Hello and welcome to the New Life in Christ website. At New Life we are committed to sharing with you the truth about the word of God. We have dedicated this website to help people understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, how to be born again, and biblical discipleship.
In this teaching, we want to help you understand the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, the importance of His death, burial and resurrection and how it guides us in our choice to live for God, or not.
The Gospel
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a profound truth that every human being must face in their lifetime. Every person on the planet must hear the truth about the gospel. Jesus said:
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14
All must hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ; then decide whether they want to believe and live it out as a disciple of Christ or reject it and face Almighty God one day. The New Life In Christ website is all about sharing this great truth. Our hearts are broken over the many that choose not to believe the gospel set forth in the scriptures. We understand the importance of the gospel truly is about life and death. Knowing this truth, and knowing the terror of the Lord for those who don’t believe this truth, we will do all that we can to persuade all who will listen.
"Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." 2 Corinthians 5:11
But in order to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must first understand why we all desperately need to believe the gospel. We need to understand our sinful nature and God’s sinless nature. We need to understand why Jesus died on the cross, how His sacrificial death paid the price for our sins, how it satisfied God the Father and now can justify us before Him. Then we need to understand what we must do about this great truth. As you read this, or listen to our video on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we pray that conviction come upon you by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.
Death, Burial and Resurrection
The gospel of Jesus Christ is clearly explained in the scriptures. The gospel of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection.
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that 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 15:1-4
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death - even the death of the cross. " Philippians 2:8
"Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.' '' Luke 24:46-47
God is Good
Now that we understand the gospel of Jesus is His death, burial and resurrection according to the scriptures, we must understand why did Jesus do this? Why suffer a criminal's death on a cross, be buried and on the third day rise again?
There are a host of amazing and powerful things that are applied to us by repenting and believing in the cross of Christ, all which are true in the lives of every Holy Spirit filled believer. And we will look at these great truths in a moment. To truly understand the Gospel of Jesus, you must understand that God is good. You might say and agree that God is good and agree it is a good thing that God is good. Yes, it’s an awesome thing that God is good, but the problem is - we are not good! We are a sinful people with a sinful nature, and God is a sinless God with a sinless nature. Here is how the Lord God explained Himself to Moses:
"Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.' " Exodus 34:5-7
The words of the Lord to Moses declare that God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. The Lord declares that He is a good God who is willing to forgive iniquity and transgression and sin. Yet, God will not clear the guilty. In fact, sin is so horrible that it affects families for generations even to the third and fourth generation.
God is good and will not clear the guilty. We are the guilty. We are the ones that are not good because of our sinful ways, and our guilt will by no means be cleared.
"As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.' ” Romans 3:10-12
"So Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is God.'" Luke 18:19
There is only one that is good and that is God. Jesus made it very clear that the only one who is good is God. Since God is good, God will not let sin go unpunished. God is going to judge sin. Do you now see our dilemma? God is good. God is without sin: holy, righteous, perfect, all knowing, all powerful and always present. In fact, imagine God knowing you have sinned and letting you get away with it. Would that be justice? If God lets you get away with your sin, then He would not be God.
Justice must be served by God. Imagine if our courts today operated in this manner. Would it be right if a judge knew that a criminal (sinner) committed a crime (sin) and decided, because he was a merciful, gracious, longsuffering and kind judge, to let criminals go free. Would we not think that the judge is more wicked than the criminal? Of course we would. Especially if this injustice was close to home.
Now think; how could God, being the Judge of the universe, ever let a sin just go by. God must judge sin. His holiness demands justice. Whether we like it or not, God hates sin. He abhors sin. Everything that is sinful stirs up His anger every single day.
"God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Proverbs 7:11
If God justifies the wicked by letting them free; then God would be a wicked judge, and God is a righteous and holy judge.
"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord." Proverbs 17:15
So now how does God, who is good and merciful, justify the wicked (us) since we have all sinned?
"....for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
How is that He (God), who is good, could set us free, who are not good? It’s clear no person will stand before God and get away with their sins. No matter how minor we think our sins may be, God will judge our sin and we will pay the ultimate price for our sins. We will suffer a second death and spend an eternity in what the Bible calls a place where the fire is never quenched.
"Where, their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:46
So how can God forgive us of our sins when He hates sin so much?
The Cross of Jesus Christ
This is where the gospel comes in. Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us and took the penalty for that sin by dying on the cross taking the full wrath of God to pay the price.
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Romans 5:21
The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ satisfied God’s righteous requirement. There is no other way to achieve this. No act of righteousness will make you right before God; no act of kindness, no work of any kind will ever justify your sins before God. We have all sinned against God and cannot meet the requirements necessary, through human means, to be right with God. If we could do something to get right with God outside of the cross, then there would be no need for Jesus to die on the cross. And if Jesus did not die on the cross and did not rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins; meaning, we will be judged by God, and He will not clear our guilt.
Instead, God made Jesus sin for us and poured His wrath upon His Son on the cross to justify us freely by His grace and redeemed us to Himself.
"...being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,..." Romans 3:24
Since God cannot clear the guilty, cannot clear us because of our sin, He made Jesus’ shed blood the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice that satisfied God) for our sins. God had a plan long ago. His plan brought forth His Son to die on a cross and showed His righteousness to all.
"... whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. " Romans 3:25-26
God can’t look over sin, but God was fully satisfied with Jesus' atoning death as a payment to set us free.
"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, ..." Isaiah 53:10
Once we recognize we have sinned against God, then and only then can we recognize that we are not good. The only one who is good is God. Once we recognize His goodness and His judgment for sin, then we can see how desperately we need deliverance from sin. And once we recognize that God will not clear the guilty by our human means or any other means, then we can clearly see how we need to believe and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why Did Jesus Die For Us
Jesus died on the cross to save us from the wrath of God.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:8-9
Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us from our sins.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. " 1 John 1:7
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:7
"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,..." Revelation 1:5
Jesus Christ died on the cross to deliver us from the curse of the law.
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree)." Galatians 3:13
Jesus died on the cross to save us from the hand of the devil.
"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:7-8
Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from death; the death that we deserve for sinning.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Isn’t it incredible what Christ did for us in the gospel? What Christ did on the cross for us is the greatest demonstration of love for all humanity.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
God does not want any of us to live in sin. His desire is that we all repent of our sins and believe the gospel, so we don’t perish for an eternity.
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
God’s compassion, mercy and love were displayed when His only begotten son was crucified, buried and rose again.
Jesus Paid the Price For Our Sins
How could Jesus die on a cross and actually pay for our sins? How could one man do that for all humanity? Well, Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. This means, He was not begotten from mortal man but from God above.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. " John 3:16
He was a man, but he was not born in sin like all of us. The proof is in His birth which was prophesied (meaning it was told to the world before it happened) by the prophet Isaiah and then declared again in the book of Matthew and Luke.
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14 (Immanuel – means “God with us”)
"So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.' ” Matthew 1:22-23
"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.' Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.' " Luke 1:30-35
Jesus is not from Adam which is from where we all originally came. Since the fall of Adam (that fall being into sin) all people are born of sin, because we all take on the nature of Adam. No man is born without sin. We all now have that same sin problem. However, Jesus is sinless. Jesus did not come from the nature of fallen man (the nature of Adam) because He came from the nature of God which is sinless.
"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh." Romans 8:3
This definitely takes faith to understand, but it’s the truth. Jesus could pay for our sins because he knew no sin. He was the perfect lamb of God and it pleased the Father (God) that Jesus could take the full wrath of God for our sin, on our behalf, because he was the lamb of God offered up on the cross for us.
Furthermore, Jesus was the most precious person in all of history. You could take all the material possessions in this world: all gold, all silver, all jewels and all that we would deem valuable. You could add it all up and it will never even come close to the value of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the King of Glory, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He is worth more than all things in this world and in the heavens combined; and that is why His death could forgive us of our sins.
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10,11
You Must Believe the Gospel
The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. You must repent and believe the gospel because, without it, you will never be freed from your sin, and your eternal life is at stake. You must repent, believe the gospel and be baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sin, and receive the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, because it is the only way to be born again. You must repent and believe the gospel, because it’s God’s way of making you right and justified before Him. You must repent and believe the gospel, because it is the truth. If we don’t repent and believe the gospel, we will suffer an eternity in a lake of fire.
"....in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." 2 Thessalonians 1:-10
"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter 4:17-18
What Shall We Do
Believing the gospel isn't some sinner’s prayer at church or just repeating a prayer at a local church revival. It’s not some pastor or evangelist declaring your salvation and your admittance into heaven through signing a card. This modern day salvation message is unbiblical. Jesus and the Apostles, in all of scripture, never taught this as the way to salvation. They simply told everyone the same message as we tell you here today.
"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, Repent, and believe in the gospel.'" Mark 1:15
Without truly repenting of your sinful ways and believing the gospel, you cannot be born again.
The fact remains - we all need Jesus. We can spend a lifetime searching for truth and the purpose of our existence, accruing material possessions, pursuing careers and wealth, searching for love and happiness, hoping and trying our best for peace in our lives and on earth. While these pursuits fascinate men and give men wisdom, riches and might in this world; the only thing that truly matters, that truly lasts, that gives real peace, that provides infinite wisdom, that gives true riches, that can set us free from sin and all the pain and curses that sin brings, is to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So what do we do? That was the question they asked Peter at Pentecost in Acts, Chapter 2.
Peter’s response was as follows:
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' " Acts 2:38
Get with God and confess your sins openly to Him, for He is faithful to forgive us of our sins.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:9
Confession is not the end but the beginning. Surely, Jesus will forgive you of your sins, but His forgiveness does not come without repentance, without changing your mind, which results in a turning from our sins, turning from your way and your will to His way and His will. We must also understand that confession only of sins is not repentance. Confession must also include a turning from sin to be considered repentance.
That’s why Peter said “repent”. Confess your sin, change your mind about sin, and turn away from it. Repent - a change of mind with a change of action.
Then as Peter said "...be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins'”. Acts 2:38.
There is much controversy over baptism, but the word of God plainly says be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins.
Then Peter said “and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
This is the promise of God, to all those who obey Him, to be filled with His Holy Spirit.
"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." Acts 5:32
Note: All scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the bible.