The Bad News:
The Bible teaches that God created Adam in His own image and placed him in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden. Here our first parents fell when they disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit. They joined Satan in his rebellion against God and plunged the human race into the ruin, death and judgment of the fall. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and no longer enjoyed the friendship and fellowship of God. However, though fallen and the image of God marred, Adam and Eve and their off spring still had the capacity to love and worship Him. Mankind still has a "God size hole in his soul" which only God Himself can fill. We can only find rest when we rest in God. The hunger of every soul is to know God personally, whether we are willing to admit it or not. The more we try to live our lives with out God and go our own way, the more problems we create for ourselves. The heart of mankind yearns for something more, something beyond ourselves. We long to know the one who created us, our Father in heaven. The problem is, there is a huge obstacle between us and the Creator, the Bible calls it sin. Sin separates us from God. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear," (Isaiah 59:1-2). The Apostle Paul wrote, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). The present result of our sin is that God has withdrawn from us. A holy God can't have fellowship with unholy people. The future result of our sin is "death," and eternal punishment, "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). A just and righteous God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. This is what the Bible calls "the second death." "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15). Mankind is in a hopeless condition, unless God takes the initiative to reach down and save us.
The Good News:
The Bible is not just a book about hopelessness and condemnation, it also contains some great good news. Good news of how we can be reconciled and made right with God. The core message of the New Testament is the "good news" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul summarized the Gospel like this: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). The Apostle Peter says "Christ suffered for you, ... He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. ... He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray..." (1 Pet 2:21-25 NKJV).
The essence of the Gospel is God's reaching down in love, mercy and forgiveness to those who are doomed and hopeless. God has secured our salvation through the death of His Son on the cross as He died in our place. His once-for-all sacrifice provided the legal basis for our pardon from all sin. "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Hebrews 10:8, NKJV)
Receiving the Good News:
Each and every person needs to receive God's forgiveness through personal faith in Jesus Christ. When you receive Christ, all your sins are pardoned and the Holy Spirit fundamentally changes your heart. The old "man", which is contrary to God, is put to death and you begin to live a new life like a new "man". "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them,..." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19,NKJV)
Jesus called this transformation the "new birth." When a very religious man named Nicodemus came to Jesus he was told by Jesus, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3). Nicodemus was puzzled by Jesus' words, not knowing what He meant. Jesus explained: "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). His religion and good works were not good enough to gain him entrance into God's kingdom. He needed to be "born again" from above, first physically and then spiritually by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit which only God can do. “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7,NKJV).
The first evidence of the new birth is when we find ourselves repenting of our sins and believing in Christ as our Saviour. Jesus continuing to speak to Nicodemus and answered his question “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:9-21, NKJV)
In Acts 2, when Peter was preaching to a large crowd fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead, he explained who Jesus was, and why He had come. When many in the crowd believed his Gospel message, they asked Peter and the other Apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).
The Result of Receiving the Good News:
Again God's salvation is a gift which must be received, Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." We cannot earn it, we can only receive it. God the father sent His only Son to take the judgment and penalty for our sins. Jesus the second person of the God-head volunteered to the Father to suffer in our place, to satisfy the penalty for our sin. God Himself accomplished this in order to offer you and me, complete forgiveness and pardon of all our sins, a new life in Christ here and now and the hope and reality of eternal life to come.
We are also adopted into the family of God, God becomes our true heavenly Father, and we, His sons and daughters. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13 NKJV)
We are given the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, to guide, comfort, and help us live a righteous life. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:15-18, NKJV). The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us and gives us the power to live holy and pure lives. The fruits of the Spirit are many, such as love, joy and peace, and contentment in this life even in difficult circumstances. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22-25, NKJV). It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the abundance of life Christ promised , “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly". (John 10:10, NKJV.).
We are granted eternal life and promised entrance into heaven when we die. We are also promised the resurrection of our bodies in an incorruptible form at Jesus' second coming and given an eternal inheritance in His coming Kingdom.
What Must I Actually Do To Receive The Gift of Salvation:
The Bible says "But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13,NKJV)
Just pray and tell God "Lord, I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus died upon the Cross for my sins and arose again and He alone can save me. Dear Jesus, save me from my sins and make me a child of God, Amen"
If you have prayed that prayer, go to our contact page and let us know. We will give you all the spiritual help and guidance we can. May God bless you.
In Christ.
Jim Wenger
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