The Gospel 

The Gospel Message: Understanding God, Man, Sin, and Salvation- The most important message you will ever hear! 

 In 1 Cor 15: 1-4, the Apostle Paul declares the Gospel to the church at Corinth.

 "[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

 The Gospel is the "good news" of what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done to reconcile sinful mankind to Holy God. It’s a message of hope, grace, and transformation, and it centers on God’s love, justice, and the solution to the problem of mankind's sin.

 First before we can discuss sin or mankind, we must first understand some things about God and who He is.

 1. Who is God?

 God is the triune (3-in-1 Father, Son, Holy Spirit) Creator of all things including mankind. This means He created you and you were made for His glory and pleasure, but because of Adam’s sin, death passed upon all men because all have sinned (Rom 5:12). Because of our sin, we are separated from God and the wrath of God abides on us in our state of unbelief (John 3:36). 

 God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3). This means that He is perfect and without sin. He is pure and cannot tolerate sin because His holiness demands that all sin be judged.

 God is Just (Psalm 89:14). His justice means that He cannot simply overlook sin. Sin has consequences. It must be punished. Just as a good judge in a courtroom would never let a criminal go free, God, as a just judge, cannot allow sin to go unpunished.

 God is Love (1 John 4:8). Even though we are sinful and deserve judgment, God in His love sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die, be buried, and resurrected to pay for all the sin of mankind to reconcile sinful man to Holy God (2 Cor 5:21)

 2. What is sin?

 Sin is anything that goes against God's will. It’s not just the big things we think of as wrong, but even the small things, like lying or harboring anger in our hearts. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 Because of sin, we are separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). We can’t have the relationship with Him that we were created for. The Bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death—not just physical death, but eternal separation from God in hell (Romans 6:23). Sin separates us from a holy, just God, and there’s nothing we can do on our own to fix that problem. We can't go to church enough, pray enough, or be baptized enough- it's only through Christ Jesus.

 3. How does God solve the problem of sin?

 Here’s where God's love and grace come in. While we were still sinners, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place as our substitute.

 God is merciful (Ephesians 2:4-5). Instead of giving us the punishment we deserve, God made a way for us to be forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, lived a perfect life and died a sinner’s death, taking our place and the punishment we deserve for our sin. His death satisfies God’s justice.

 God is gracious (Ephesians 2:8-9). Even though we don’t deserve it, God offers us forgiveness freely through Jesus Christ. Salvation is not something we can earn by good morals or good deeds. It is a gift from God. (Eph 2:8-9)

 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of a virgin, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect sinless life and obeyed God's law perfectly on our behalf. He then went to a Roman cross where he shed His blood for us and took our sins upon himself and was treated how we should be treated for our sin (2 Cor 5:21). Our sin was accredited to His account so his righteousness would be accredited to our account by grace through faith. He then suffered all the wrath of God that we deserve on the cross. He took our place. He died, was buried, then rose from the dead, conquering death and proving He has the power to give us new life. His resurrection was proof that His sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sins and reconcile us to Holy God. He satisfied the wrath of God against us.

 4. What must you do to be saved?

 Realize you are a sinner who has offended a Holy God. Realize you are unable to save yourself through your own good works and that without the Lord Jesus you are completely hopeless and bound for eternal separation and torment in a literal place called Hell for all eternity. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ and this Good News. Believe in Him as your Savior and Lord (John 14:6, Acts 16:31, John 3:16). Trust that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Believe that He is the only way to be reconciled to God and place all of your confidence and trust in Him alone for salvation. Completely give up and rest in the Lord Jesus and His finished work of redemption. 

WOULD YOU RIGHT NOW

Recognize that you are a sinner who stands guilty before a righteous and Holy God and that because of your sin and rebellion you deserve the wrath of God in a literal place called Hell.

Realize there is nothing you can do on your own to save yourself nor reconcile yourself to God. 

Believe that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to this earth, lived a sinless life, went to a cross and took all of the righteous punishment you deserve. Believe that He died as your substitute and took all of your sin upon himself and paid the full price for your sin.

Believe that He was buried and then three days later He was raised from the dead and He is seated at the right Hand of God the Father.

If you believe this then Repent- turn from yourself, turn from your good works, turn from your unbelief and sin and turn to JESUS Christ! Place all of your trust, reliance, faith and hope in Him today! Repent and Believe the Gospel. Rest in Christ today for there is No other way! 

 5. The Assurance of Salvation

 When you repent and trust in Jesus Christ, you can be assured of eternal life (John 5:24). John 10:28 tells us that no one can snatch us from the hand of Jesus once we belong to Him. This is God’s gift to you—a secure relationship with Him now and forever.

Dear Friend, God is holy, just, and loving. Because of His holiness and justice, sin must be punished. But in His love and mercy, He sent Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to die for your sins and offer you complete forgiveness. You can’t earn your way to God—salvation is a gift. Will you respond to this gift of grace by repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you do, you will be forgiven, reconciled to God, and receive the gift of eternal life-never to lose your salvation.

 If you have truly placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we encourage you to find a good Baptist Church and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in scriptural water baptism by immersion. This does not add to or take away from your salvation, but is the first step of obedience as a new believer in Christ. It is a public identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and adds you to the membership of a local New Testament Church. 

 If you have questions or need help understanding this message, Community Baptist Church would love to speak with you!