The Gospel

Creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1[2]). He also created man and woman in His own image :

“So God created man in his own image[3], in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

God is Spirit (John 4:24) and therefore we also are spirit [4], since we have been made in His image. God created us as spirit beings so that we may know Him and be in relationship with Him.

After having created man and woman, God told them to multiply and He also gave them the authority and responsibility to rule over all His creation (Genesis 1:28). God then put the man He had created, Adam, inside a garden so that he may keep it and cultivate it (Genesis 2:15). In the world that God Had created, there was no sickness, no suffering and no death, since everything that He had created was good (Genesis 1:31).

Adam and his wife, Eve, lived in perfect harmony with each other and with God by experiencing His Presence every day. God is love (1 John 4:8), and being in His Presence means to know and experience His love. The man and woman then enjoyed the relationship for which God had created them.

[2] Most of the Bible verses which are cited in this document are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV). Some verses instead use the New International Version (NIV) and are indicated by the number of the Bible verse followed by an asterisk (*).

[3] Since God created us in His image, we possess some of the attributes that God Himself possesses, such as free will.

[4] According to the Bible, we are body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The Fall

In the garden in which God had placed the man were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from every tree of the garden in which they lived except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil :

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Genesis 2:16-17

The serpent (Satan) deceived Eve by making her doubt God’s word :

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4-5

Having been deceived by Satan, Eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She then gave some to Adam who also ate. Adam and Eve’s following interaction with God shows to which extent the knowledge of good and evil had changed them. Fear overwhelms Adam so that he tries to hide from God’s Presence. He then behaves egotistically and with dishonesty by refusing to take responsibility for his own action by blaming Eve for giving him fruit to eat from the tree and by blaming God for giving him Eve as his wife (Genesis 3:9-12). Adam most likely also felt resentment towards Eve for having given him fruit from the tree, even though it was his own choice to eat from it. Consequently, Adam’s thoughts and emotions were now completely dominated by fear, egotism, dishonesty and resentment, whereas he had never experienced any of these prior to eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sin (rebellion against God) had entered the human race ; it caused Adam’s spiritual death and broke the relationship that existed between God and man.

Later on, Adam and Eve had two sons, one of which killed his own brother (Genesis 4:8). Sin then spread from generation to generation to all humankind. Today, we see the effects of sin everywhere around us : wars, famines, poverty, sickness, broken hearts, broken families, jealousy, hatred, quarrels, violence, agressions, murders, addictions, anxiety, depressions, suicides, rapes, physical and psychological abuses, the list is endless.

Sin’s consequence

The Bible declares that we all have sinned by breaking God’s commandments (Romans 3:23) and that our sins have made a separation between God and us :

“but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

This separation causes us to seek happiness through materialism, sex, drugs, alcohol, romantic relationships, success, recognition, approval of others, but without ever being truly satisfied, since it is only God’s Spirit (His Presence) that can truly fill the spiritual void that exists within in our hearts :

“for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13

By rebelling against God and by abandoning Him, we have all been separated from the source that gives life to our spirit : “For with you (God) is the fountain of life [...]” (Psalm 36:9). This is why the Bible says that the consequence of sin is death :

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” Romans 5:12

This includes spiritual death and ultimately the physical death of our body by being separated from God forever, as our soul continues to exist in a place of eternal suffering and torment (eternal death).

The Cross of Jesus Christ

Our sins had created an unbridgeable chasm between God and us. In other words, we owed a “debt of sin” to God that we could not pay back by any of our own “good deeds”. Instead of letting us perish by being forever separated from Him, God sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, into the world so that through Him we might be saved and so that we might live eternally in His Presence :

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

The Lord Jesus was born of a virgin and grew up in the village of Nazareth in Galilee, which today corresponds to the region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. From the beginning of his ministry at about thirty years of age until his death, Jesus travelled the roads of Galilee and Judea (the region south of Jerusalem) to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God and “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus manifested and demonstrated the love of God by healing the sick. He welcomed and spoke with prostitutes, lepers, and all those who were rejected by the society of His day. He had a charism that attracted a multitude of people, who came to hear Him speak and to be healed by Him. Those who listened to Him said that no one had ever spoken like Him (John 7:46).

The Bible says of Jesus that He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the radiance of His glory and the exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). In other words, Jesus is the exact representation of the invisible God, which means that He is love personified, since we know that God is love (1 John 4:8).

Jesus himself called God “His Father” and affirmed to be one with Him :

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

When one of His disciples asked Him to show him the Father, Jesus answered him :

“[...] Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:9

In other words, he who has seen Jesus has seen God Himself! That is why the religious leaders of His time sought to kill Him, because He said of Himself that He was the Son of God and therefore God in human form. Jesus was eventually betrayed by one of His own disciples, who gave Him up to the religious leaders in exchange for a sum of money. He was then falsely accused and beaten with whips several times, and then condemned to die by being crucified by the Roman authorities. The soldiers who were charged with crucifying Him mocked Him by placing a crown of thorns on His head, and then struck Him with a stick and spat on Him (Mark 15:15-20). Jesus was then forced to carry the cross on which He would die to the place of His crucifixion (John 19:17-18). For nearly six hours, He was dying as He was hanging from the cross to which he had been nailed, while people passing by mocked and insulted Him (Mark 15:24-33). At the same time as He was dying, He prayed for those who had crucified Him, saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34*)

Why did God allow this to happen? God has so loved us that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in an atrocious way on a cross to pay off our debt of sin by receiving in our place the punishment we deserved because of our sins. By dying on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the condemnation we deserved for our sins so that we might be delivered and healed from sin-caused guilt and death :

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned— every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

Jesus Christ carried the weight of our sins in His body on the cross so that our debt could be erased. He did this so that our relationship with God the Father could be restored and so that we might live by doing His will (what is right in God’s eyes) :

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. [...]” 1 Peter 2:24

Before Jesus went to die on the cross, He prayed that His disciples and that those who would place their trust in Him would be one with Him and with God the Father :

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”” John 17:20-21

It is by dying on the cross that Jesus destroyed the barrier of sin that separated us from God and prevented us from being united to Him in His Presence. The Bible says that it is the blood of Jesus shed for us that makes it possible for us to be forgiven and reconciled to God the Father :

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Ephesians 1:7

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28*

Jesus was the only human being who could pay off our debt, since He had never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21). Indeed, the Bible says that Jesus is the only righteous one since He led a perfect life always doing the will of God. (John 8:29).

Christ has risen

After Christ had suffered and died on the cross, God brought him back to life by raising Him three days later :

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day [...]” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Jesus himself prophesied His death and resurrection :

“for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.’” Mark 9:31

Several people, including the disciples, reported seeing Jesus and speaking to Him after His resurrection (John 20:26; John 21; Acts 22:6-12; 1 Corinthians 15:3-9).

After being raised, Christ sat at the right hand of God the Father in heaven :

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:3

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11*

Jesus now lives in the light of God’s glory :

“who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light [...]. 1 Timothy 6:16*

The resurrection is therefore the proof that Jesus is alive today. This is the reason why we can be saved at any moment by calling upon Him :

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

“[...] if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Romans 10:9-10

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

“Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25

Justified by faith in Jesus Christ

The Good News that Jesus preached was always accompanied by the message of repentance :

“[...] Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15

“and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” Luke 24:46-47

To repent means “to change our way of thinking, to reconsider, to change direction”[5]. This means that we turn away from our sins and turn to God to seek Him and His will ; we regret our sins and sincerely desire to change our life by turning to God and by calling upon Him.

When we repent and place our trust in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, all our sins are forgiven and God declares us righteous before Him :

“To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him (as the Christ) receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:43

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24*

We are then reconciled to God the Father and receive the gift of eternal life :

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved and be reconciled to God the Father :

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

God has loved us before we believed in Him and He desires that all people be saved :

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

“who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4

[5] This is the meaning of the word metanoia which can be found in the original Greek biblical text and which is translated into English as “repentance”.

A New Creation

When we place our trust in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) comes to live within us ; His Spirit has united with our spirit. This is what being “born again” means :

“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.»” John 3:3

“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” 1 Corinthians 6:17

It is God who gives us the gift of His Spirit without we having done anything to deserve it. Our outward appearance remains the same, while within ourselves we are entirely new beings since the Spirit of God dwells within us :

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

By being born again, God has given us a new nature, which is that of the Spirit. We have been reconciled to God the Father through Christ :

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ [...]” 2 Corinthians 5:18*

To be a new creation in Jesus Christ means that our sins have been forgiven and that we have been adopted into the family of God ; we have become His children since His Spirit now lives in us :

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” Romans 8:16

God has become our Father, and we can now be in relationship with Him through His Spirit. We are one with God and with Christ, who now lives in us through the Spirit of God :

“the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26-27

Our human spirit, which was dead because of sin, has been made alive through the Spirit of God :

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-6

It is through the Spirit that we can know and receive the love, the joy and the peace that come from God :

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; [...]” Galatians 5:22-23

The Spirit heals our heart from its wounds :

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

The Spirit also comes to fill the spiritual void that once existed within us :

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, [...]” John 7:37-39

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35

Before we believed in Jesus Christ, the Bible says that we were “slaves” to sin :

“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.’” John 8:34

In other words, before we were born again of the Spirit, we were powerless to stop sinning, since we were walking in darkness, far from God. It is through the Spirit that we have received from God that we are delivered from sin’s power over us and that we can now walk with God in His light :

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“[...] God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

The Spirit will teach and guide us throughout our life by revealing to us the meaning of Scripture (the Bible) as we build a relationship with God by reading His Word :

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

The Spirit will also transform us by making us become more like Christ as we grow in our relationship with God and as we learn to walk alongside Him (Romans 8:29).

It is therefore by being born again, by knowing God and by building a relationship with Him through His Spirit that we can have the assurance that we have eternal life :

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes (in Christ) has eternal life.” John 6:47

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:12-13

A New Heaven and a New Earth

By placing our trust in His Son Jesus Christ, God promises us a New Heaven and a New Earth in which sin, suffering and death will be no more and in which we will live with Him for all eternity :

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [...] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” Revelation 21:1-7

What is the Gospel?