GOOD NEWS
Good News
Our world is broken. All around us, there is conflict, disappointment, greed, and gridlock. Many people are troubled by the constant injustice and abuse that headline the news. But the trouble isn’t just “out there.” When we look within the human heart, we also sense that not everything is right. We see that far too many people are quick to judge, quick to argue, and quick to assume that they are right and others are wrong. We see people putting their own needs ahead of others, failing to follow-through on their commitments, bungling relationships, and bending the truth when it’s convenient. If a person is completely honest, it’s clear that it’s not just the world that is broken; humanity is broken too. The Bible calls this brokenness sin and asserts that sin has been around as long as humankind and is a direct result of humans choosing to do things their own way and not God’s way. And the Bible doesn’t mince words: God detests sin, both the sin “out there” and the sin that’s found in the human heart. In fact, the Bible says that because God is so holy that he can’t simply overlook sin. It must be judged. Most people find this fact both attractive and troubling. It’s attractive because they want to believe in a God who will ultimately judge injustice, evil and wickedness “out there.” It’s troubling because they’re not sure they want him to judge the sin they see in themselves.
But the Good News is this: It needn’t be this way. When Jesus came to the earth, he taught and modeled to us a different way to live – God’s way. He told everyone that they needed to repent, that is, to be sorry for their sin and quit doing things their own way and follow God’s way. He lived the exemplary life that we are to follow. But he did even more than live an exemplary life. The Bible, specifically the New Testament, teaches that when Jesus willingly suffered and died at the hands of the Roman authorities, his death and consequent resurrection somehow supernaturally conquered sin – showing once and for all that good would ultimately triumph over evil! But there’s even more good news. The New Testament also teaches that by repenting and having faith in Jesus, His spirit begins to live within us (this is called the “Holy Spirit”) and we are given the ability to overcome the sin that once ruled our heart. This ability or power is called “grace.” Through God’s grace, we can actually live the kind of life that God wants us to live! But there’s even more good news still, because there will certainly be times after following Jesus that we will allow sin to creep back into our hearts. No one is perfect! And yet the good news is this: That if we confess our sin and turn from it, God is faithful to forgive our sin because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. This remarkable reality compels the Christian to want to serve God even more out of genuine gratitude and awe. This is all really, really good news!
But the Good News is this: It needn’t be this way. When Jesus came to the earth, he taught and modeled to us a different way to live – God’s way. He told everyone that they needed to repent, that is, to be sorry for their sin and quit doing things their own way and follow God’s way. He lived the exemplary life that we are to follow. But he did even more than live an exemplary life. The Bible, specifically the New Testament, teaches that when Jesus willingly suffered and died at the hands of the Roman authorities, his death and consequent resurrection somehow supernaturally conquered sin – showing once and for all that good would ultimately triumph over evil! But there’s even more good news. The New Testament also teaches that by repenting and having faith in Jesus, His spirit begins to live within us (this is called the “Holy Spirit”) and we are given the ability to overcome the sin that once ruled our heart. This ability or power is called “grace.” Through God’s grace, we can actually live the kind of life that God wants us to live! But there’s even more good news still, because there will certainly be times after following Jesus that we will allow sin to creep back into our hearts. No one is perfect! And yet the good news is this: That if we confess our sin and turn from it, God is faithful to forgive our sin because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. This remarkable reality compels the Christian to want to serve God even more out of genuine gratitude and awe. This is all really, really good news!
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Learn More About the Good News
GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION
JESUS
BIBLE