The Gospel

The word Gospel simply means, “good news.” If there is “good news” then there must be some “bad news!” Well there is and you need to know about it in order for the good news to shine brightly in your life.

The bad news is this: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God’s glory is very important to Him. In fact, that is why He created us. The Bible tells us that He created, that His creation was good, and that we were placed in it to represent Him. Unfortunately, man foolishly believed the lie that God was not being honest and that we could be independent of our Creator. We call this “the fall.” It was a fall indeed. In fact, it resulted in us being the recipients of God’s wrath. And rightfully so. He created us for His glory and we turned our backs on Him. Oh, He will still be glorified, He is God. But we no longer enjoy fellowship with Him and the satisfaction and fulfillment of bringing glory to Him.

So what’s the good news! The good news is that God is not only holy, and righteous, He is merciful, and loving. Someone had to pay the penalty for our sin. We cannot bear this penalty without being destroyed and spending eternity in hell. But God tells us that He is both just and the justifier. In other words, He made a plan to justify or make us right. That plan is by having God the Son, Jesus Christ take the punishment, which we deserve, upon Himself. He did this willingly. In what is believed to be a hymn of the early church we can read the following description:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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.

Jesus paid the penalty - Good News!

So what is the necessary response by us?
Repent and believe.

Repent or turn from your rebellion. The Bible says, Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Believe in the work of Jesus alone. No works we could ever do can satisfy God's wrath. Only Jesus payment can satisfy. The Bible tells us that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

If you would like to speak with someone from First Baptist Church of Blanchester or receive a free copy of the booklet, Ultimate Questions.

Please Contact Us and someone will be happy to share with you the hope that we have in Jesus.

Pastor Jim Koerber

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