The Gospel

§ I

God is holy

God made everything, he rules everything, and there is no evil in him at all. He won’t do it and he won’t wink at it.

And he asks the same of the people he made.

§ II

We are sinners

Here’s the hard part. None of us meet that standard. Plenty of people are kind, generous and decent, and that’s real.

But Scripture says nobody, left to himself, actually seeks God or loves him the way he deserves. That includes us.

§ III

We can’t fix it ourselves

Sin against a holy God carries a penalty, and the penalty is death. Turning over a new leaf doesn’t change that. Good days don’t cancel out bad ones. The debt stays on the books, and it’s more than any of us can pay.

§ IV

He lived the life we didn’t

God sent his Son. Jesus lived a whole human life without sin, obeying his Father at every point where we fail.

That obedience is credited to everyone who trusts him. His record becomes theirs.

§ V

He died in our place

Then he took the penalty. On the cross Jesus was punished for sins that weren’t his, so that God could forgive sinners and still be just.

One of the last things he said was a single word in Greek, tetelestai. It means “it is finished,” and it was written on receipts that had been paid in full.

§ VI

He rose

Three days later he walked out of the tomb in a real body. People saw him, ate with him and touched him.

That’s God’s own receipt that the payment was accepted. Death doesn’t get the last word over Jesus, or over anyone who belongs to him.

§ VII

Turn, and trust him

So what do you do with this? Two things, and they come together. Repent: agree with God about your sin and turn away from it. Believe: trust Jesus, not yourself, to make you right with God.

Knowing the facts isn’t the same thing as trusting him. James points out that even demons know the facts.

§ VIII

It’s a gift

None of this is earned. You aren’t saved by repenting well enough or believing hard enough. God gives it freely, you receive it by faith, and it all rests on Christ.

The Reformers had a short way of saying it, and we print it on a lot of shirts: sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus. Grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone.

§ X

Find a church

Reading a page on a shirt company’s website is a start, but it isn’t the Christian life. God doesn’t save people to go it alone. He puts them in a church, under faithful preaching, alongside people who know their names and will pray for them.

Look for a church that preaches through the Bible, holds to the gospel on this page, and takes membership, baptism and the Lord’s Supper seriously. These directories are a good place to start.

• 9MarksHealthy churches, many traditions
• Founders MinistriesReformed Baptist
• The Gospel CoalitionGospel-centered, many traditions
• Confessional Baptist Association1689 Confession Baptist
• Reformed Baptist Network1689 Confession Baptist
• Presbyterian Church in AmericaPresbyterian
• Orthodox Presbyterian ChurchPresbyterian
• United Reformed ChurchesContinental Reformed