What Is The Gospel?

We are all religious about something. Whether it's our academics, our social network, or even our philosophical pursuits.  We all want to find meaning and fulfillment in life and we are all hard-wired to do so.  This desire can lead us down several paths:

• The philosophical path

          You look for a theory to explain things in life.  If you take this path, reason will be the God that you worship.

• The mystical path

          You try to find a connection with the spiritual reality.  If you take this path, experiences will be most
          important to you and your existential leanings will rule you.

• The achievement path

          You rely on yourself and your abilities to become acceptable to God and others.  If you choose this
          path, successful behavior will wheeled its authority in your life and cause you to be a slave to everyone,
          lest they get to know who you really are.

These paths are found in many religions but they all lead to emptiness.  There are painful things you cannot control, and your best experiences or successes will never satisfy your deepest longings.  And inevitably you try harder and harder at life, but you continue to fail or measure up to the world's, or ever your own standards.  The problem with these approaches to life is that they all begin with us.  We were not made to find our ultimate value and significance in our abilities or accomplishments.  We were made for an intimate, everlasting relationship with God. 

God’s common grace to us – careers, studies, and friendships – do not substitute for His ultimate grace in Jesus!  The Christian life doesn't begin with us, but with God.  This is the good news.  What we cannot do for ourselves God did for us in Jesus.  God came to earth in the person of Jesus to live a perfect life and die on our behalf.  In doing so, He dealt with our guilt and freed us from our bondage to sin.  Moreover, in His resurrection, He has triumphed over death and defeated the power of sin and the devil.  This is the beauty of the gospel, that by faith you are united to Jesus in every way, so much so, that what is said about Him can also be said about you.  So in Jesus, you are freed from the power and pollution of sin.  In Jesus, death has no more claim on your life.  In Jesus, you have a right relationship with God.  In Jesus, you have hope and rest.  This is the good news of Jesus and it all can be yours by faith alone.