The Gospel is God’s solution to our sin problem

For the next few weeks, Christ Community Church will focus on God’s life-saving message, the Gospel — what it is, how it’s received and how it applies to our lives.

The Gospel is God’s solution to our sin problem. Scripture teaches that sin offends God, results from breaking His law, corrupts us completely and eternally separates us from His love. The consequence of sin is eternal punishment.

But God has given us the Gospel as His exclusive answer to our need for forgiveness. As 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 declares: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Jesus Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

That is the Gospel — not good deeds, not self-enlightenment or improvement, not baptism, not earning favor with God, not a religious system, not praying a prayer, and not any form of human effort. The Gospel is the Good News that salvation from sin and its eternal consequence is exclusively in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection is the Gospel — the Good News.

How is the Gospel received? Scripture answers: John 6:44 teaches, “No one can come to Me (Jesus Christ) unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” God changes the heart, and in repentant faith, a person turns to Him and calls out for salvation. Ezekiel 36:26 promises, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Second Corinthians 3:16 says, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” Acts 3:19 declares, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” Romans 10:9 promises, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

When a person’s faith is placed in Jesus Christ alone, our sin is placed on Him, and He places His righteousness on us. The Father sees us not in our guilt, but as forgiven and covered by Christ’s righteousness.

Believe the Gospel today; it is our only hope.

Christ’s blessings, Scott Welch Pastor, Christ Community Church