The Gospel is the good news. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
You might be wondering what a sinner actually is. First, let's read God's law as given to us through the Bible, from Moses, and faithfully copied and translated for us today. Exodus 20:1-17 are the 10 commandments. You may or may not be familiar with the commandments, but these laws are almost universally agreed on in all levels of government. The commandments are broken into two sets, how to treat God, and how to treat other people.
Here's five commandments on how God tells us to treat Him:
Before giving five more commandments, God says:Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Here's five commandments on how God tells us to treat other people:
I bet if I ask, you may tell me you're a good person. A question does arise, though, good by what standard?
The 10 commandments are God's standard.
How do you compare? Maybe there are some commandments you've done without even thinking about it. I suspect the vast majority of people have not committed murder. Many married couples protect their marriage. Chances are, you can't say you haven't kept all these commandments at all times.
In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus teaches that it's not just upholding these commandments in action, but also in thought and intention. Have you ever thought about killing someone, even if you never intended on acting on it? Have you looked at a man or woman in lust? Jesus follows up with a chilling set of statements: if you are going to live out the 10 commandments perfectly, and your eye causes you to sin, it's better for you to pluck it out. Now, just wait here, Jesus does not want you to dismember yourself, this is hyperbole for people who claim they are holy. Jesus is showing us that to truly live out the law ultimately means death, we cannot do it and live.
Let's start with this: I'm not a good person, either. A friend once asked me, what about the person who is 99% good? Let me pose this back: would you drink a large glass of water if 1% of it was highly poisonous? No, that water is no longer good.
So you're a sinner, and so am I, and I've got a little more bad news for us;
the wages of sin is death.
So, we're not good, we are sinners, and by being a sinner, we are owed death.
Time for some good news, God is good, holy, and is abundant in grace (does not give us what we do deserve) and mercy (gives us things we don't deserve).
To finish the quote from above:For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now, what does that mean?
We can escape the death owed to us from sin by trusting in Christ Jesus, but what does that mean? How is trust (or faith) in Jesus any type of solution?
I get it, I'm a software developer. I would never tell another developer, "Just trust webpack, it will save your code." That's obviously ridiculous. When the Bible tells us to place our faith and trust in Jesus, it means something different.
Let's look at it this way, who is someone you trust? Your spouse, best friend, parents, or someone else? What does it mean to trust them? It means you can go to them for help, and know they will do whatever it takes to help you. It also means you know who they are, and what they can help you with. You may go to your Mom or Dad to ask about relationship advice, but maybe you go to your senior at work to ask how a certain system works. So when the Bible (and myself) talk about putting faith and trust in Jesus, it means coming to Jesus about things pertaining to life and sin. As you learn to trust Jesus more and more, you'll find that life and sin covers all aspects of your life.
Ok, but why do you go to Jesus? Why not Muhammad, Joseph Smith, a yogi, a priest, or anyone else? Because Jesus satisfied the payment of sin in His death and resurrection. Galatians 3:10-14 says Jesus frees us from the curse of the law (eternal death from sin), because He was the only sacrifice that has fully covered the debt of our sin. Jesus says in John 10:7-9 that He is the only way. So, once again, why not someone else? Well, there is a peculiar thing, many religions say that Jesus is one way, but Jesus claims to be the only way. Why would so many religions (like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others) consider Jesus a good teacher, or a holy prophet, when Jesus makes a claim to be the only exclusive way to God? Maybe that's more of a question for you to ponder, but I think even as a thought experiment, that is a powerful question.
So, maybe Jesus is the only way, but is it really a free gift? I've heard some people wonder about having to give up so much, that doesn't sound free. Check out Mark 10:17-27. You may recognize this as the parable of the rich man. Maybe you are starting to relate to him more and more - you've mostly followed the 10 commandments, but you don't want to give up what you love. When you, me, or anyone love something like that, it is an idol, which is what the first two commandments deal with. This is the human condition, too, so don't be surprised if you realize you are treating something like an idol.
Now, let's get back to free, it's free because Jesus fulfilled the law. There is an evangelist I respect, Ray Comfort, and he gives a great illustration of what this means. Imagine you were caught speeding while driving, and given a fine and a court date. When you go to court to pay your fine, the judge says "Your fine has already been paid." Now imagine that fine cost you everything, even your whole life. This is the fine that Jesus paid on the cross, He freely makes His life available to us.
So if you want to be saved, how does this work? Let me tell you what will not save you:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.If you want to be saved from the death owed to you, demonstrate your faith by asking Jesus to save you, to take on your sin, and to give you life. If you want to be saved, but aren't sure, ask Jesus to give you faith.
There is no special or secret formula, in the same way that there is no formula for having a conversation. Sometimes prayer is in the form of thoughts in your mind, other times it is out loud and vocal. Is one better? I'm not sure, but I tend to lean towards vocalized prayer. I talk to God about what's going on right now. That may be sharing my joy in some good thing, or asking guidance in things that are troubling me. Pray can be a time to ask for things, but let me warn you, God is not a genie, do not treat Him like one. What I mean is God will meet our needs in what we ask, but God does not guarantee things will be easy, or that He will simply give you everything you ask for.
A habit I try to keep: instead of asking God to give me something, I ask Him to be the something I need. For example, my children are driving me crazy, what's better, to ask for patience, or to ask God to be your patience? Or, you are struggling against sin, do you want God to give you strength, or do you want God to be your strength? I find praying like this helps me understand that I am nothing without God. Without God, I am an empty husk scheduled to die eternally. Without God, my good works die with me. Without God, even my best efforts are tainted, just like the 1% poison in the water.
If you like having some structure, you might already be familiar with the Lord's prayer. You don't need to repeat that verbatim, but look at the outline: