“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…” Ephesians 1:18

We believe that hope and peace are found in Jesus. Jesus has transformed the lives of millions of people over the last 2000 years. And we’d love to introduce you to him. Below is a brief explanation of the hope we have in Jesus, it’s our prayer that you might come to share in our hope. We encourage you to read through this presentation of the Gospel with an open bible. If you’re still new to Christianity, Jesus and the Good News He brings, we encourage you to visit the linked Bible verses to read God’s Word for yourself or join us for our next Explaining Christianity course.

The Gospel – Our Hope

Just like every Christian, we believe in the Gospel of Jesus. Gospel simply means Good News! What is this Good News? The good news of Christianity is that we can be reconciled to God. You may be thinking, “Reconciled to God? I didn’t know that we were estranged?” Well, in order to understand just how good this news is, we must first understand that there is bad news.

GOD

God, the holy and loving creator of all things, made us to reflect his beautiful character (Genesis 1:26–28), to glorify and enjoy him forever (Psalm 37:4; Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). He is perfectly holy, worthy of all worship, and a righteous Judge who will punish sin (Exodus 34:6–7; 1 John 1:5, Revelation 4:11, Romans 2:5–8).

PEOPLE

We were created to love God and bring glory to him by joyfully obeying his commands. Tragically, like Adam and Eve, we have all decided that we don’t want to live under God’s rule or obey his commands (Genesis 3:1–24, Romans 3:23). We would rather love ourselves, bring glory to ourselves, and obey the desires of our own hearts (Romans 1:21–25).

This rebellion against God’s rule is what the Bible calls sin. From birth, all people are alienated from God, hostile to God, and subject to the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:1–3). We have all failed to live for God’s glory and instead live for ourselves.

There is a deep cost of sin (Romans 6:23). Because God is eternal and holy he must punish sin, and we are in danger of eternally falling under his just judgment. This is the bad news that we must come to understand in order to see and savor the good news about Jesus.

JESUS CHRIST

The matchless good news about Jesus is that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). God sent his one and only Son, Jesus (John 3:16). Jesus, being truly God and truly man, lived the life of perfect love for God by bringing glory to him and joyfully obeying his commands (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5). Jesus died on the cross, bearing God’s just punishment for the sin of all of those who would ever turn from their sin and trust in him (1 Peter 2:24). Three days after his death, God raised Jesus from the dead, proving to us all that his death on our behalf was an acceptable substitute (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 21). Jesus offers his perfect righteousness and sacrifice for sins to us as a gift, to all who will deny themselves and follow him (Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17; Mark 8:34–35).

OUR RESPONSE

Now, Jesus calls us all to turn from our sins and trust in him (Mark 1:14–15). The good news is that if we truly repent, leaving our sins behind, and trust, placing our faith wholly in Jesus, we will be reconciled to God for all eternity (1 John 1:9). For those who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus, nothing can or will ever separate them from God’s love (Romans 8:28–39). Once we acknowledge in humility our desperate brokenness and sin (Luke 18:9–14) and receive Christ as Lord and Savior by God’s grace through faith, God forgives our sins, declares us righteous, and seals us with his Holy Spirit as a pledge of our future redemption (Romans 3:21–27; Ephesians 1:13–14; 2:8–9). Having been reconciled to God, Jesus calls us to live under his Lordship and in the fellowship of his church (Ephesians 4:1–3).

But the ultimate prize of this good news of the gospel is God himself, and not just his gifts (John 17:3; 1 Peter 3:18). The ultimate reason the gospel is good news is because Christ’s work has removed every obstacle to our reconciliation with God, and it enables us to glorify and enjoy him forever (2 Corinthians 5:17–19; Ephesians 2:13–16). We can begin a life-giving, all-satisfying relationship with the God of the universe that will last forever. This new life is available for everyone today! (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Dear reader, along with Jesus we want to encourage you to turn from your sins, trust in him, and treasure him as the Lord of your life. Please contact us as we would love to speak and pray with you about what it means to be a Christian and follow Jesus.

We also run a course called Explaining Christianity three times a year. This course runs over four consecutive Monday nights where we open the Bible and see who Jesus is, why he had to come, and what it means for each one of us. Please visit our what’s on page to view when our next Explaining Christianity course begins.

MORE RESOURCES ON THE GOSPEL

Online Presentation:

• Two Ways to Live

Articles:

• What is the Gospel? by R. C. Sproul
• What is the gospel? by 9Marks
• The Gospel by Desiring God

Book Resources:

• What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
• Basic Christianity by John Stott

Check out our recommended resources for more gospel resources.