What is the Gospel
When we look at the deepest recesses of our lives we know something is severely wrong. Our society runs along at a hectic pace often with no clue where it is headed. We hunger for lives of meaning and significance, but nothing we do seems to be enough to fill our void. Meanwhile, the mistakes of the past continue to plague us. We find ourselves doing evil things that hurt us and others around us. We feel held captive to our own brokenness and to a world system from which we cannot seem to escape.
The Bible says we were originally created to live eternally in community with God, but human beings have chosen to live lives apart from Him doing their own thing. Sin is the name the Bible gives to describe the evil we do and our rebellion against God. The consequence of our sin is that we all will die and face judgment.
The good news is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has intervened in human history calling us to reconsider how we live our lives because the kingdom of God is now open to all. Out of love for his creation, God graciously sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we might be forgiven for the evil things we have done and reconciled with him forever (John 3:16). Some 2000 years ago Jesus was crucified on a cross outside of Jerusalem taking upon himself the sins of the whole world. The depth of our sin was so serious that it could only be overcome through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through his suffering on the cross, he endured the punishment we deserve for our rebellion.
Three days after Jesus’ death, he resurrected from the dead. Jesus became the first fruits of a new creation and destroyed the power of death that has gripped humanity since the first human being (1 Cor. 15:20). Today, Jesus reigns as king of a new world order, called the Kingdom of God.
All who repent, confess that Jesus is Lord, and believe God raised him from the dead become reconciled to God and co-rulers with him in his kingdom (2 Cor. 5:17, Col. 1:13). They are made righteous in God’s sight (Rom.5:9). They are filled with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9). They are children of God (Rom. 8:29). They will also rise from the dead, with their bodies made new so that they can never die again (1 Cor. 15:53).
For the followers of Jesus, the kingdom of God is now real. It provides the resources needed to live human life as we all sense it should be. In his ministry, Jesus revealed the striking availability of God to meet present human need, and today God is just as available to those who put their faith in him.