What is the gospel?
You may have heard the term “the gospel,” but do you know what it really means?
The gospel is at the center of everything. It’s the Main Thing. That means it’s important to know about—we would say it’s the most important thing to know about.
So keep reading to find out what the gospel is and what it means for you.
God created and rules the world
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1
God is the creator and ruler of the world. But he also loves his creation. He placed humans in the world to rule his creation under him and to care for it according to his rules.
We have all rebelled against God
None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. – Romans 3:10-12
But each of us has rebelled against God by trying to run our life our own way without him. We think that our way is better than God’s way. We lie instead of telling the truth. We envy our neighbors instead of being happy for them. We put things like money, power, and sex in the place of God in our lives.
The Bible calls this rebellion “sin” and tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23)—not just physical death, but eternal-separation-from-God death. This is the penalty we must face for rebelling against our creator.
God sent his son to take our penalty
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
Thankfully, God loves us too much to leave us with the punishment we deserve. God sent his own son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus lived the perfect life that we can’t. He never rebelled against God, he never chose his own way over God’s way, and he never sinned.
Yet by his death on the cross, he took our penalty. His death covers our sins, and he paid the price for our sins.
God raised Jesus from the dead to rule the world
By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3
God’s plan did not stop at Jesus’ death, though. Three days after Jesus died, God raised him from the dead. Jesus conquered death and now sits at the right hand of God as ruler of the world. The Bible tells us that one day he will return to judge it.
Which way will you choose?
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. – John 3:36
So which way will you choose? You have two options:
Our way. You can continue trying to live life your own way without God. The end result of this choice is death and judgment.
God’s way. You can choose to accept the gift of salvation available through Jesus. You can submit to his rule and let his death be the payment for your sins. The end result of this choice is to be forgiven by God and to receive eternal life.
How to follow Jesus
If you want to choose God’s way of salvation through Jesus, that is awesome! Do the following:
Pray to God. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus to be the ruler of your life.
Read the Bible. The Bible is God’s word to us; it’s how we learn about him and about how to live in ways that are pleasing to him.
Find a church. We need others to help us live for Jesus. Find a local church that takes the Bible and the gospel seriously, and get involved! In fact, we would love for you to join us at Northview!
If you have any questions, please reach out. We would love to help you fully understand what Jesus did for you.
Questions? Complete the Contact Form below or email us at frontdesk@nview.org