The gospel is good news, but what is the news and what makes it good?
Much of what is sold as “the gospel” is an inferior substitute for the real thing. Don’t be fooled by cheap knock-offs! There is an easy way to distinguish the authentic from the counterfeit. The true gospel is 100% good news. There’s no bad news in the good news. If the gospel you’ve bought into makes you feel insecure, anxious, guilty, and condemned, then it’s no good. Discard it before it kills you!
The original gospel signaled a great joy for all people. It was, and remains, an announcement about a Man. This Man has done not one, but two deeds of supreme and eternal significance. If you have not heard of this Man and His deeds, then this will be good news for you:
1. Jesus died for you. In the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen, Jesus gave His life for us. We had chosen independence from God and reaped the whirlwind. But God loved us so much that He sent His Son to ransom us from the power of sin and death. The Son of God became a son of man and took the punishment that brought us peace. He was rejected that we might be accepted; wounded that we might be healed; cursed that we might be blessed. On the cross He carried our sin and gave us His righteousness. Through Him we have been reconciled to God and our sins are no longer held against us. In the grip of death Jesus cried, “it is finished.” His rescue mission complete, Jesus committed His spirit into the hands of His Father and died.
2. Jesus lives for you. The ransom paid in full, Jesus rose triumphant from the dead. He now sits at the Father’s right hand, a perfect High Priest who ever lives to speak for us. If you believe that Jesus has saved you, then believe that He will keep you for He will never change His mind. He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith and His blood has obtained your eternal redemption. Jesus is not alone in all this. Your heavenly Father loves you with an everlasting love and saving you was His plan all along. In order that we might have a firm and secure hope to cling to, God the Father has sworn a covenant of peace with the Son of Man and neither will ever break it. He has also given us His mighty Spirit – the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – as a deposit guaranteeing all that He has promised. Through our representative Jesus, and as an expression of His enduring love, our heavenly Father has joined Himself to us, promising never to leave nor forsake us. We stand secure, not on our feeble promises to Him, but on His unconditional and unbreakable promises to us.
The gospel is Jesus and He’s the greatest news in the world!
Now this is Good News!!
Good work may god bless you hoping to hear from you
Thanks, Paul! You make sharing the Good News so easy. I am able to share the Gospel with my sphere of influence just by sharing your posts. You make it easy to understand and it is written to regular folk! Be encouraged…you are a blessing to the world! Abundance of Grace is yours today and always! Chris
Nice and short. Just as you promised. And very much the pure and unadulterated Gospel
Well said Paul. :)
Wonderful!!!! Thankyou so much for sharing!! I’m leaping for Joy reading your post, as always!!!! I thank God for you!!!!!
I love this comment: “The only thing you can do with a gift is receive it or reject it.” So simple so true. John 1.12
I love this post. Clear and simple. But, many are saying that the gospel of grace is “universalism” (or leads to it) In my own church we who have found grace are being buffeted and chastised that the Grace message is nothing but a pretty packaging of the universalist mindset. It is hard to know how to respond (except with grace :)..How would you respond to this?..thanks :)
“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mk 3:28-29)
Religious people are quick to quote the second verse but not the first. They refuse to believe Jesus’ promise that all the sins of men would be forgiven, even though Colossians 2:13 declares that promise was fulfilled at the cross. Refusing to accept the grace of God they maintain a focus on their own religious performance. “How’s my walk? Am I in good relationship? Am I confessing my sins? Are my sins hindering my prayers?”
Everyone was forgiven 2000 years ago. Does that mean all are saved? No, grace is a gift. You are not saved unless you receive it by faith (Eph 2:8). Jesus identified one eternal or unforgiveable sin – the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. He was describing those who reject the Holy Spirit and His ministry, which is this:
“When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me.” (Jn 16:8-9)
What would I say to a religious person who mocks the grace of God? “You need to stop blaspheming the Holy Spirit. You need to repent from your dead works (He 6:1) and start doing the work of God, which is to believe in the One He sent (Jn 6:29). Your righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20). The gospel reveals the gift of His righteousness which is received by faith from first to last (Rm 1:17). Unbelief in the goodness of God, revealed in the unconditional love shown to us through His Son, has eternal consequences.” And then I would show them this or this.
thank you..your response was very helpful. I myself am still learning and being awakened to grace. Grace was something God showed me through the people I love the most in the lowest/darkest point of my life.(“rock bottom” would just about cover it) After receiving grace, that I in no way deserved, and then being blessed to abundance, God began to show me the truth of what had been imparted to me..It was all because of what Jesus had done for me (and the whole world) on the cross! Beautiful truth. It’s ironic because I had heard the message (or “the gospel”) all my life. But, what had happened to me, the superabundant grace, did not fit with what I had been taught about who God is and how He sees me..The truth was so much better! :) So, it was with sadness (and some hurt) that I realized the gospel of grace was not well received in my current church..We have been called everything from Jezebel spirits to universalistic..I’m trying not to become jaded..
You are sure helping a lot of people around the world see The Creator as He really is!!!!!!!
Pure grace indeed. This is goodnews indeed
May you be blessed for the good works.
Please, how can one share this good news with people of other religions like Islam who do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is awesome news! I want to read it over and over again! Thanks, so very much Paul; please keep reminding us over and over!
I love this,but I just want to find out what your take on hell fire is?
It’s hot!
Will the unbelievers end up in hell fire forever?
I hope not. No one can say for sure but Jesus spoke of the “everlasting fire” (Matt 18:8, 25:41) so we must act as if it is so while hoping it is not.
I am new to E2R and enjoy your posts tremendously. They are always concise and precise, witty and uncomplicated in delivery. Always truthful. Thank you and please continue to let your heart beat to the rhythm of the precious Holy Spirit.
Thank you so much. When I first logged in to this site, I so love every word I read. There is a great contrast between relgiion and relationship with Christ. You are so right and brilliantly written, Religion is all about you you you and grace is about its done done done. I felt uplifted reading that all. We constantly need to be reminded as words are like seeds that spits at us all and death and life are in them. Unfortunatly, death words are often preached through the pulpit so thank you for making grace soooooo easy to understand, it saved me all over again, thank you for your emails and your love for setting those bound in religion free.
God bless you and your family andn team, you make undertanding grace so easy, I love it