The Gospel In Writing

There may be individuals with whom you have no time or opportunity to share the gospel in person. Perhaps it has not yet been sufficiently explained to you. Or perhaps you don*t know how to share it with others. They might read the gospel in this article and respond to it. You are welcome to print it out or copy it and share it with others.

Gospel means good news but the good news is not really good news if we don*t first know the bad news. The bad news is that we are all sinners who deserve Hell. The good news is that we can be saved and get to Heaven. The bad news are contained in the first verse below and in the first part of the second verse.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

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

Many individuals do not consider that word gift. They believe that if they are really nice people they will get to Heaven. But if they could get to Heaven for that reason, Heaven would be something that they earned. A gift must be free or it is not a gift. Because we have already sinned, what we have already earned is death.

There are two kinds of death. Physical death is when our body dies and our spirit is separated from our body. The other kind is separation from God. God told Adam that in the day he ate the forbidden fruit he would surely die. But Adam did not die physically that day. He died spiritually that day. He lived physically 930 years after that.

Genesis 2:17: 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.

Genesis 5:5: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

God can only give us eternal life because Jesus was paid the wages of sin that we deserved. Those wages must be paid and He paid them.

Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The wages of sin includes both physical death and spiritual death. Jesus was paid both.

Mark 15:34: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

For the first time in all of eternity, Jesus was separated from God the Father. He was forsaken by the Father in our place so we could be reconciled with Him, walk with Him and please Him. Jesus received what we deserved so that we might be given what He deserves.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ*s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Mark 15:37: And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

That was the moment Jesus died physically in our place.

In a sense the gift of salvation is two things. It is eternal life and it is a Person, the Lord Jesus living in our hearts and providing a vital life-giving connection to the Father.

1 John 5:11-12: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

It is important to note that hath life is in the present tense. When we receive Jesus, we receive eternal life too. It comes into us and stays in us forever after. While eternal life is a free gift, it is a gift that will change us.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When we have received Jesus into our heart, the first thing He changes is our heart. And then He wants to and is able to change our thoughts, our words and our actions.

2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Luke 6:45: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The only difference between the good man and the evil man is that the good man has Jesus living in his heart.

Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Once we have Jesus in our hearts we will want to do what He wants (good works) rather than what we want (sin). We cannot change ourselves. Only Jesus can do that.

Jeremiah 13:23: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

It can sometimes be difficult to know the difference between an individual with Jesus in his heart and one without Him. They sometimes say and do the same things. But there is a great difference in their hearts. It is up to the one with Jesus in his heart to let Jesus presence influence his words and actions.

Matthew 5:14-16: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Salvation is a free gift that will change us. So how do we get that gift?

Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Calling upon the name of the Lord is a prayer. When we sense that Jesus wants to come in, we pray and receive Him into our hearts, asking Him to be our Savior, to forgive our sins, to make us children of God and to make our lives what He wants them to be. You might pray with your own words or these:

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. Thank you that you died for my sins. I receive you as my Savior. Come into my heart. Wash away my sin. Make me a child of God. Make my life what you want it to be. Thank you! Amen!

Care to discuss The Gospel In Writing with Ron?

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