THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST
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We worship a God who is the Creator of all things, thus He is the One to whom we owe our life and existence. We were designed to act as His human stewards over all of His creation and to live in a love relationship with Him and our fellow human beings.
Man's Sin Sadly, mankind has not honored God as God from the very beginning up to our present day. This rebellion against our Creator is often called “the Fall”. Its consequences have led to an on-going sinful behavior and a broken relationship between God and mankind. As the Bible says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." (Romans 3:10-12) This is the “bad news” for mankind. We are responsible for our actions to our Creator and we continue to sin against Him by living for ourselves and not honoring, loving and serving Him the way He deserves. The consequences for each of us are eternal. If we remain in this state we are condemned by God to eternal separation from Him and punishment by Him. This is what is called “Hell.” God's Grace -- Jesus Christ But, God is gracious and compassionate to men and women. He has provided a way of reestablishing that lost relationship with Him and dealing with all of our sins against Him. That is the “good news”, which is actually wondrous news. The only way to deal with our sin and be able to enter into a relationship with a holy God is by the payment of our debt. The One who paid this debt was God Himself. God sent His Son to earth, who became a man, and paid the penalty by His death on a Cross. He did not remain in the grave, but arose from the dead, "the resurrection", and lives forever. This God-man is none other than Jesus Christ. His is the only name given among men by which we can be “saved.” He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” No one can come to God but through placing their faith in Him. It is not by working for salvation or earning salvation. It is God’s free gift offered to all mankind. Our Response What we could not do for ourselves, God has done for us. What should be our response? Repent (turn from your sinful life) and turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior. He calls us to believe, have faith, that He is our answer to the consequences of our sin. It is true faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior which leads to eternal life. The Bible also says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Eternal Life With such a faith and love for our God we will turn from our sin (though not perfectly in this world) and will live lives which reflect our God and Creator. This does not mean that life will be a “bowl of cherries”. There will still be trials and struggles, but God will help and guide us through these difficulties. We are reminded of our faith and the trials of life, but also the faithfulness of God in 1 Peter 5:6-10: 6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. After death we look forward to our resurrection and eternity with God and all of the blessings that come with this wondrous relationship. This is truly what “Heaven” is all about. Here is our God. Here is His “Good News”. Place your trust in Him and you will never be disappointed, for you will know your Creator in a personal relationship now and forever more. If you have questions you can contact us and we will help you understand our awesome God even more. |
