by Dr. Ray Self
The word gospel means "good news".
The Bad News - Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death,
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
The fact that all are guilty of sin and condemned to spend eternity in a place of torment is very bad news.
The Good News is that God has made a way to save man from the consequences of sin.
Man is by nature sinful and separated from God with no hope of remedying that situation. But God, by His power, provided the means of man’s redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
God, because of His love for the world sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the sins of man upon Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 6:23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Colossians 1:13 -14 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
The gospel of Christ is the good news of His coming to provide forgiveness of sins and all the benefits of a restored relationship with God for all who believe.
Since the beginning of time when the first man sinned, mankind has been under the condemnation of God. - Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-
Everyone has broken God law by committing sin - Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Everyone is guilty - Romans 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
The punishment for the crime of sin is physical death - Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death, and then an eternity spent in a place of eternal punishment – Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
But God, because of His love for the world, has made a way for man to be forgiven for their sins – John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”