Four things God wants us to know
The Christian message of Good News is a message about:
1. News about God...
- that He’s our creator (Acts 17:24) - and so we owe our very existence to him
- that He’s all-knowing; all-powerful
- and, of course, we find ourselves totally in his hands
- a gracious & loving being who will by no means leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:6,7)
- having famously revealed His perfect standards for us in the 10 commandments (Exodus 20)
2. News about sin...
- that it’s more than mere shortcomings as judged by our own, or society’s, best standards
- and more than merely something we have a conscience about
- rather, true conviction of sin is an awareness:
- of our specific sins (Ps.51:1-4)
- of our inherent sinfulness (Ps.51:5,6)
- of our wrong relationship with God (Ps.51:7-10)
- in short, it is seeing ourselves as God sees us; totally corrupted; exposed to his wrath; and needing to be created anew
3. News about Jesus Christ...
- as one now living
- having once come from God into humanity to die for us
- his crucifixion actually being his work of salvation as predicted in the Bible
- that we are to 'believe in the Lord Jesus' (Acts 16:31 - to receive the blessings his death has secured)
4. News about repenting & believing...
- Repenting - more than regret about our past
- Believing - more than optimism for our future
- Repenting - a far-reaching change of heart & mind leading to a true disciple spirit (Luke 9:23)
- Believing - entrusting ourselves to, and resting fully on, the promises of God’s grace (John 3:16)
Have you responded?
- By acknowledging:
- You have sinned (Rom.3:23)
- You can do nothing to make yourself acceptable to God (Eph.2:8,9)
- Jesus Christ, God’s Son, did what you couldn’t do - He paid the price of your forgiveness before a holy God by His death on the cross (1 Cor.15:3)
- Your readiness to repent & receive by faith Jesus Christ as your personal saviour (Acts 20:21)
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. (The Gospel by John 3:16 NIV)
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Four things: you really should know...