"Gospel" means "good news."
The Lord Jesus Christ told his followers just before he went back to heaven, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel."1 Later, Paul the apostle wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes."2
Good news about what?
The Bible says, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."3 That is the bad news. There is absolutely nothing we can do on our own to gain favor with God. "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."4 Every one of our sins must be judged, for "the wages of sin is death,"5 and "every one of us shall give account of himself to God."6
Against this black background gleams the gem of the gospel!
The good news is that Jesus Christ died on a cross of wood, taking the punishment for your sins! "While we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly."7 God punished His own Son in the place of you and me -- the ungodly! After that, He was buried, then rose alive from the dead after three days, and was seen by hundreds before he ascended to heaven. Jesus himself summarized the gospel when he said, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life."8 You must humble yourself as a sinner before God and accept Jesus' finished work on the cross for it to be of value to you.
Eternal life is a gift.
"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."9 The moment you receive this gift, God washes your sins away, puts His Spirit inside you, and reserves a place in heaven for you. Jesus said, "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall NEVER PERISH, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."10
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
References:
(1)
Mark16:15; (2) Romans 1:16;
(3) Romans 3:23; (4)
Isaiah 64:6; (5) Romans
6:23;
(6) Romans 14:12; (7)
Romans 5:6; (8) John 3:16; (9)
Romans 6:23; (10) John 10:28
