You’ve heard the word “gospel”, haven’t you?  Have you ever wondered what it means, or wondered why Jesus Christ died on the cross?  Maybe you’ve heard bits and pieces of the “gospel” of Jesus Christ, but you’ve never been able to put it all together in a way you could understand.  Here are some clear, simple answers for you.  Be sure to look up the Bible verses- they will help everything to make sense.

First, God created man (and woman) in his image, and placed them in the Garden of Eden.  They were living together in the garden, without sin. That means they obeyed God in every thought, word, and deed. (Genesis 1:27)

Second, Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command to not eat the fruit of a particular tree in the Garden.  Their sin took the form of disobedience to God’s specific command, but it began in their hearts as unbelief. They simply didn’t believe what God said would happen if they ate the fruit, and because they didn’t trust God, they committed the first sin. (Genesis 3:6)

Third, as God had warned them, the penalty for their sin was death. Death literally means separation, and they were, from that time forward, separated from God, from the garden, and ultimately they were separated by death from their mortal bodies. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Fourth, Adam passed the sin nature to his offspring and, ultimately, to you and me.  Everyone who has ever been born (with only one exception) has inherited the natural capacity and desire to disobey God. (Romans 5:12)

Fifth, this means you are a sinner, by birth and by nature.  You have broken God’s law.  If you don’t agree with this, ask yourself these questions. How many murders does a person have to commit to be called a murderer?  How many thefts does a person have to commit to be called a thief?  How many lies does a person have to tell to be called a liar?  Now, how many sins does a person have to commit to be a sinner? (Exodus 20; Romans 3:23; James 2:10)

Sixth, all sinners, including you, are deserving of punishment.  In fact, we are deserving of the same punishment that God pronounced on Adam and Eve- death.  Death means the same thing today that it meant in Adam’s time- separation from God forever in Hell.  That’s not what any man says, that’s what God says. (Ezekiel 18:4; I Corinthians 6:9-10)

Seven, all sinners are also helpless to do anything about the situation.  Think about it.  If you are guilty before God (and you are) what could you possibly do to gain his favor?  Yes, it’s true that God loves us, but it’s also true that God is perfectly just and holy.  That means that He must punish sin wherever it is found and, as we have already seen, it is found in you.  You simply can’t do enough good things to outweigh your sin. No one can. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Eight, we all (you included) need somebody else to do something for us.  That somebody is God Himself.  Since He does love us with a holy and righteous love, He doesn’t want us to spend eternity in Hell.  But since He is also perfectly just, our penalty (death) must be paid. (II Peter 3:9)

Nine, God’s own son, Jesus Christ, came to earth.  He was born of a woman, but not from a man’s seed, so He didn’t inherit the sin nature.  He lived a perfect, sinless life, so He alone is qualified to pay the full price for all the world’s sin (yours and mine included).  Jesus died on the cross in our place, taking upon Himself the punishment that you deserve.  Jesus then rose from the dead, conquering the power of sin and death and fulfilling the promise of the “gospel”. Isn’t that good news?  That’s exactly what the word “gospel” means- good news! (Isaiah 53:5-6; Colossians 1:20-22)

Ten, you do have a part to play, though, and it’s a very important part.  First, you must believe and accept what God says in the Bible about Jesus, that Jesus is the only way to overcome the sin and death that you deserve. Second, you must repent, or turn away from your life of sin and disobedience to God.  Third, you must confess (tell others) that Jesus Christ has become not only your savior, but also the Lord of your life from now on.  That means you purpose in your heart to love Him and obey His word, the Bible.  When you do that, God promises that you will pass from death to life for all eternity, and no one and nothing can take it away from you.  Praise and thank God! (Luke 13:3; John 3:36; John 14:21)

That’s as simple an explanation as I can give you of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you have any questions, or just want to know more, please call Tom at 585-330-4709. If I can’t help you, I’ll try to find someone who can, and I’ll be praying for you.  Thanks for reading, and may God bless you!