Believe the Good News
You peer at your face with its tired lines
And wonder to yourself, is this all this to life?
Running in circles; can I catch a break?
Really all I want to do is find a rest.
You were made to live beyond this life. You were meant for God, and the good news is, even when you turned away from Him, He provided the way for you to come to him. Hi. My name’s Ozi (like cozy :)). In this article, I want to share with you the gospel - the good news - of Jesus Christ. I’ll share my story of how I came to know Jesus, what the gospel is, and what you can do to place your trust in Jesus Christ.
MY STORY
I grew up in a Christian home. While Christianity may not have the best reputation in the United States, I learned and saw what it meant to follow Jesus sincerely in my home. It looked like reading the Bible in the morning and evenings, going to church Wednesday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening, and serving God in our home and in our work. When I was a kid, around eight or nine, I asked why Jesus had to die, and the gospel was explained to me. Jesus, the Son of God, died for my sins - the things I did wrong against a perfect God (God the Father), who nevertheless extended mercy to me by having his Son die in my place. Jesus rose again to defeat death and ensure that all who place their trust in Him would receive eternal life, free from the pain and sorrow of this world. When I was nine years old, I believed the gospel coming out of Vacation Bible School, a week-long session held every summer in the Baptist church I attended in my youth. I asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins, and I said I believed he died and rose again for me. I said he was my Savior and Lord - the ruler of my life - and from that moment on, I was saved. Later as a teenager, I got baptized in obedience to Jesus’ command (Matthew 28:19-20).
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Why do we need the gospel? Truth is, this world hasn’t always been this way. When God created the world, it was perfect. There was no death, no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, no loneliness. He created Adam and Eve and set them in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it (Genesis 1-2). In the Garden were two trees, the Tree of Life which had fruit that if eaten would lead to everlasting life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which God told Adam not to eat from, or they would die. It’s important to understand that this latter tree was a good tree because everything that God makes is good. However, death would come because Adam disobeyed - rebelled against - God’s words (Romans 6:23). Since all of us come from Adam (Acts 17:26), all of us will die too. Furthermore, we do wrong. We steal and lie and hate and gossip and do other things that are wrong before a perfect God. That breaks His heart.
But God, who is the God of the living, made a way for us so that even if we die physically, we won’t be separated from God and die spiritually. Since God is perfect, he cannot dwell in the presence of sin. Instead of enjoying the presence of God, who is good, Adam and Eve were cast out from the Garden of Eden, and where perfection once existed, sin reigned. But God the Father loved us. Knowing that sin would happen, he had a plan from before time began at creation to save us (Titus 1:2) and give us eternal life. Jesus, God the Son, became fully human for us. He lived a perfect life and died a shameful death on a public cross. But he didn’t stay dead. He rose from the dead and appeared before many people, including the disciples he taught for three years while living on earth. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 16:31). Jesus returned to heaven and everyone who believes in His name receives the Holy Spirit, who guarantees eternal life for us (Ephesians 1:14) and helps us become more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29).
This may sound too good to be true for you. But consider. Can the God who created the world by speaking (Genesis 1) not take on flesh to save humanity? God himself asks in Jeremiah 33:27, “Is anything too hard for me?” God is omnipotent. There is nothing too hard for him to do. And what did He choose to do? He chose to save you from death and hell and separation from Him, the One for whom you were made. He chose to make you part of His family and fill you with His love. He chose to give you eternity with Him!
HOW TO PLACE YOUR TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST
The good news about God is that he speaks (Hebrews 1:1). That is, He makes himself known. He speaks to us in his word, the Bible, and since we’re made in His image (Genesis 1:27), we speak too. And the way we speak to God is what’s called prayer. The Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). In other words, the grace of God is what saves us, and it’s expressed in faith - which is trust. You must say that Jesus Christ is Lord - which means he’s the Boss of your life. You must believe that God the Father raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. It’s with the heart that you believe, and the mouth that you say Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10). Christ rose from the dead so you could be made right with God since your sins separated you from Him (Romans 4:25). So before God, admit that you are a sinner and ask for his forgiveness, or his pardon. He will freely give it to you (1 John 1:9).
You can pray something like this:
God, I’m sorry for the sins I’ve committed in your sight. I ask that you forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He rose again. I believe that Jesus is my Savior and my Lord. Father, come into my heart and change me so I can look more like Jesus.
In Jesus’ name, amen (so be it is what amen means. We pray in Jesus’ name because he is the Lord, which means He has authority).
If you pray sincerely, you are part of the family of God (Ephesians 2:19). Nothing and no one will ever separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). You receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who makes you look more and more like Jesus every day, loving others (Acts 2:39; Romans 8:28-29; Galatians 5:13). You have the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2).
My friend, that’s good news.