The word "gospel" literally means "good news". The Gospel is good news indeed. But in order to understand why it is good news, there are a few things we must know first:

1) God is holy.

The Bible tells us that the God who made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them is a holy God.(Isaiah 6:1-7) Because He is holy, no sin can dwell in His presence. This creates a problem because...

2) Man is sinful.

Man is the pinnacle of God's creation because we alone have been made in the image of God. We were made to know God and joyfully serve Him. However, we were not content with our original position and rebelled against this loving God by disobeying His command. (Genesis 3:1-11) The consequences for this rebellion were banishment from God's presence and death. From that point on, every person comes into this world a sinner and an enemy of God. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Our rebellion is seen most clearly when we look at the Ten Commandments. Examine yourself in the light of these and you will see that you too have broken God's law. (Exodus 20:1-17) Whatever you may be facing in life, this is the most serious issue because...

3) God is just.

Because God is just, He cannot overlook sin. Additionally, the Bible clearly states that He "will by no means clear the guilty". (Exodus 34:7) Every last sin that has ever been committed will be dealt with on the Day of Judgment.

If this were the end of the story, it would be extremely depressing for every one of us since we are all guilty of breaking God's law and deserve to know nothing but His wrath forever in hell. Thankfully, not only is God holy and just, but...

4) God is also merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

In His infinite love, God sent forth His only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to do what the first man, Adam, failed to do. Jesus alone walked in perfect obedience to all of God's commands, thus fulfilling the Law. (John 8:29; Matthew 5:17) He alone lived on this earth without ever sinning. (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5, Hebrews 7:26) However, even though He never sinned, He willing went to the cross and became a sin-bearing substitute for all who would repent and believe in Him. ( 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13) Three days after His death, He rose victoriously from the grave! Through His resurrection He guaranteed that all who would come to Him in faith would be forgiven of their sins, stand righteous before a holy God, and enjoy the blessing of eternal fellowship with God. This is the best news in all the world! However, it is not enough to just know this good news, you must...

5) Repent and Believe.

Turn from whatever it is that you are trusting in to be made right with God and turn to Jesus Christ, believing that He lived the life that you could never live and died the death that you so richly deserve. This is not something you can afford to ignore or delay responding to. The Bible tells us that "now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation". No man knows the hour of his death. We plead with you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. The gospel is indeed the best news to those who embrace it by faith, but it is the worst news to those who reject it.

If you have any questions about what you have read, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be honored and privileged to talk with you about this. There is nothing more important.