The Good News: Understanding the Gospel
Here is the good news about Jesus Christ, presented for our church family and all who seek to understand.
Our Great Need
We believe in one God, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. He made everything in perfect harmony and created humanity to know Him and walk with Him in a relationship of love and trust.
However, humanity chose its own way. We turned from God in an act of rebellion called sin. This brokenness entered the world and has affected every one of us, separating us from our holy and perfect Creator. The Bible states this universal truth plainly:
However, humanity chose its own way. We turned from God in an act of rebellion called sin. This brokenness entered the world and has affected every one of us, separating us from our holy and perfect Creator. The Bible states this universal truth plainly:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Because God is perfectly just, this sin must be accounted for. No matter how hard we try or how "good" we aim to be, we are incapable of meeting God's perfect moral standard on our own. We cannot fix our broken relationship with Him by our own efforts
God's Solution
But God, in His incredible love and mercy, did not leave us in this hopeless state. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The Apostle Paul beautifully describes this act of humility and exaltation in his letter to the Philippians:
The Apostle Paul beautifully describes this act of humility and exaltation in his letter to the Philippians:
"...who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:6−11).
This Son, Jesus Christ, is Himself God from eternity. He is the eternal Son of the Father, distinct from the Father yet fully one with Him in essence and glory. It was this eternal Son who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect, sinless life—the life we were meant to live but could not.
He then willingly suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, taking the punishment we deserved upon Himself. The Bible calls this 'propitiation' – Jesus satisfied God's justice on our behalf. As the apostle John wrote:
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2).
And the apostle Paul writes:
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The Victory and The Invitation
Death did not have the final say. On the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead. His resurrection is the ultimate proof of His victory over sin and death. It is by this powerful act that He was "declared to be the Son of God in power...by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). After appearing to over 500 witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6) and confirming His victory, He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Because of what Jesus has accomplished, the way to God is now open to anyone who will come. Forgiveness and eternal life are not things we earn; they are a free gift, offered to all, that we must personally accept. This gift is received through faith in Him. All you have to do is turn from sin (repent) and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The offer is for everyone, without exception:
Because of what Jesus has accomplished, the way to God is now open to anyone who will come. Forgiveness and eternal life are not things we earn; they are a free gift, offered to all, that we must personally accept. This gift is received through faith in Him. All you have to do is turn from sin (repent) and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The offer is for everyone, without exception:
"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13).
When you place your faith in Jesus, you receive the complete forgiveness of sins and the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. You become part of His global family, the church, and have the unshakable hope of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
This is the good news of God, freely available to all.
"God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
