The Gospel

The message on this page is a condensation of the entire message of the Bible—what is referred to as the gospel. It is the most important part of this web site for it contains the most important message you will ever hear or read. We hope you take the time to read and digest this message carefully.

“No one is seeking God….no one does good, not a single one…. they don’t know where to find peace.” Book of Romans in the Bible (chapter 3, verses 11,12, 17)

These verses in the Bible surprise us, especially in light of all the different religions we find in the world. But the Bible says in many places that instead of seeking God on his terms we insist on doing it our own way.

“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Book of Proverbs in the Bible (chapter 14 verse 12)

On top of that rather startling discovery, the Bible reveals that “no one does good, not a single one”. “But” we may respond, “what about all the good that people do—kind acts, unselfish acts, generous words and deeds? Surely we cannot dismiss all that as nothing!?” Yes… the Bible teaches we are capable of doing “good” in the sense that it benefits others. But when the Bible speaks of no one doing any good it means “good” relative to God’s standard of goodness.

What did Abraham discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, He would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. Book of Romans in the Bible (chapter 4 verse 1 and 2)

God’s standard of goodness is Himself, which means something is only good if it’s always good and perfectly conforms to God’s character not only in deed and word, but in thought and heart motive as well. If all that we do isn’t out of love for God and others, it gains us nothing in God’s eyes.

“If I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” Book of first Corinthians in the Bible (chapter 13 verses 2 & 3)

On top of that, someone is only good in God’s eyes if they obey every one of His commands all the time. To break even one, is to instantly fail to be “good” by God’s reckoning. If a mountain climber is hanging from a rope and it breaks through in only one place while the rest of the rope stays intact, he is still going to plummet to the ground! A mountaineering rope that breaks anywhere is useless. The rope is not considered “good” if 99% is strong but 1% is prone to break when under stress. So also if we do not have perfect goodness before God our “goodness” isn’t acceptable to God. Saying “nobody’s perfect” only works with imperfect humans because we are all imperfect. But since God is perfect his standard is perfection. In other words, to be good in God’s eyes means that we must always be good without any sin or selfishness ever interrupting that goodness.

Those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. Book of Galatians & James in the Bible (chapter 3, verses 10 and chapter 2 verse 10)

In other words (and maybe surprisingly to the religious) religious people are no closer to God than the irreligious. The irreligious dismiss God’s laws as irrelevant and unimportant at their peril. And the religious try to earn God’s merit by doing “good” without achieving God’s perfect standard of goodness. Both fail to please God. One needs to repent of unrighteousness, and the other needs to repent of self-righteousness. Neither achieves God’s righteousness (God’s perfect standard of goodness).

And so there is restlessness in our hearts. We do not have peace within because we are estranged and separated from the God who is perfectly good. We try to fill our gnawing sense of emptiness with material things, by seeking the approval of others, by sexual pleasure, by achieving “success” educationally and in our careers, by strong relationships with friends and family, by “making a difference” to others etc. We run after many ways to try to fill that aching void in our lives. Sometimes it works for a little while. But soon that restlessness begins to surface again. Inner fears, doubts, guilt and shame rob us of the peace and joy we seek.

What is to be done about this rather hopeless situation?

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. Book of Romans in the Bible (chapter 3, verses 20 to 24, 27)

We don’t seek God. We don’t do good. We don’t have peace. But God seeks us. Christ comes and dies in our place as our substitute. He lives a perfect life as our substitute. He represents us to God.

It was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all. Book of Isaiah in the Bible (chapter 53, verses 4 to 6)

What He accomplishes, we accomplish through Him. Our failure and sin is charged to his account, and his perfect goodness is credited to our account—if we entrust our lives to Him. For that is what faith means. It is to turn away from trusting in ourselves and trying to relate to God on our terms, and instead trusting in what He has done for us. We trust in what Christ has done for us rather than on what we have done to try to merit acceptance.

It is all the more amazing when you consider who Christ actually is. Who exactly is this person who was willing to live his life for us and to die a death in our place?

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Book of Hebrews in the Bible (chapter 1, verse 3)

This then leaves each of us with a choice. Will we ignore and neglect this great deliverance that God offers us, or will we turn from our sins and cling to the Son of God who is our Saviour? Friend—you can pray to God right at this moment and ask for Him to credit Christ’s perfect goodness to you. His perfect death for your sins and his perfect life in your place can be yours today. You just need to ask Him. Turn from trusting in your goodness and trust now in Christ’s death on the cross for you. Don’t ignore or put off this incredible offer of salvation!

So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation?

Come to Me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously.

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. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Book of Hebrews, Isaiah, and Romans in the Bible (chapter 2, verse 3; chapter 55, verse 3,6-7; chapter 10, verse 9-11, 13)

*All Bible references taken from The New Living Translation