Key Verse
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
– John 17:3
Basic Biblical Understanding
The Gospel is the Good News of our created design, sin’s intrusion, and Christ’s solution for human flourishing.
The Bible tells us that we were created in God’s image for the purpose of knowing and loving Him. However, our sin separated us from that relationship. Sin is breaking God’s law, and the penalty for sin is spiritual death/separation from God (Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:2). Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23), and there was nothing we could do to make things right.
The Good News is that Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He lived a sinless life, He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, and He rose from the dead that we might have eternal life. Jesus offers eternal life (reconciled relationship) to those who will repent of their sin by placing faith in Him.
The word repentance may sound confusing, but it simply means agreement with God. We agree with God about our spiritual predicament and His offer of forgiveness. We act on that agreement by placing faith in Jesus’ offer for eternal life.
Eternal life is not going to heaven when you die. Heaven is a great fringe benefit of being rightly related to God. Eternal life is to know God intimately. It is to be reconciled to God and to experience our created purpose of knowing and loving Him.
Verses (ask God to to show you how they apply to your life)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
– Romans 3:23
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Romans 6:23
“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.”
– Romans 10:9
“For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
– Romans 10:13
Helpful Questions and Application
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What is sin? Have you ever sinned? What are the consequences of sin?
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What does it mean to place your faith in Christ?
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What does God offer to those who place their faith in Christ?
Additional Resources
Scripture references: Colossians 1:13–14, Ephesians 1:7
