The Good News!

The Gospel made simple

Man(kind) is sinful, by not fulfilling his purpose for which he is created (to worship God). Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. The punishment for our sin is death. Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death. The cure for our sin is faith in Jesus' shed blood. Romans 6:23b the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So eternal life is not earned by being a good person or doing good things. It is a gift from God.

What does God mean by saved?

Psalm 118:21 Thou has become my salvation. (salvation in the original Hebrew is Yeshuwa, or Jesus in the Greek)

Isaiah 43:11 I even I am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.

Isaiah 62:11,12 Say to the daughter of Zion (Israel) Lo, your salvation comes; … And they will call them the Holy people, the redeemed of the Lord… (to be redeemed is to be bought back as in paying a ransom to deliver or save someone who is held captive)

Matthew 1:21 …He will save His people from their sins. (the angel prophetically declares to Mary that Jesus will save us from our sins)

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Acts 16:30,31 …what must I do to be saved?…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved… (faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation)

Ephesians 2:5,8 For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (grace is the unmerited favor of God, meaning we did not earn it, He gave it to us freely when we show faith in His Son. It truly is a gift which cost Him dearly)

Romans 10:9,10 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Jesus said “if you will confess me before man, I will confess you before my Father” Mat.10:32)

John 5:24 Truly, truly I say to you he who hears my word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death and into life. (In the Greek, the word "has" means to hold or to possess, in the present tense)

1John 5:11-13 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (In the Greek the word "know" means to be sure)

A prayer offered in sincere faith can cause the worst sinner to be born again John 3:3.

If you want to be saved and receive God's gift of eternal life, pray to Him with your own words. Something like this; Father in heaven, I confess my sin to you. I know that I am not living as you intended. Please come into my heart and save me. Help me to live as you desire. I believe Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead. I receive your gift of eternal life. I accept your gift by faith. Please hear my prayer, in Jesus name.

Now go and tell someone! Find a church with a pastor who teaches the scriptures and has a heart to please God. Ask to be baptized. Then, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! And serve Him by learning to love others.