The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and everything He created was good (Genesis 1:31). God lived and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in perfect harmony. Adam and Eve had the freedom to eat all of the food that was provided in the garden, except the fruit of one tree - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17). In the freedom God gave humanity, Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6). At that moment, sin entered into humanity, separating Adam and Eve from the perfect, holy God (Genesis 3:23-24).
All of us are born into the sinful world. The human race is plagued by sin, and all of our inherited sinful natures seperate us from God's perfection. So herein lies our problem - we are sinful, imperfect beings unable to be in a right relationship with the holy, righteous, perfect God who created us.
Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. There is a solution to the problem of sin, and it is not by our own doing.
Jesus Christ, God's Son (who was fully man and fully God), was sent to earth by God the Father. Throughout His life, He showed us through His teachings and through His actions how to live a life that honors God. Throughout His entire life, he never committed a sin (1 Peter 2:22). Because He was God, He was perfect in every way - the only perfect man to ever live.
Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death..." Since God is a good and just Judge, punishment must be given for the sins of humanity, and that punishment is death. Because Jesus was perfect, He took our sins upon Himself and paid the punishment by willingly dying on the cross. He died in our place.
Since Jesus took our sins upon Himself and paid the punishment for sin, we can be made righteous before God through Jesus' righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, repent (turn from our sins) and believe in the Gospel, salvation is freely provided to us. However, if we reject Jesus Christ, do not confess, repent, and believe, our just punishment is separation from God for eternity in hell.
Romans 10:9 states, "...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."
Jesus said in Mark 1:15, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
The Gospel story does not end at the cross, nor does it end at the grave where Jesus was buried. On the third day, Jesus Christ rose from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:2-3) conquering death once and for all (Revelation 1:18). Because He is alive, we can be alive!
So this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through Him, we can be back in right standing before God, if only we place our belief in Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to Him.
If you are unsure of what you believe and are interested in learning about salvation through Jesus Christ, we encourage you to contact us. It would give us great joy to talk to you about salvation through Jesus Christ and hear any questions that you may have. Please email us at gosschurchakron@gmail.com or call 330.745.5038.
Feel free to also check out one of these Salvation focused resources:
2 Ways To Live pamphlet
Bible Verses about Salvation PDF
Are You A Good Person video by Living Waters
G.O.S.P.E.L (The full story of life) spoken word video by Propaganda
We also encourage you to visit our Articles of Faith page for a more thorough explaination of Goss Memorial Church's doctrinal beliefs.
Blessings to you on your journey of faith.