The Gospel
Take a look around, and you'll see the incredible works of God everywhere in creation. It's undeniable.
When's the last time you made an oak tree, a kangaroo, or clouds? Nothing around you is an accident. Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Romans 1:20 reminds us, "God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Now that we recognize God created life, let's move to the next part—death. Why do we die? According to God, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Have you ever sinned? Or would you call yourself a good person?
- Have you ever told a lie? (Exodus 20:16)
- Have you ever stolen anything? (Exodus 20:15)
- Have you ever lusted after someone? (Matthew 5:28)
- Have you used the Lord's name in vain? (Exodus 20:7)
If you're like me and you’ve answered "yes," to any of these, then you’ve sinned against God. While we may think these are small offenses, to a perfect God, they are serious. This was hard for me to accept too - it hurt my pride and my ego because I considered myself generally "good" and well-meaning. But this just shows how holy and perfect God is. There is no one good but God (Mark 10:18).
And because God is good, He is also just (Isaiah 30:18) and He must punish sin.
Imagine a court of law: if someone commits a crime, even if they are sorry, even if they beg forgiveness, confess their crime or promise to never do it again, a good judge still must deliver justice.
And that punishment for our sins is death and eternity in Hell. Remember - the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
That's the bad news.
But, here’s the good news! God made a way for us. He sent His Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life to pay our wages. In other words, Jesus paid our punishment that we deserve by sacrificing himself (a perfect lamb) and dying a painful death on the cross. And right before He died, his last words were, "It is finished" (John 19:30) - meaning, the debt has been paid.
So now it might make more sense why Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Because without Jesus's sacrifice on the cross, we could never get in to Heaven on our own. Through the law (the 10 commandments) God revealed our need for salvation, and Jesus offers eternal life to those who believe in Him.
Okay, so now what? What do I do with this?
Well first, you need to repent. Repentance means changing your mind—transferring your trust from yourself to to the finished work of Jesus. It means recognizing that nothing you do, no amount of "goodness" can get you into Heaven. It means seeing your own sin and your need for the Savior.
And then you need to believe on Him. Some people believe in Jesus but haven't truly placed their trust in Him. But it isn't enough to just believe in Jesus (even the demons believed).
Here’s an analogy that helped me: If you were going to jump out of an airplane, would you wear a parachute or just flap your arms to try and save yourself from death? You’d wear the parachute! Well, Jesus IS that parachute—the only thing that can save you. Without Him, you're just flapping your arms, relying on your own "goodness", which we’ve learned is impossible.
If this is all making sense, then stop everything you're doing right now and surrender to God. Pray to Him and ask Him to reveal himself to you. Seek after Him and He will give you a new heart. This is what it means to be born again. As a Christian, your desires will change- you will love the things God loves and hate the things God hates. Although you’ll still sin (because you will not be made perfect until Heaven) you will begin to bear good fruit (Matthew 7:17-20).
Another thing that happens when you're saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10) is that you won’t be able to contain this good news....which is why I’m sharing it with you!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at hello@greatthouart.com. We’d love to help you understand more.