Gospel

Exodus 3:13-14 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

John 1:1, 3, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16 "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE."

Romans 5:1 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

YET VERY FEW KNOW THIS PEACEFUL, ABUNDANT LIFE AND THE GIFT THAT GOD DESIRES FOR ALL; BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH GOD . . .

We hear many romantic things about our hearts, but the Bible says that at the very core of our being there is something wrong. There is a strong impulse in our human nature that insist on putting ourselves first, and GOD second. When we break any of God's Laws (by lying, stealing, lust, hatred, etc.), even in THOUGHT, we have "sinned" or "committed a crime" against GOD.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick."

Isaiah 53:6 "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."

Ecclesiastes 7:20 "Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins."

NOW, THE FRIGHTENING THING THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES IS THAT THERE IS A TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCE AWAITING THOSE WHO SIN.

ETERNAL

DEATH

Man, through the ages, has tried to bridge this gap (separation) in many ways – baptism, communion, commandments, commitment, confession, religion, etc., – without success.

1. Spiritual Death: sinful man born separated from God,
2. Physical Death: separation of soul and spirit from the body, and
3. Eternal Death: man separated forever from the presence of God – eternal torment in flames.

2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9 ". . . dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."

Luke 16:22-24 ". . . The rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades [Hell] he lifted up his eyes, being in torment . . . he cried out and said . . . I am in agony in this flame."

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;"

Revelation 14:11a “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, . . ."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE SINNED, WE ALL DESERVE ETERNAL DEATH – TORMENT IN FLAMES. PRAISE GOD THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO STOP WITH THIS BAD NEWS. HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS! (That's what "gospel" means – "good news.")

Christ died and suffered in Hades in OUR place. After three days in agony, He rose from the dead. He exchanged His righteousness for our sinfulness so that when we place our trust in Him, we can exchange our sinfulness for His righteousness.

Galatians 2:21 "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

THE BIBLE SAYS . . .

1 Peter 1:18,19 ". . . knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

1 Peter 2:24 ". . . and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds we were healed."

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

Hebrews 10:10 "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for ALL."

Acts 2:24, 31b “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. . . . that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay."

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE SOME FACTS ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS DEATH SWIMMING AROUND IN YOUR MIND.

YOU MUST CLAIM BY PERSONAL CHOICE TO TRUST EXCLUSIVELY IN CHRIST'S SUFFERING ON THE CROSS AND IN HADES TO BE SUFFICIENT PAYMENT FOR ALL YOUR SINS.

Choice: coming to repentance (changing your mind) as to the truth of God's promises.
Trust: believing that the suffering of Christ alone is sufficient payment for all the sins of our whole life.

Romans 4:21 ". . . and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform."

1 John 2:25 "This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life."

Romans 5:1, 9 "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

Ephesians 1:13 "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,"

Ephesians 2:8-9 "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, so that no one may boast."

Romans 4:5 "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness."

1. Admit that you are a lost sinner.
Take your place, right now, before God, as a lost, hell-deserving sinner; understanding that you cannot get saved (keep yourself saved or prove that you are saved) through water baptism, mass, communion, commitment, confession, repentance, keeping the commandments, or any type of good works.

2. Recognize the deity of Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that the term "Son of God," which Jesus used to describe Himself, meant that He was EQUAL with the Father – Jn. 5:18. Also, Jesus created all things – Col. 1:16, and He put off His Godly power to become a "man" to die for sinful mankind – Phlp. 2:6-8. After suffering three days in Hades, Jesus Christ resurrected bodily – Acts 2:24-32. Although He was tempted in all ways, He was without sin in thought, word, or deed – Heb. 4:15.

3. Recognize that God in flesh, Jesus Christ, was tortured for your sins.
Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who shed His precious blood on a cross and suffered three days in Hades to pay the full penalty for all of YOUR sins. He resurrected from the dead and is alive in heaven today. Jesus became YOUR substitute in order to become YOUR Savior. He paid for all the sins – past, present, and future – of your whole life! Only God in flesh could do this, not "another Jesus" such as Michael the Archangel, the "Jesus" of the Jehovah's Witness and the Seventh Day Adventists; or Lucifer's brother, the "Jesus" of the Mormons; or the sacramental wafer, the "Jesus" of those such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, or the Roman Catholic Church – 2 Cor. 11:4; Matt. 7:22, 23.

4. Personally claim salvation.
Claim by faith alone the free gift of eternal life which God promises to you for placing your trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Your faith in His sacrifice for you will save YOU from the eternal torment that you will always deserve. (Once saved, your obedience and faithfulness to God will bring blessings in this life and rewards in eternity, but obedience and faithfulness have absolutely nothing to do with "keeping" your salvation. Once saved, you are sealed by God's Holy Spirit and predestined for heaven.)

When you become saved from the penalty of your sins, you acquire ETERNAL LIFE, and it is ETERNAL – FOREVER. You cannot lose it! You have been "BORN AGAIN" according to God's Word, the Bible. This is the "second birth," and there are only TWO! You cannot be "unborn."

Yes, you will battle with sin, but sin can NEVER separate you from your SAVIOR. Jesus died for ALL your sins – not most, but ALL – past, present, and future. God offers us "salvation," not "probation."

John 6:39-40 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 4:14b ". . . but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."

Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to HIS mercy, . . ."

Ephesians 1:5 "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."

Ephesians 4:30 "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

Romans 6:23b ". . . the FREE GIFT of GOD is eternal life in CHRIST JESUS our LORD."

Romans 11:29 ". . . for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

1. Be water baptized (immersion) as your first act of obedience. Acts 8:36-38; 10:47-48
2. Read your Bible every day to learn more about your Savior. (Begin with the gospel of John and then Romans.) 2 Tim. 3:15-17
3. Talk to God every day (prayer), thanking Him for saving you. I Thes. 5:16-18
4. Tell others about Jesus Christ, and how He saved you. Acts 1:8
5. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a fundamental Bible church with male pastors who teach that Jesus is God, and that salvation can never be lost. 1 Tim. 2:9-15; Heb. 10:25
6. As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love for others. 2 Cor. 5:18-20
God will bless you as you do these faithfully.

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