The Gospel

This is the Gospel

This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”-and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.- 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Do you know...

You were designed on purpose, with intention, love, and care.

You are broken-tragically broken. Not only by the sins you commit, but because of the sin nature in you.

You have hope- forgiveness and freedom for this moment and this season, for a lifetime and for eternity.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is every bit that simple, yet is is unfathomably profound. It is simple enough that a child can understand it, yet mysterious enough that the most educated theologians will always have more to learn. But don't misunderstand: the mystery of the gospel does nothing to negate its truth. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “now we see only a reflection in the mirror, but then face to face. Not I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known” (1 Co 13:12).

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

You bear God's image. The vastness of the ocean and the infinite reach of the sky, the delicate lines of snow-capped mountains and the majesty of God-carved canyons- none of these bears the image of the Creator Himself. The Bible tells us 'the heavens declare the glory of God' (Ps 19:1), but when god created the world, He save the best for last: us.

So God created man in his own image;

he created them in the image of God;

he created them male and female' (Gn 1:27).

Glorifying God by bearing His image is our greatest calling. It is a call to humanness in its purest form, when God made us in His image and called us good.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. - Genesis 1:31

We have all sinned. The perfection of creation was corrupted when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. God gave them one command: “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Gn 2:17). We sin when we believe God is trying to keep the good stuff from us, when we become convinced that what we want is better than what God has for us. Adam and Eve believed that lie, and there was no undoing what had been done (Gn 3:4-5).

The consequences of that first sin was death (Gn 3:19), not only for Adam and Eve, but for all mankind. The human race is corporately guilty because of Adam's sin, and each one of us is individually guilty because of our own sin (Rm 3:23). Instead of paradise, we live in a broken, fallen world where the Enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy (Jn 10-:10).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 6:23

Death in not the whole story. Even before God gave Adam and Eve consequences for their sin, He promised redemption (Gn 3:15). God had a plan to make us new again, to give us life though we were dead in our sins (Eph 2:4).

In His steadfast love for His creation, God became man. Jesus was Immanuel, “God with us,” walking among the people He came to save (Mt 1:23; Jn 1:1-3, 14). Fully obedient to the Father and without sin, Jesus was the spotless lamb. He was the only sacrifice that could pay the debt of our disobedience. In His immeasurable love for us, Jesus suffered a criminal's death on a cross (Rm 5:8). He took on our sins and took our place (Heb 10:10).

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death- even to death on a cross. -Philippians 2:8

Jesus is alive, and so is our hope. After three days in the grave, Jesus rose from the dead (Mt 28:6). He left the tomb and grave clothes behind and appeared to many, then ascended into heaven. Even now, He sits at the right hand of God the Father (Mk 16:19; Heb 10:12). Death has lost its power, swallowed up in the resurrection of Christ (1Co 15:55-56).

The everlasting life of Jesus is ours when we turn from our sin and trust in the love and perfection of Christ (Jn 3:16). God's Word promises “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). Our sins are charged to Him. His righteousness is credited to us (Rm 8:3-5).

Because the penalty for our sin had been paid by Christ's death, we are no longer under a curse. We have victory in the lifetime, and we have the hope of eternity with Christ in the life to come. In Christ, we can stand before God blameless and beloved. Nothing and no one can ever separated us from His love (Rm 8:38-39).

This is good news! This is the gospel.

Since by the one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:17

Source: She Reads Truth Bible

www.shereadstruthbible.com

Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers

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Christian Standard Bible© Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible© , Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible© and CSB© are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

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