What if scientists discovered a cure for cancer? Wouldn’t that be good news? What if biologists developed a medicine that could cure all heart disease? Wouldn’t that be good news? What if economists developed a financial remedy that could lift everyone’s burden of debt, free of charge? Wouldn’t that be good news?
What if someone provided a cure for the root cause of evil in our world; the root cause of war, suffering, atrocity, greed, corruption, antagonism, envy, heartache….and everything else that brings pain and sorrow to our lives. Wouldn’t that be good news? The question is, what is the Gospel? The answer is, the Gospel is “Good News."
The word “Gospel“ literally means "Good News”. It is the good news that a cure has been provided for the sickness that lives in every one of us, festering inside our very souls. A cure has been provided for the spiritual disease which the Bible calls “Sin”, which is destroying our lives.
“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23
It is sin that is killing us, but it is God who has provided the cure. It is God who has made a way for us to overcome sin, and be made alive again to Him.
There are 3 things that we should understand about sin.
1. The Power of Sin; Sin is a deadly disease, and we are no match for it on our own. Neither you nor I have enough virtue, strength or wisdom to deliver our selves from the power of sin.
2. The Stain of Sin; Sin pollutes everything that it touches. It has ruined the entire creation, and has fully defiled you and I. God, who is holy, cannot come near to us who have been rendered “unclean” by sin.
3. The Guilt of Sin; Sin is disobedience to our Creator. It is the willful act of breaking the holy laws God has laid out for us. We are guilty sinners before a righteous God, and are headed toward judgment for our sins.
So, what is the “Good News”? What is the remedy God has provided for our sin?
“But God demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8
“For he made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
To overcome the power of sin, God had to triumph over sin. This He did by sending his eternal Son to die for our sin. After dying for our sin on the cross, Jesus Christ triumphantly rose from the dead. In doing so, he deflated sin of it’s power, and defeated death in the process. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God can now give eternal life to everyone who will come to Him by faith.
“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.” John 3:16.
To overcome the stain of sin, God had to provide a way to cleanse sinners from their sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed on the cross while suffering and dying for sinners, can cleanse every last stain of sin.
“…and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7.
To overcome the guilt of sin, God had to satisfy his righteous justice in relation to our sin. Remember, sin results in us breaking the holy laws of God. God must appropriately punish sinners, simply because He cannot compromise His holy standard. The only way to get around this is to provide a substitute who will take the punishment that sinners deserve. The substitute has to be guilt-free, and willing to be punished for guilty sinners. The only available substitute is God’s eternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is pure, and free from sin. The good news is that Christ was willing, out of love for us, to suffer in our place, and pay the price for our sin. It was on the cross that Jesus Christ suffered the punishment for every guilty sinner.
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the cross, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness:” 1 Peter 2:24
Is the Gospel good news? It is the greatest news that you and I could ever hear. The most wonderful thing that can happen to someone is that they trust in Christ as their Savior, and have all their sins forgiven. After cleansing them from sin, God proceeds to give eternal life to that person so that they can go away enjoying a daily relationship with God through His son, our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater source of peace and joy than knowing the blessing of God’s salvation.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
You might be wondering to yourself how you too can enjoy this great salvation. It’s really quite simple. God has done everything, and all you need to do is accept that it was for your sins that Jesus died on the cross, and thank God for gift that He has provided.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9