"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (ESV)
The Gospel
Christianity is utterly unique. Rather than laying down the rules we must follow to please God, or the paths we must climb to reach God, the Bible makes the stunning claim that God has come down to us.
At the heart of Christianity is the good news that in Jesus Christ, God has come to reconcile sinful humanity to himself. All that God requires for a right relationship with himself has been secured for us in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. No more paths to climb. No more rules to keep. We simply rest in what Jesus has done, and receive a whole new life toward God. That’s why the message of Christianity from the start was called “the gospel,” meaning “good news.”
Q. What is the Gospel? A. The good news about God's plan for saving humanity..
Q Why the Gospel? A. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
HUMANITY
-“all have sinned” this means that all of humanity has missed the mark of measuring up to God’s righteousness. Historically in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve chose not to trust God and instead chose to learn about evil. This choice in history to disobey their loving God has had generational effects on all humanity.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Rom 5:12,18) Adam and Eve’s choice to know sin has resulted in death for us all, both physically (all mankind will die) and spiritually (separation from God because of our sin for all of eternity).
GOD
“…He loved us first.” 1 John 4:9
-“I desire mercy,” Hosea 6:6
Even though humanity has been separated from God because of the consequence of sin, God desires to be merciful to us because He loves his creation. God has used history to show mankind pictures of how He would be merciful to humanity and solve the consequences of our sin:
Gen 3:21, The first physical death in history occurred when God provided a ram in order for his skins to be used as a covering for Adam and Eve’s realized nakedness
Gen 22:13-14, Because Abraham trusted God, He provided another ram to be offered up as a sacrificial substitute on the altar in replacement of Abraham’s son Isaac
Ex 12:1-13, The blood of the Lamb would cause God to pass over us and not judge sin
These and many other examples revealed God’s desire to save us and provide a substitue that would pay the consequences of our sin for us. The Old testaments historical accounts and promises point to God’s provision of a Savior for all humanity.
JESUS, God’s Perfect Son
-His birth- Matthew 1:20-21 “He shall save His people from their sins”
-His purpose- John 1:29-34 “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world [humanity]”
-His message- John 11:25-27 “He who believes in Me [Jesus] though he may die [physically] he shall live [spiritually and physically with God]. Do you believe this?”
-John 14:6- “Jesus said to him 'I am the way [no other way to God the Father than Jesus], the truth [all other messages do not have the way of salvation], and the life [only Jesus provides salvation from the consequences of sin]. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
THE CHOICE WE HAVE
How are we saved from sins consequences? Acts 16:30-31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”
Trust Jesus Christ through faith Rom 3:21-26 “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe."
We have all sinned, the consequences of our sin is death (both physically and spiritually from God). God has revealed His mercy and grace throughout history, all pointing to the coming of Jesus. Jesus’ purpose was to save humanity from the consequences of their sin. He accomplished this by dying in our place, He conquered sin by rising from the dead and being the end of death (Hosea 13:14). We are asked to believe and have personal faith in Jesus’ provision of salvation.
Romans 10:9-13
"because, 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 with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But Is It True?
No one can argue that this message is good news! The questions that remain are:
Is it really true?
How will you respond?
So, as you consider if the gospel message is really true, please listen to this sermon (held outside during the COVID pandemic) and hear some of the evidence regarding the truth of the gospel.
How Will You Respond?
If you want to learn more, ask questions, or respond to this message, Shoreline would love to talk with you more! Tell us how you’d like to get in touch and we’ll continue the conversation.
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Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.