The gospel message is really quite simple. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." None of us are free from sin. We are all in need of a Savior. To that is added in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
God made us to have fellowship with Him. But our sin has cut off that fellowship and separated us from God. The "wages" we should receive is to be eternally separated from God (spiritual death), but God wants no such thing. Therefore He has offered us a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Who are in Christ Jesus? Those who have placed their faith in Christ and received Him as their personal Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
There is that phrase again—"gift of God." Salvation from your sin is God's gift to you by His grace through your faith. There is nothing you can do to earn it. You can't buy it; you can't earn it. No matter how good you make yourself in this life it will never be enough. However, you can receive it because it is a free gift that God is offering to you right now.
John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Believing (faith) leads to receiving (through prayer and submission). When you have faith, you not only understand who Jesus is, but you come to know Him in your heart inwardly by placing your complete trust in Him and asking Him to come into your life and take control of your life. That is receiving God's gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 5:11-13 adds this assurance: "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
Again, God has given us the gift of eternal life. This gift of life is in Jesus. Everyone who has received Jesus into their life by faith has this eternal life in Him. They are the ones who have the Son. Therefore, when you know Christ Jesus in this way, when you "believe in the name of the Son of God," you can "know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).
God sent His Son to die on the cross for you, so that through faith in Him, you would have forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ. If you receive Jesus Christ by faith, you will receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Confess your sin and ask Jesus into your life right now, and you will begin a relationship with the Son of God that allows you to experience His love and strength each day. All who know Jesus as Savior and Lord can fully experience that grace from God. Let Him in and let Him give you that grace. Amen.
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