The Gospel

Man's Sin

Sadly, mankind has not honored God as God from the very beginning up to our present day. This rebellion against our Creator is often called "the Fall." Its consequences have led to an on-going sinful behavior and a broken relationship between God and mankind.

As the Bible says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." (Romans 3:10-12)

This is the "bad news" for mankind. We are responsible for our actions to our Creator and we continue to sin against Him by living for ourselves and not honoring, loving and serving Him the way He deserves.

The consequences for each of us are eternal. If we remain in this state we are condemned by God to eternal separation from Him and punishment by Him. This is what is called "Hell."

God's Grace -- Jesus Christ

But, God is gracious and compassionate to men and women. He has provided a way of reestablishing that lost relationship with Him and dealing with all of our sins against Him. That is the "good news," which is actually wondrous news.

The only way to deal with our sin and be able to enter into a relationship with a holy God is by the payment of our debt. The One who paid this debt was God Himself. God sent His Son to earth, who became a man, and paid the penalty by His death on a Cross.

He did not remain in the grave, but arose from the dead, "the resurrection," and lives forever.

This God-man is none other than Jesus Christ. His is the only name given among men by which we can be "saved." He is "the way, the truth, and the life." No one can come to God but through placing their faith in Him. It is not by working for salvation or earning salvation. It is God's free gift offered to all mankind.

Our Response
The Bible also says,  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

What we could not do for ourselves, God has done for us. What should be our response? We believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord (God and Master) and Savior (the One who died in our place). However, true saving faith is accompanied by repentance. That is, we turn away from our sinful life of unbelief and the idols we have formed in our hearts. 

Eternal Life
With such a faith and love for our God we will turn from our sin (though not perfectly in this world) and will live lives which reflect our God and Creator. This does not mean that life will be a "bowl of cherries." There will still be trials and struggles, but God will help and guide us through these difficulties.

We are reminded of our faith and the trials of life, but also the faithfulness of God in 1 Peter 5:6-10:

6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

After death we look forward to our resurrection and eternity with God and all of the blessings that come with this wondrous relationship. This is truly what "Heaven" is all about.

Here is our God. Here is His "Good News" which has been given to us through His Word, the Bible. Place your trust in Him and you will never be disappointed, for you will know your Creator in a personal relationship now and forever more.

If you have questions you can contact us and we will help you understand our awesome God even more.

Part 2 . . . 

We grieve for the masses of people who don’t have the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. We have become a nation of people stripped of their souls. Our culture offers all kinds of  substitutes that promise much, but, in the end, deliver little. The erasure of God from our nation is resulting in societal chaos.

Years ago a nineteen year old man went on a shooting spree killing eight people before taking his own life.  He left behind a note expressing his "meaningless existence."

Our kids learn this nihilism at a young age. Consider that from elementary school through college we indoctrinate our children with a steady dose of moral relativism and naturalistic philosophy. Should we be surprised that those who are taught that they are mere animals act as such? The fact is, we're not mere animals; we are men and women who have been created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). And God did not design us to live in this way.

Evolutionism doesn’t have the answers. The progress of science, in fact, is leading us full circle back to God as we discover that the intricacies of creation are theoretically impossible apart from a Creator.

Empiricism doesn’t have the answers. People often declare that they will only trust in that which can be scientifically proven. However, there are truths that cannot be empirically verified such as the existence of universal laws of logic. Logic finds its genesis in God who has established such laws in keeping with His nature.  We know truth through the Word of Truth, the Bible.

The Bible alone offers satisfactory answers to the following: 

    •    Moral Absolutes and a Basis for Ethical Behavior
    •    The Uniformity of Nature and the Possibility of Science
    •    The Possibility of Universals and Laws
    •    A Basis for Personal Freedom and Dignity
    •    Forgiveness from Sin and Eternal Life

Only genuine Christianity restores fallen men and women to wholeness and peace with God. Only through Jesus Christ does life, including all of its disappointments, make sense.

What is genuine Christianity? It's not mere religion. It's not sacramentalism. It's not church membership. Genuine Christianity involves knowing and believing the truth about Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible. It's to know that Jesus Christ came to earth as God incarnate and that He lived a sinless life. It's to know that He was crucified and died as a once-for-all sacrifice for the sin of His people. It's to know that He was resurrected from the dead.

Moreover, it's not just knowing these things. It's believing them. It's to be convinced that I am sinful and under the wrath of a holy God. It's believing that Jesus Christ died in my place, taking the penalty I deserved so that I could be forgiven and set free.1 And in believing, it's to turn from my sin to Christ as my only hope. Only those who come to God on His terms will be saved from eternity in a woeful place called Gehenna, or hell.2 Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6).  

Life is but a vapor; we are here today, gone tomorrow. Please consider where you will spend eternity. God is commanding you to repent. Turn from your sin to Christ, believing in Him as your Lord and Savior. And be sure to find a genuine Christian church, one that upholds the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word, so that you may be baptized and grow in your newfound life with Christ.3

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1 The theological word for this is "imputation."  Imputation means that all of the believer's sins were credited to Jesus Christ and died with him on the cross.  In turn, Christ's perfect righteousness is credited to the believer.  Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Peter 3:18).

2 See Matthew 16:15; John 1:1-18; 3:16-17; 10:15; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Colossians 1:15-23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

3 If you have questions you can contact us and we will help you understand our awesome God even more.