The gospel
God’s plan:
God (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) made human beings in His image, with the intention that people would live happily in loving relationship with Him and with one another, forever. People are created to live in accordance with the will of God, their Creator. Evil and the many problems in this world are the result of rebellion, passive or overt, against God. God’s purpose is not thwarted, regardless. He will recreate the physical world and make it perfect again forever, populated only by people that willingly choose to do His will in this life.
The problem of sin:
God is Holy, and rebellious people are sinful. Justice requires punishment for sin. The punishment is death – eternal separation from God and all that is good: love, peace and joy. By God’s standard every human being is sinful. Sin is the consequence of choosing to go our own way instead of doing the will of God, our Maker. This results in thoughts, words and actions that cause harm to us and to others. Sin separates us from God, making a relationship with Him impossible.
Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 3:9-10, 23
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; …” 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God …
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
The solution:
Because of His amazing love for us God, the Son, chose to enter His own creation as a man, lived a sinless life – totally submitted to the will of God, the Father. He lived the life every human being is meant to live. He died the death every human being deserves, taking the punishment for the sin of all mankind. He rose from the dead, proving that those who put their trust in Him will also live eternally. It is only through Jesus that we can be reconciled to God. Forgiveness of sin is now available to all who believe in Jesus and repent of their sin.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.
Romans 3:21-24
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known … 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Invitation to faith in God:
Faith is the choice to believe in and put your trust in God.
Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Hebrews 11:1, 2 & 6
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Believe, repent, and make the choice to live by faith in Jesus, finding out and doing the will of God. Repentance is essential. It is the decision to turn away from doing things your way and resolving to find out how God wants you live and to obey Him. Amazingly, your Creator wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to be your dear Heavenly Father and you will be His son/daughter, forever.
Romans 10:8-13
8“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming; 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, your will be saved. 10For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Have you decided to repent and put your trust in Jesus for salvation? Have you truly resolved to find out and do the will God for the rest of your life?
If so …
You have received the new birth. Among many other benefits that you will learn about as you grow in your new life, you are now a child of God. You are saved from the consequences of sin and the kingdom of darkness. You now belong to the Kingdom of God (the Kingdom of light). You have the rights and the resources of a child of God. You can be filled with God, the Holy Spirit - who will empower, guide, train and help you. You have begun a life-long journey, filled with hope of eternal life. It is important to persevere on this journey. It is those who persevere till the end of this life that realise this hope. You must not give up.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 1:8
Jesus told His disciples …
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
What next?
You are now part of the family of God on earth. You need to find a Church to attend regularly. You will learn more about your Father and your life in Him. You will also get other kinds of support that you may need. You should begin to notice the evidence of true repentance; changes in your attitude and behaviour.
God has revealed Himself and His will through the Bible. Get hold of one and start to read it. There are free Bibles online, including audio versions. You could start reading from the gospels – Luke, Mark, John, Matthew, which focus on the life and teaching of our Lord Jesus. Resolve to do what the Lord commands in His word.
Find out about, and get baptised by immersion in water. You need to be baptised in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit.
Start now to talk to God. This is called prayer. You will soon learn to discern His voice. Yes, the Almighty God wants to talk to you too.
It is impossible to successfully live according to the will of God without the help of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. He wants to.
You are welcome to join us at King’s Church, St Paul’s Cray, especially if you live within about 30 minutes’ drive of King’s Church Centre.