The word gospel simply means, good news.
The record of Jesus’ life and teaching is in the first four books of the New Testament, called the Gospels.
The good news is the exciting life changing message about the person and work of Jesus Christ!
Why do we need good news?
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard. (Romans 3:23). On account of our sin, none of us deserves God’s favor, but only God’s wrath, and that forever (Romans 1:18, 2:5). But God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and to die on the cross, as an atoning sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:3, 3:25).
Jesus alone is able to atone for sin because:
- Jesus is fully man and fully God (John 1:1, 14).
- Jesus lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15).
- Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin appeasing the wrath of God (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-14).
- Jesus was raised from the dead, thus proving his sacrifice was acceptable to God (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17).
- Jesus ascended to heaven and promises his return (Matthew 24:30-31; John 14:1-3).
The good news of the gospel is that we can be brought into a right relationship with God, through faith in the work of Jesus on our behalf (1 Peter 3:18). We cannot atone for our own sin, nor can we earn God’s favor (Galatians 2:16). Salvation, if it happens at all, happens by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). To receive this salvation, one must repent of their sins and place their trust fully in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 10:13).
The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. That’s the gospel.
The gospel is good news because it brings a person into the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of Jesus Christ. He is not merely the rope that pulls us from the threatening waves; he is the solid beach under our feet, and the air in our lungs, and the beat of our heart, and the warm sun on our skin, and the song in our ears, and the arms of our beloved.
If you have received this great salvation, you will find at Harvest Fellowship, a church family eager to praise God for his mighty works. We invite you to join us as we gather each week to work out the implications of this salvation together. If you have questions and would like to speak with someone, please feel free to contact us. It would be our joy to speak to you about the gospel.