I have some extremely good news to share with you today.
Everyone likes good news, right?
Like when that package you’ve been waiting for finally arrives…
or when your boss unexpectedly gives you a raise…
or when that special someone says, “yes”…
These are all occasions to leap for joy and share your happiness with your family and friends.
Really good news has the ability to completely alter the course of our day,
and in some cases, the rest of our lives.
The news I would like to share with you today
is undoubtedly the best news of all time for everyone.
It is bigger and better than any other news you will ever
hear because the significance of this news extends
far beyond the rest of your life and into eternity.
The good news I would like to share with you today is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, the word “gospel” simply means “good news”
so the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is good news of great joy for all people.
Before I share this life changing news, I need to
mention some bad news for just a moment.
The reason being that the gospel is the only
solution to a serious problem we all face.
Therefore, we can’t truly appreciate the surpassing value of this
good news until we fully understand the severity of the bad news.
And the bad news should come as no real surprise.
You and I have made terrible choices at times.
We all have. We’ve done things against our consciences,
we’ve hurt other people, and we’ve broken God’s laws.
I fall short of my own standards all the time.
If God’s standards are higher than mine, I know I’ve missed the mark. And you have too.
The truth is that one day, every person who
has ever lived will have to give an account to God, who will judge
the entirety of our lives—everything we ever said, everything we ever did,
and every thought that entered our mind.
And without any intervention on God’s part,
we would all be guilty of a laundry list of wrongs—lying,
cheating, stealing, blasphemy, jealousy, idolatry, and the list goes on and on.
Jesus goes so far as to say you and I are guilty of
committing murder in our heart if we insult someone in anger and the
same goes for adultery if we look at someone with lust.
God’s standard of righteousness is absolute perfection and on our own, we all fall short.
Our sin separates us from God.
The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death”. That’s the bad news…
but this is where the good news comes in.
Even though we are all guilty before a righteous and holy God,
God loves you and He wants to share His life with you forever.
Listen to the rest of the verse: "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
You see, God is not only righteous and holy,
He is merciful and kind and He provided
way for us to escape judgement and receive mercy.
Jesus lived the perfect life that you and I never could.
Even though He did nothing wrong, He willingly took
our collective sins upon His shoulders and paid the penalty for them on the cross.
The Bible says
Friends, God loves you more than you can possibly imagine.
He wants to share His life with you.
He wants you to be a part of His family.
And He wants you to receive His mercy and grace,
which is a gift from God received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
There are three important characteristics to genuine saving faith:
The first is to simply BELIEVE the good news of the gospel—
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who perfectly fulfilled the
law on your behalf and took away your sins on the cross.
The second is to REPENT of your sins.
This is more than just asking for forgiveness, it’s a
life-changing decision to turn away from the choices
that break God’s laws and towards the kind of life that Jesus wants for you.
The third is to SUBMIT to Christ as Lord and King
by giving Him authority over every area of your life
and choosing to follow Him and His direction.
If you want to experience God’s forgiveness, righteousness, and favor,
I would love to give you the opportunity to make
Jesus the Lord of your life right now. Would you pray with me?
If you prayed that prayer, we would love to hear from you.
I highly encourage you to read God’s Word.
If you don’t have a Bible you can download one
in the video description, absolutely free.
I also hope you find a good, Bible-based church
that can help you grow in your faith and keep God first in your life.
Jesus perfectly obeyed the law on your behalf
and took away your sins on the cross so that you can live with God forever.
This is the best news you will ever hear but just like any other news,
you have the choice to believe it or not.
The good news of the Gospel is true no matter what you choose,
but it won’t do you any good unless you believe it and receive it for yourself.
I hope this video is a blessing to you. God bless you all.