What is the Gospel?
At the Remix we want everything we do and everything we become to be centered around the Gospel. We truly believe that there is no greater message than the Gospel and it is for this reason that we passionately proclaim the Gospel and passionately live lives worthy of the Gospel.
Though the Gospel is the good-news of Jesus Christ, it first starts with some bad new. The bad news is that though God desires to have a relationship with us that relationship has been eternally strained because of our continual sin against our Holy God.
Ephesians 2:1-3, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts
Though sometimes we might think we are “good people” when we get down to it, we all constantly live contrary to God will; whether it’s the words that come out of our mouths, the thoughts and motives in our hearts or our daily actions, we all fall short of God’s standard for holiness. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Because of our sinful disobedience we have stored up for ourselves eternal destruction and wrath from God. Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Because God is a just God, He is forced by His holy character to punish and keep the world accountable for its despicable character.
However, God’s love is so great for us that He provides a way to resolve the greatest problem that plagues our world. Rather than forcing us to pay for our sins, He sends His Son Jesus Christ to be our substitute punishment. 1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Christ comes to earth and lives a perfectly sinless and righteous life; allowing Him to be our perfect sacrifice. Christ short time on Earth comes to a climax when He willingly goes to the Cross. It’s on the Cross that He takes on the sins of His people, experiencing excruciating physical pain, the result of sin for the first time and experiencing the wrath and separation from God. Christ does all of this so that our sins would be paid for and that we would have the opportunity to be reconciled with God. Colossians 1:22 says, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
There is nothing we can do to earn our reconciliation with God and receive eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For 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.” The only thing that unites us in an Earthly and Eternal relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is by turning from our lifestyle of sin (repentance) and by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21 says that we all “must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” When we put our faith in Jesus Christ we are placing our faith in His identity as the Son of God and His great work on the Cross of shedding His blood for our sins and the sin-conquering act of His resurrection. As children of God we continue this practice of repentance and faith every single day of our lives: daily repenting of our sin and daily placing our faith in Christ.
My prayer is that you will come to the knowledge that Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the greatest news and the only way to find a relationship with God and eternal salvation. After true repentance and true faith is placed in Christ we joyfully begin our walk as children of God.
After you start this journey, I pray that you grow in the Word, find solid Christian community inside a local congregation of Gospel believers, seek a deep relationship with God, and continue to leave sin and continue to grow in the characteristics of Jesus Christ. May we all become those people that respond to the Gospel, live for the advancement of the Gospel and do everything for the glory and praise of God for the salvation that He provided to us through His Son Jesus Christ.
