Another Gospel?: 5 Days to a Firm FaithSample

 What is the good news? 

The word gospel literally means “good news.” It proclaims a God who was made flesh, crucified, buried, and physically resurrected to save mankind from sin and death. A God who will return again to judge every single person who has ever lived and determine their eternal destiny.

Sadly, there are many Christians who express discomfort with the idea that God would require the blood sacrifice of his only son to atone for the sin of humankind. They refer to this view as “cosmic child abuse” and toss this precious truth aside, striking a blow to the heart of the gospel. But Jesus isn’t some hapless victim or uninvolved bystander with no control over his fate. Jesus is God. He is the one we have sinned against. And he willingly came to lay down his life for us. The doctrine of the Atonement has united Christians throughout the ages and across cultures and continents. It’s the story Scripture tells from the fall of man in Genesis to creation’s restoration in Revelation.

Why is this gospel good news? If you know the truth about yourself, you know how desperately you need God. If you cry out for him to save you from your sin and trust him for your salvation, all while knowing deep in your gut that you can’t save yourself, things get real. These are not intellectual mind games. These beautiful truths about reality usher in the salvation of our souls as our fallen hearts are reconciled to God himself! This message is exciting news to the desperate sinner.

When I go back in my mind to the darkest moment of my doubt, it’s easy to see that the anguish of my soul was so profound because what I stood to lose was so substantial. If I believed Scripture was only a story ancient people told themselves about God, I would lose the living words of God. I was so disturbed of heart because I stood to lose the consuming fire who spoke creation into existence and yet identifies himself as Father. I stood to lose Jesus, the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament prophets, and trumpeted after four hundred years of divine silence as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). I stood to lose my Savior.

He is love. His name is Truth. His gospel is bloody. His way is beautiful. For God so loved the world.

Let’s pray Psalm 51:1-2 as we reflect on the forgiveness from sin God ultimately fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus:

Father,

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

Amen