The gospel is “good news!” However, to understand the good news, we first need to understand the bad news. The bad news is the reality of sin. We all have rebelled against the loving, holy, and just God who created us and designed us to find true joy in fellowship with him. Instead of finding joy in God, we seek after other things in hopes that they will satisfy us. In our thoughts, words, and actions we do what he tells us not to do and we fail to do what he tells us to do. We stubbornly try to be who we want to be and do what we want to do instead of listening to God. Summaries of what God requires of us can be found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 22:34-40. Because of our sin we all deserve God’s wrath and judgment (Romans 6:23). Even now we see sin’s destructive power in us and all around us every day. Sin promises life and joy and only brings death and destruction.
We really have two problems that need to be solved. First, we are sinners. Second, we’re not righteous. We not only need our sin taken away so that we’re left with a “clean slate,” we also need to be righteous (to have that slate full of obedience to God). The good news is that Jesus solves both of these problems! The solution to the first problem is forgiveness through Jesus’ death. Jesus saves us from the punishment we deserved by taking the punishment upon himself through dying in our place on the cross. The solution to the second problem is Jesus’ perfect life. Jesus lived a perfectly righteous life in our place; the perfect life that we failed to live. The gospel is a “great exchange!” Jesus takes our sin and guilt upon himself, and we receive his perfect righteousness. He takes our filthy rags, and we receive his spotless robes. Jesus takes the curse for our disobedience, and we receive the blessing from his obedience. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
The gospel is a “great exchange!” Jesus takes our sin and guilt upon himself, and we receive his perfect righteousness. He takes our filthy rags, and we receive his spotless robes.
Part of why this “good news” is truly good is that we do not have to earn it by our efforts, obedience, or achievements. Instead, salvation comes to us by grace, meaning it is an undeserved gift. So, if we don’t earn it, how does this good news become ours? Salvation becomes ours by faith (Romans 3:23-26; Ephesians 2:1-10). This means that we receive Jesus and we rest upon (or trust) him and what he has done for us. We need to trust him to do for us something we could never do for ourselves. Even faith itself needs to come from God as he graciously gives us new hearts. We are also called to repent. That means to turn away from our sin and turn to God, seeking God’s strength to love him and love others as he commands.
The greatest reason this “good news” is good is not just that we are saved from the penalty of our sin, but that, in Jesus, we receive good hope and a renewed relationship with God himself. We receive good hope because Jesus not only died but rose again from the dead and is coming again. Jesus’ resurrection means that for those who trust in him, death does not have the final word. When he returns, we will rise with him to eternal joy in a world where all is made right.
And we also receive a renewed relationship with God himself. God doesn’t forgive us but then keep us at arm’s length. God becomes our God and we become his people! We receive more than mere endless life; we receive eternal fellowship with God. We receive Jesus himself as our great Redeemer and King; in Jesus, God the Son, we receive God the Father as our Father; and we receive God the Spirit as our comforter, our helper, and our guarantee of eternal life. This is what we were made for! As Saint Augustine once wrote, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless ‘til they find their rest in you.” It is only through fellowship with this God that we know true joy and lasting satisfaction.
We would love to tell you more about Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel! Contact us to learn more.
