The Gospel

John 3:16 (NASB)
 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." 

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in the Bible.

  • God is sovereign creator

    Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything. 


    1 John 1:1-3 (NLT) 

      We proclaim to you the One (Jesus Christ) who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This One who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen Him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the One who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.  


    Colossians 1:13-16 (NLT) 

    For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. 


    Therefore, He also owns and rules everything. 


    Psalm 103:19 (NASB)
    The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. 


    That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

  • god is holy

    God is absolutely and perfectly holy.


    Isaiah 6:3 (NASB) 

    And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." 


    Therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil. 


    James 1:13 (NASB)

    Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 


    God requires holiness of us as well. 


    1 Peter 1:14-16 (AMP)
      [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. 15 But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. 16 For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. 


  • mankind is sinful

    According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: 


    1 Kings 8:46 (NASB)
     "For there is no man who does not sin."  

     

    That doesn't mean we're incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own.


    Romans 3:10-12 (AMP)
      As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. 11 No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one! 

  • sin demands a penalty

    God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). 


    Ezekiel 18:4 (NLT)
    For all people are Mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is My rule: The person who sins is the one who will die. 


    That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

  • jesus is lord and savior

    Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Even though God's justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners.

     

    1 Peter 3:18 (AMP)
    For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit, 


    Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness.


    2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
    For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 


    Thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him.


    Romans 3:25-26 (NLT)
      For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. 

  • Character of saving faith

    True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to:


    First, turn from sin.


    Luke 13:2-3 (NLT)

     “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3  Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God."


    Luke 13:5 (NLT)

    "No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”


    1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NLT)
    For they keep talking about ... how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 


    Second, pursue Christ. 


    Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
     Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 


    John 17:2-3 (NLT)
    For You (God the Father) have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.  


    Third, obey Christ. 


    1 John 2:2-4 (NLT2)
    He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.  


    It isn't enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don't love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience.


    Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
    For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. 


    If you have questions about how you can become a Christian, or want help in knowing how to live the Christian life, please contact us.