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and said a simple prayer like this, rest assured that you are saved by the grace of God. The Bible promises, “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). Now you have a home in heaven and have become a child of God (John 1:12-13, John 3:3). God’s Spirit has come to dwell inside of you, and you now belong to God (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The Bible commands believers in Jesus Christ to live a life that honors and obeys God. The Bible says, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19b). Our faith in Christ and not our good works saves us, however, true Christians will live a holy life because they have been born again by the power of God (Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 3:9). God also commands us to persevere in faith in Christ till the end of our lives to be saved, as He preserves us by His power (1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:14; Philippians 1:6). God invites you to be water baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to publicly declare your faith in Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). To continue growing in your faith in Christ, read the Holy Bible and pray to God in Jesus’ Name daily and also attend a Bible-teaching church (Psalm 119:105; Matthew 6:5-15; John 14:14; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25). Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit for effective service in God’s kingdom, to have spiritual gifts to edify the church and greater power for holy living (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18). Share the life-changing message of the gospel with others so they can be freed from sin and have joy, peace and eternal life through Christ (Proverbs 11:30, Daniel 12:3).

Please call/text us at 516-824-2448 to let us know if you gave your life to Jesus and for help in growing in your walk with Him! We would love to assist you in your Christian journey and pray with you!