While change is always an inevitable truth, this past year we have seen changes to every facet of our lives. In this time we live in, a pandemic, almost everything we know and count on has been changed. From going to work, grocery shopping, visiting family, and even holiday traditions have changed for a majority of people all across the world. In this time filled with changes, both good and bad, one thing remains constant, one thing will never change, that is the hope of the Gospel!
What is the Gospel?
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
What is the Gospel? 1 Corinthians tells us that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Jesus, born of a virgin lived a perfect sinless life, died a gruesome death on a cross to pay the sin debt we owed, then rose on the third day in victory, this is the whole of the Gospel!
The Gospel Shows Our Failings
When we look at the Gospel the first thing we clearly see is the filthiness of man. If it were not for our sin there would be no need of a Savior!
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23
The scripture is precise in the words it uses. As we see in Romans 3:23, we ALL have sinned. What is a sin? Simply put a sin is anything we think, say, or do that violates God’s law. Have you every thought, said, or did any of the following?
- Put anything in your life above God
- Taken the Lords name in vain
- Dishonored your parents
- Had anger in your heart
- Looked on another with lust
- Stolen (regardless of how small/insignificant)
- Gossiped about someone
- Coveted things of someone else
- Told a lie
The list could go on and on, and if your answer to any of them is yes, then you have broken God’s law and therefore, fall short of the perfection needed to get into heaven. What is the consequence of falling short?
Because of Our Sin We are Destined For Hell
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Scripture says the “the wages of sin is death”. What is a wage? A wage is a payment for doing a job, it is what we are entitled to because of an act we committed. So we must receive the payment for the sin we have committed, and that payment is death, both spiritually and physically.
Where Is Hope In Realizing Our Sin?
You may be asking yourself how we can find hope if we are destined to hell because of our sin. The answer is simple, the Gospel!
“But God commendeth his love towards us, in that , while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Despite our sin God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten son to die for us, so that His righteousness could be imputed unto us. While we were still in our sin, and deserving hell because of it, Jesus came and died to pay our sin debt.
Knowing The Hope of The Gospel What Do We Do Next?
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
“For Whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
Once we understand that we are reprobate, separated from God because of our sin, our hope is in Jesus and the payment He made at Calvary. As we see in Romans 10, the solution to our problem couldn’t be easier! All we have to do in order to obtain the hope of the Gospel is believe Jesus died and rose again for us, confess and repent of our sin, and we can be saved! Romans 10:13 states it in perfect clarity, “whosoever”, regardless of your race, religion, past or present, if you call on the name of the Lord you SHALL be saved. Yes! It really is that simple.
We Have an Eternal Hope That Cannot Be Taken Away
Once we have accepted Christ as our Saviour we now can claim the hope of the Gospel. Not only can we claim it, but we never can lose it or have it taken away from us.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
The scriptures tell us that once we have the gift of salvation nothing can ever take it away, we have that hope forever!
Despite The Chaotic Times, Our Hope in in the Gospel!
In these crazy times we live in lots of things can be uncertain, and give cause for stress and worry, however; despite our circumstances our hope of salvation never goes away! The joy that is brought through Christ is indescribable and passes all understanding, in that while the world is in chaos and nothing is certain we can still have joy and hope in the Gospel of Jesus.
Very well-written son!