Lesson Two
Is it reallly good news?
Gospel facts
Jesus - God's plan A
THIS LESSON COVERS THE FOLLOWING:
The word ‘Gospel’ (Greek evangel) means the good news, which refers to the message of salvation. It is a translation of a Greek word that refers to a reward given to someone who brought good news.
Good News
〰️
Good News 〰️
Because God is pure and holy, we must be made acceptable to God, and this is where the extraordinary part comes in.
This is why the good news—the gospel—is so extraordinary: none of it depends on our performance.
God extends an invitation to completely forgive you and give you a permanent place in His family—all free and without strings attached.
The gospel tells us how this can happen: that we join His Family simply by believing this Great News!
He asks for you to obey the gospel by believing in it.
What facts does the Bible teach?
What are these Facts?
God sent His Son, Jesus — All of the facts of the gospel are centred on Jesus Christ Himself, not only His death and resurrection but also His earthly life and teachings.
Jesus Christ as a human, suffered & died on the cross — He was delivered by God for the punishment of death so that our sin no longer keeps us out of God’s family
God raised Him from the dead on the third day — This is so that we can overcome death and be with Father God forever.
If we believe these facts (the life, death and resurrection of Jesus), we shall be justified (just-as-if-we-never-sinned) and receive righteousness from God.
-
Romans 4:24 - 25
1 Corinthians 15:1 - 4
“Salvation is not about performance. It never was, never will be, and never can be. We can do nothing to put ourselves at the level of God, to make ourselves fit for his presence. We lack God’s perfect nature.”
-
Ephesians 1:4
Hebrews 9:26 - 10 v 7
1 Peter 1:18 - 20
Revelation 13:8
No-one is perfect
〰️
No-one is perfect 〰️
The Gospel is honest about the human condition
All other religions either deny sin or teach that the solution is in our performance, i.e., doing good, repeating rituals, self-improvement, etc. In effect, they lie to us by saying either we can fix the problem or we don’t have a problem.
The Gospel tells us the Truth
We need salvation from ourselves, and God has provided the solution. Although we do not deserve this gift, He offers it freely. This removes us from the equation and directs our focus towards God and Jesus. The Gospel is not concerned with our actions; it centres on our identity as the object of God's love.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life
Jesus is the epicentre of history, past, present and future. God knew that without free will, humans would be unable to love and obey Him truly. God also understood that giving humans free will would create major issues. Sin, at some point, would follow. Humans choose to sin, whether out of self-interest or rebellion, due to our imperfections.
The Bible is clear that God knew this was coming
God had his plan in place even before the rebellions took place. Evil exists because people abuse God’s gift of freedom and use it for self-gratification and the illusion of autonomy. God sees our sin and misery and knows its cause. It truly hurts him, but because He is so consumed with love for His human children, He won’t turn from His original Plan.
-
The word "Gospel" originally referred to announcements about Roman Caesars, their lives and deeds throughout their empire. The apostles adapted this term for Jesus, giving it a new meaning related to their belief in Him as the Messiah. For them, the Gospel is the good news of God's kingdom arriving through Jesus' birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, offering salvation from sin and evil to all who believe in Him and pledge their loyalty.
Remember to be honest. There are no correct or incorrect answers to these questions.
God wants you to examine His Word, understand Him better, accept His words, grow in your faith, and share it with others.
Reflective Questions
What does the Gospel mean to you?
Which part of it do you find difficult?
Is God's offer completely free, or is there a hidden catch?
Who is Jesus to you? Does it line up with what you have read about the gospel?