The Gospel

The moral law or law of conscience that all of us have is an indicator of the moral law of the Creator who placed this inside each person beginning with the first humans Adam and Eve – Romans 2:14,15. God is holy, righteous and perfectly just and the moral laws that He has provided for us both within man’s very nature and specifically in the Scriptures are a by-product of His very nature.

To lie is wrong because God is absolute truth. To steal is wrong because God is absolute faithfulness and trustworthiness. To murder is wrong because God’s nature is life and because God values life and has created man in His image. To hate is wrong because God is love.

God’s intention is for men to know Him and love Him and this requires that men have a free-will and moral nature: it requires that men choose God and conform to His will. This free choice opens the door to rebellion against God and to live life according to our own dictates. This free-will choice to walk contrary to God’s divine will; to make a choice against our Creator is sin and sin and evil choices have consequences. Breaking God’s moral and divine laws must be punished, must be judged. God’s justice demands this.

The Bible teaches us that sin started with the first human beings – Adam and Eve and that the history of sin has continued unabated until today.

This free-will choice of men for evil is what has caused and is causing all of the world’s injustice and damage. This sin is personal and all people of every nation and culture for all of man’s history are guilty of it. – Romans 3:10, 3:20,23 , Isaiah 53:6. This sin, this choice for evil requires God’s judgment and God will not overlook sin; “He will by no means clear the guilty” – Exodus 34:7 nor “will He acquit the wicked” – Nahum 1:3.

How could this perplexing problem of sin be dealt with? How could men be forgiven or cleared of sin and its consequences before the just, righteous and Divine Judge? How can men be restored to a relationship with the God who so greatly desires this loving and purposeful relationship. First, Divine justice must be satisfied and the penalty for sin and evil must be paid for. This same situation takes place in the judicial system and in our court rooms every day. If a law is broken there must be justice and a penalty must be paid for the crime that has been committed . Without the penalty for crimes there could be no legal justice.

Second, the concept of a penalty bearer or substitute is rooted in the Old Testament system of animal sacrifice and the prophecies of the O.T. Scriptures point to One who would some day in the future bare the penalty and provide the “atonement” (amendment) for the sins of all men – Isaiah 53-55. Who would this one be who could qualify to bare the penalty for the sins and crimes of all of humanity? It would have to be one who is innocent, one who is qualified by reason of innocence to be able to bare another person’s penalty. Here is where the Scriptures teach us that all men are sinners – all men have sinned – Romans 3:20-23. No mere man could be a substitute for sin because all men are sinners themselves and are judged and declared by God as guilty.

Third, the Gospel plainly tells us that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ – the Divine Son of God- John 1:1-14. He was born in 4-3 B.C. He lived a perfect sinless life. He passed every test and faced every one of sin’s temptations yet “He did not sin” – Hebrews 4:15 . He went to the cross ( A.D. 30-33) and there He took the wrath and judgment of God for our sin – II Corinth. 5:19-21. The cross of Jesus Christ is where God’s love for us is demonstrated and He does this in a very personal way: He died for each of us, for our sin and in our place.-Galatians 2:20, I Tim. 1:15.

His body was laid in a tomb but after three days He rose from the dead never to die again and He is alive right now. His rising from the dead (resurrection) is the proof that the payment for our sin was paid in full – I Corinth. 15:1-11. He ascended and is in heaven with all power and authority – the Giver of eternal life – Matthew 28:18-20. It is in Jesus Christ that you and I can have life. He alone is the Savior, the only One with the power and the right to forgive sin and give eternal life. There is no other way to God. – Acts 4:10-12, John 14:6, I Tim. 2:5.

You might say “this sounds unbelievable”. It’s not unbelievable, it’s true both historically and factually and you can believe it. The events of the Gospel are founded in history and can be investigated and falsified – (examined as to its trustworthiness). I would challenge you to begin a sincere examination for faith in Jesus Christ. Research the Gospel records and study the claims and the evidence of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Examine your own heart and keep your mind open to the truth of the Gospel. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Blaise Pascal the French mathematician and philosopher stated – “He (God) so regulates the knowledge of Himself that He has given signs of Himself, visible to those who seek Him and not to those who seek Him not. There is enough obscurity for those who have a contrary disposition”. 22

The real question is are we willing to believe?

If we are, there is more than sufficient evidence to believe. We must understand that God does not convey so much about Himself that He overwhelms us but rather He provides us with enough information of His Being, His purposes and plans so that we push through by faith and pursue knowing Him. He does not make this so easy as to not require faith, for without faith it is impossible to know Him or please Him – Hebrews 11:6. SEE NOTE #7.

The Bible says: “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” – I Corinthians 1:18.

“We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called…. the wisdom and power of God” – I Corinthians 1:23-25.

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to all who will believe” – Romans 1:16. The cross is God’s power and God’s way to save us from our sin.

The cross of Christ is a mystery, one that is beyond our mental grasp to fully understand. Yet it is the way that God has chosen to save us and bring us into a relationship with Himself. Jesus Christ came to earth to destroy and abolish the power of sin and He did this by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. He rose from the dead with the power and authority to provide forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who will call upon Him. This is good news! Do not give up on God and His love. Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

Here’s how:

The Road to God is Through His Son Jesus Christ

1. Recognize and confess that you are a sinner – Romans 3:10-23 and that you are spiritually dead toward God – “ All the world is guilty before God…there is none righteous….for all have sinned – Romans 3:10-23. “the wages of sin is death” – Romans 6:23.

2. Embrace the fact that God loves you and that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you – “ God demonstrates His love for all in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us “ – Romans 5:8.

3. Understand that eternal life and forgiveness of sin is in Jesus Christ and His cross alone – “ the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” – Romans 6:23

4. Turn from your sin (repent) and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Confess that He is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead . Make Jesus Christ your Lord.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” – Romans 10:9-10. Repentance is the repudiation of our self-centered lives. Repentance means tuing from the self-willed control of my life and making Christ the center and foundation (the Lord) of all that I am.

5. Call upon Jesus Christ to save you and He will save you

“whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” – Romans 10:13.

You can pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and that I need your forgiveness. I believe that You paid for my sins on the cross. I believe that You rose again from the dead that that You are right now alive as Lord over all things. I ask that You will forgive my sins and come into my life as my Savior and Lord. I turn from my sins and I choose to follow You from this day forward. Help me to change and give me the power of Your Holy Spirit. I ask this in Jesus name. Thank you for all that You have done for me. Amen.

This is not just simply Christian theology. It’s way more than that. It is the power of God. Believe the Gospel and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I encourage you to find a Bible-believing, Christ-centered, Gospel-focused, Spirit-filled Church, attend it regularly and begin to grow in your faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Sincerely, Royle Johnson – 4/3/2014