The Gospel of Jesus Christ

God Created Us for His Glory

The Gospel begins with God. He is the eternal Creator of heaven and earth, the One who gives life and breath to all things (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-25). He is perfectly holy, righteous, wise, good, and sovereign. There is no darkness, evil, injustice, or moral imperfection in Him (Isaiah 6:1-5; 1 John 1:5).

God created mankind in His image to know Him, worship Him, love Him, represent Him, and live under His good authority (Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 22:37-38). We do not belong to ourselves. God is our Maker, rightful King, and Judge, and He deserves the worship and obedience of every human being (Psalm 24:1; Revelation 4:11).

We Have Sinned Against God

Instead of loving and obeying God, mankind has rebelled against Him. Sin entered the world through Adam, and every person now stands guilty before God and possesses a sinful nature (Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:12). Scripture declares that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Sin includes our thoughts, motives, desires, words, and actions. Jesus taught that evil proceeds from the human heart (Mark 7:20-23). We have failed to love God with all our being and have failed to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Even the good works we perform cannot erase our guilt or make us righteous before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:20).

The consequence of sin is death and eternal judgment. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and each person will one day give an account before God (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15). God would be perfectly just to condemn us. Left to ourselves, we cannot repair our relationship with Him or rescue ourselves from His judgment (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Jesus Christ Came to Save Sinners

In His mercy, God did not leave sinners without hope. God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a true human nature and was born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1-14). He is fully God and fully man. Unlike us, He lived in perfect obedience to the Father and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22).

Jesus willingly went to the cross as a substitute for sinners. He bore the punishment that guilty people deserve and offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 2:24). At the cross, the justice of God and the mercy of God met. Christ suffered in the place of sinners so that everyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven and counted righteous before God (Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus truly died and was buried. On the third day, He rose bodily from the grave, just as the Scriptures foretold (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). His resurrection proves that He is the Son of God, confirms that His sacrifice was accepted, and declares His victory over sin, death, and the grave (Romans 1:4; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns as Lord. He will return to judge the world and bring His saving work to its final completion (Acts 1:9-11; Acts 17:30-31; Philippians 2:9-11).

Salvation Is by Grace Through Faith

God commands all people to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15; Acts 17:30). Repentance is a genuine turning from sin, unbelief, and self-rule toward God. Faith is personal trust in Jesus Christ, relying on who He is and what He has accomplished rather than relying on our own morality, religious effort, baptism, church attendance, or good intentions.

Salvation is entirely a gift of God's grace. "By grace you have been saved through faith," and this salvation is "not a result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). A sinner is justified, or declared righteous before God, through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16).

Everyone who comes to Christ receives complete forgiveness, reconciliation with God, adoption into His family, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and eternal life (John 1:12; Romans 5:10-11; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13-14). Christ does not merely improve people. He gives spiritual life to those who were dead in sin and begins transforming them into His likeness (John 3:3-8; Ephesians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

True Faith Produces a Changed Life

Good works do not earn salvation, but genuine salvation produces obedience. Those who belong to Christ are called to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). They are joined to His church, baptized as believers, taught His Word, devoted to prayer, and called to grow in holiness (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Peter 1:15-16).

Christians still struggle against sin, but they no longer make peace with it. God works within His people by the Holy Spirit, teaching them to put sin to death and walk in obedience (Romans 8:12-14; Galatians 5:16-25; Philippians 2:12-13). Their hope rests in Christ's righteousness and faithfulness, not in their own perfection.

Come to Christ

Do not rely on your upbringing, church membership, baptism, religious experiences, good intentions, or comparison with other people. None of these can remove your guilt. Turn from your sin and come to Jesus Christ. Trust Him as Lord and Savior, and rest in His death and resurrection as your only hope before God (John 3:16-18; John 6:37; Acts 4:12).

Jesus promised, "Whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37). The invitation of the Gospel is sincere and urgent: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

1 Timothy 1:15