Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9
What is the Gospel Message?
Think carefully on this soul-searching question:
If you should die right now, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven? If your answer is anything other than, "Yes I'm absolutely certain that my sins are forgiven and that Heaven will be my home," then this important message is just for you.
The Bible says that
 | We are all born in sin |
| God is righteous, and sin must be punished |
| God sent His Son into this world to die and pay the punishment for sin |
| You have a choice to make...whether you accept the free gift of salvation, and spend eternity in Heaven, or reject your opportunity, and spend eternity in Hell. |
| Your answer will decide where you spend eternity... |
Are You Saved?
While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in Him as they saw the miracles He performed. But Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew them all. There was no need for anyone to tell Him about them, because He Himself knew what was in their hearts.
There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. One night he went to Jesus and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles You are doing unless God were with him. Jesus answered, I am telling you the truth; no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.
How can a grown man be born again? Nicodemus asked. He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!
I am telling you the truth, replied Jesus, that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
How can this be? asked Nicodemus.
Jesus answered, You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? I am telling you the truth: We speak of what We know and report what We have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept Our message. You do not believe Me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe Me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.
As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God. (John 2:23-3:21)
My friend: I am asking you the most important question of your life. Your eternal destiny depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you Born Again? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?
The Gospel Message
Gospel means Good News. And in a world of sin and suffering, we each desperately need God’s Good News. But before we can understand the Gospel, we must understand the bad news.
In the beginning God created everything very good.(1) The Lord placed man in a garden paradise.(2) However man was given a free will and a choice.(3) Though mankind lived in a perfect environment, he chose to rebel against His Creator.(4) As God warned Adam, sin resulted in suffering and death. The curse described in Genesis affected all creation, and today we see the horrible results.(5)
Scripture also explains that, like Adam, we have all "sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(6) To see if this applies to you, please review God’s Ten Commandments.(7) Have you ever told a lie? One lie makes us a liar in God’s eyes. Jesus explained that lust was equivalent to adultery.(8) Have you ever had lustful thoughts? Scripture explains, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer.”(9) Have you ever despised another person? The Lord even warned: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”(10) Have you ever gossiped or spoken foolishly?
Whether our sin is envy, greed, pride (which was Lucifer’s sin),(11) or using God’s name lightly – we must admit that we are all guilty of sinning against our Creator. The Bible explains that the penalty for any sin is death – both physical death and spiritual death – which is eternal separation from God.(12) The final destiny for those who spurn their Creator is the lake of fire, which is the second death: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”(13)
However, there is Good News! Before time began God had a plan to rescue mankind.(14) Because the penalty for sin is death, the Creator came to earth as a man,(15) lived a sinless life,(16) and died to pay the penalty for our sins.(17) He then rose from the dead – defeating death – and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will trust Him.(18)
Scripture states that God is love.(19) And He demonstrated His own love toward us by stepping down from heaven to offer His life so that we might be reconciled to Him forever!(20) Jesus Christ is the Creator.(21) On the cross He bore our sins and then rose for our justification.(22) The Lord now offers everlasting life to all who will repent from their sins and trust in Him personally.(23)
By placing your faith in the LORD Jesus Christ you can enter into a relationship with the Creator of the universe that will last forever! This is His free gift and His desire for you.(24)
God our Savior “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(25) But remember, because God is completely just and holy,(26) every sin will meet with a just punishment.(27) Therefore, only Jesus – who alone is perfect and righteous, who alone died for our sins, who alone rose from the dead – can save you.(28) If you neglect God’s great salvation, the consequences are eternal. Scripture warns “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”(29) God will pour out His “indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil.”(30)
Therefore, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”(31) Instead, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”(32) If you do, you will live in Heaven with our awesome Creator forever!
1. Genesis 1
2. Genesis 2
3. Genesis 2:16-17
4. Genesis 3
5. Genesis 3:17; Romans 8:20-22. In fact only the Bible explains the origin of Creation, sin, death, suffering, conscience, and a host of other fundamental truths.
6. Romans 3:23
7. Exodus 20
8. Matthew 5:27-28
9. 1 John 3:15
10. Matthew 12:36
11. Isaiah 14:12-15; 1 Timothy 3:6
12. Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23
13. Revelation 21:8
14. 1 Peter 1:20
15. Matthew 1:23
16. 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5
17. 1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 6:10; Hebrews 10:10
18. Matthew 28:6-7; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Romans 10:9
19. 1 John 4:8
20. Romans 5:8
21. John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1
22. Isaiah 53; Romans 4:25
23. John 3:36
24. Romans 5:15-18
25. 1 Timothy 2:3-4
26. Leviticus 19:2; Psalm 37:28
27. Matthew 10:26; Revelation 20:12
28. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21
29. Hebrews 10:31
30. Romans 2:8-9
31. Hebrews 3:15
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