THE GOSPEL
God is Sovereign and Holy
Contemporary thinking says mankind is the product of
evolution. But the Bible says humanity was created by a personal God to love, serve, and
enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who
created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything
(Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over all lives, and humanity owes Him absolute
allegiance, obedience, and worship.
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore, He cannot commit or approve of
evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of all people as well. First Peter 1:16 says, "You
shall be holy, for I am holy."
Mankind is Sinful
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: "There
is no man who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:46). That does not mean humanity is incapable of
performing acts of human kindness. But mankind is utterly incapable of understanding,
loving, or pleasing God on its own (Romans 3:10-12).
God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4;
Romans 6:23). That is why simply changing patterns of behavior cannot solve the problem of
sin or eliminate its consequences.
Jesus is Lord and Savior
Romans 10:9 says, "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." Even though God's justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).
The Character of Saving Faith
True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that one is sinful, confessing sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), to pursue Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3), and to obey Him (1 John 2:3). It is not enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they do not love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).