Salvation is the impeccable radiant light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He saved us! Ephesians 2:8(ESV) tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” This is such good news that we couldn’t possibly keep it to ourselves. It’s the greatest jewel that any of us could ever hope to receive. In Matthew 11:28(NLT), Jesus Christ extended an invitation to us. He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” We can come to him just as we are, and those of us who accepted his love into our hearts were forever changed. This is the Good News that we have the great privilege and honor to share with others.
Just about every Christian has a testimony or story to share about how they came to Christ. All of us were in rough shape because we were lost in sin, but some of us were really going through it. We felt that our circumstances were unbearable, and we were sinking into an abyss of darkness. Some were struggling with paralyzing debt, poverty, and lack, and didn’t see a way out. Others were abandoned by their spouses or were dealing with heartbreak from the loss of a significant relationship. We were at our wits end because of one or more of life’s burdens, and some were even contemplating suicide. Our precious Lord had always been there, extending his hand of mercy and relief, but it wasn’t until we reached out in faith to take it that we understood real love.
1Corinthians 4:20(NLT) tells us, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” This is what the Gospel give us. It allows us to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit so that our lives are pleasing to God and pleasing to us as well. Philippians 2:13 tells us that through His Spirit, God is working in us, giving us both the desire and the effort to work according to His purpose. So, because of the finished work of Christ, we can partner with the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds and allow him to do this work within us, but this is up to us. It’s our choice. We can either partner with him or deny him, but when we partner with him, we bring our hearts and minds into alignment with God’s Will and live the abundant life that Christ made available.
We have to remember that before we knew the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus Christ, we were stuck in old habit patterns that worked against us rather than for us. We were going in the opposite direction of God’s love and didn’t think or focus on His love and goodness. Any action, attitude, mindset, or behavior that is outside the boundary of the mind and heart of Christ is sin. We had this sinful nature before we accepted the Lord Jesus and were saved. Therefore, we could not please God, but now, because we are a part of Christ, we can!
2Corinthians 5:17(NLT) states, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” This is part of the tremendously Good News. God has made us brand new through Christ, and we have the wonderful privilege to begin to line us our minds and hearts with the newness we have received. Jesus Christ has freed us from the bondage that once enslaved us, and Galatians 5:1 tells us to never again allow anyone to put us in bondage again.
This is the Good News that we have the duty and honor to share with others. Millions upon millions are not saved and do not know Christ. They have not sought him for the pardon of their sins, and they are in torment. They, like us, need to know that God has a plan for them. His Will is for our lives on earth to be a continuous and progressive walk with Him through the Spirit of Christ. He wants a relationship with each of us, and as we put on Christ in our minds and hearts by learning more about him from God’s Word, our relationship with God becomes stronger and closer.
Jesus Christ is alive! He’s not dead. The greatest thing that any living person can do is to surrender our lives to him fully. We need to know that he saved us from eternal hell and damnation, and that without him, hell would be our fate. Acts 4:12(NLT) tells us, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Through this life experience, God gives us a choice of living in Him through His love or remaining in darkness. His heart is that we will choose to abide in His love, but He will not force us to do this, because love doesn’t force. The Good News, the Gospel, is that He has given us life through Jesus Christ, and He hopes that we will choose it so that we can live in Christ forever more. ■
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Gospel of Jesus Christ”, written for 4theChristianMan.com© 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.