The Gospel
What happens when I die? Will I go to Heaven? Is there a Heaven? A Hell?
Maybe you have asked these questions yourself. Maybe they make you feel uneasy. We can answer these questions and put ourselves at ease if we turn to the Bible.
The Bible says that God created all of the universe (Genesis 1). As God is the sovereign creator, He has defined a moral law that all must abide by. Its simplest version is found in the Ten Commandments:
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not make, bow down to, or serve idols.
- You shall not use the Lord’s name in vain.
- You shall keep the Sabbath day Holy.
- You shall honor your parents.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not lie.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not covet others’ possessions.
No one can say that they have kept God’s Moral Law. The penalty is that all are condemned to an eternal spiritual death.
Here’s the good news. God the Son came down to Earth to live as the Son of Man we know as Jesus. During His life and ministry here, He lived a perfect life obeying and fulfilling the complete moral law of God. He then willingly died on the cross. During this death, He took on the punishment for the world’s sins from God the Father. He took the penalty that none of us could pay for ourselves. On the third day, He rose from the grave victorious over death.
Where does that leave us? Jesus said that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" John 3:16. Jesus wants to bestow eternal life upon us, but how? The Bible says:
| "[T]hat if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." |
So how are we saved from this penalty of eternal spiritual death? By faith, we can ask Jesus, God the Son, to become our Lord and Savior. By faith, we can ask Him to pay the penalty that we cannot.
If you have made this decision or if you would like to talk about it with someone, please feel free to contact the church.
