WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

If you died tonight, would you wake up in Heaven or in Hell?

Can you answer with certainty, “Heaven”?

According to the Bible, when each person on Earth dies, their soul departs this realm for one of two places. So, where is your soul headed? Heaven, or Hell?

How Can I Go To Heaven?

Good question! Many people believe that they are going to Heaven because they are generally “good people”, are church members, were baptized at some point, give to charities and noble causes, or because of a “spiritual experience” that they have had.

Not all of those things are bad…. but not ONE of them will redeem your soul and grant you eternal life in Heaven with the Father. No, there is ONLY ONE way to God:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  – John 14:6

Why Can’t I Get There On My Own?

According to Genesis Chapter 1, God created man in His own image: perfect, sinless, and immortal.

The first man and woman, Adam & Eve, were created perfect, and given a free will. God told Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, “…Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Adam and his wife were given one simple command, and it was their choice to obey or disobey.

One day, after Satan had been cast out of Heaven for his rebellion against God, he possessed a serpent’s body and tempted Eve to eat the fruit. Genesis 3:4-6 say, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

That’s all it took – one bite of the fruit, one act of disobedience against Almighty God – to bring about what is written in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore as by one man” [Adam] “sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

The sin of Adam and Eve has brought a curse upon all of the human race; that curse is sin, and sin equals separation from God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Each one of us, born with our innate sin nature, has done wrong. God’s standard is perfect and holy, because HE is perfect and holy. You and I could never do enough good to attain to His standard because, as Isaiah 64:6 says, “…all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”. Even the good things that we do are tainted by our sins.

That’s why we can’t get to Heaven on our own.

How can I get there, then?

Meet Jesus Christ: God’s only begotten Son; the perfect, sinless Lamb of God Who took OUR rightful place in a bloody and brutal death so that WE wouldn’t have to.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.” – Romans 6:23

God has given you and I a very special gift: His own precious Son. Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary, in the town of Bethlehem, just as the prophets of old prophesied. Christ lived His sinless life preaching the Gospel and performing miracles until the age of 33.

He was then betrayed and delivered up to wicked men, and received beatings, bruises, and bloody stripes. He was hit, spat upon, and had giant thorns pushed into his head. The abuse was so extensive that Isaiah 52:14 states, “…his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:”

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:5,6

According to this passage, all of the pain He endured and the blood He shed was for OUR SINS. He never did anything to deserve that punishment, but because of His great love for us, He took our justly earned torture and death sentence upon Himself.

After being beaten beyond recognition, He was led away to die of crucifixion. At the hill of Golgotha, massive nails were driven into his wrists and ankles, securing him to a wooden cross, and he was suspended from them as the cross was raised and dropped into the ground. For about 6 hours, He hung there in agony, until he gave up his life.

Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in a tomb. Many thought that they had defeated Him, not believing that He was God. But on the third day after His death, He arose!

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said…” – Matthew 28:5,6

Now I know Who Jesus is…what next?

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel…how that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” – 1 Corinthians 15:1,3,4

The only way to have forgiveness of your sins, a relationship with God, and eternal life in Heaven is to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s that simple.

1. You Must Admit That You’re a Sinner – “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
2. You Must Place Your Faith in Christ’s Death, Burial, and Resurrection – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” -Romans 10:9
3. You Must Confess That Jesus Christ is the Son of God – “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10
4. Call Upon Him – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” -Romans 10:13

WILL YOU ACCEPT GOD’S GIFT TODAY?

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