So what is this ‘gospel’ we hear about?
‘Good news’ is the literal meaning of this word ‘gospel.’
In this world flooded with bad news. With so many of us suffering guilt for not living as we know inwardly we should, and anxiety for the future, the gospel/good news is that there really is a way to leave that anxiety and guilt behind, to start over. Through Jesus there is a purpose to our life, a God who made us, and someone perfect who wants to give his abundant life to us.
Jesus, the one who spoke this universe into being, is the one who came from Heaven to Earth 2,000 years ago, lived a perfect life, and died to personally pay the penalty that the Bible explains we deserve. Eternal life is his gift to us.
We all try with all our might to ‘be good enough,’ whether in our own eyes, or in the eyes of others, or to the standard that we think God expects. But deep down we all know how far short we fall of God’s perfect standard.
That’s why the apostle John could write this -
1 John 4:9-10 God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. (10) This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
And so we have relief from condemnation and bondage to sin in this life, and a vibrant and real hope in eternity, all through simple belief in Jesus as the one who paid for our sins at the cross, and lives in and through us to enable us to please God.
So, what can I do to know the freedom God is offering me?
You can pray a simple prayer and give your life to God. Ask Jesus to cleanse you of your sin and receive the life of Jesus by asking him to lead and guide you from this day on.
If you would like you could pray this prayer or similar; “Lord God, My own attempts to find peace and meaning have failed. I know I’ve done many wrongs, and so I ask your forgiveness, and also the ability to forgive others. I accept that Jesus died for my sins and I want to surrender my life to him today. Please cleanse me of my sin. I accept your Holy Spirit into my life to guide and empower me to walk in your ways. Thank you for loving me. I pray this in Jesus name.”