The Good News
The Good News (also known as the Gospel) is the message that although we have all committed treason against God and deserve immediate exile and punishment for our crimes, God is so gracious that He planned a way to show mercy, extending a very real offer of pardon and forgiveness to us even though we rightly deserve His judgment. (Romans 5.8)
The Father sent His Son Jesus, who went willingly (Matthew 26.39) into our world. Jesus, who Himself shared God’s very nature (Philippians 2.6-7, John 1.1), was born of a virgin (Luke 1.26-31), taking on a human body and soul to share in our nature (Hebrews 2.17-18). Jesus then lived a perfect life of obedience that the Father requires of us, but that we cannot live out ourselves (Romans 5.19). Jesus then took the necessary death penalty for our crimes as sinners against the Father (Hebrews 9.22) even though He Himself was without sin (2 Corinthians 5.21).
Jesus died in our place, experiencing the exile, punishment and destruction that we sinners deserve, satisfying God’s justice (Romans 3.25) for all who place their trust in Him, turning from rebellion and sin to humble surrender to Jesus as Lord. (2 Corinthians 5.15)
God raised Jesus from the dead, to show that He accepted Jesus’s sacrifice. His resurrection serves as hope for our own resurrection too. (1 Corinthians 15.17)
God freely and completely declares us “not guilty” through our faith in Jesus Christ alone, (Luke 18:13-14; Acts 10:44-48). By the righteousness of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30), which comes from Him and not from ourselves (Philippians 3:9), we become His people, being wholly part of a new community of believers which He bought by His own blood (1 Corinthians 6:20). We are completely and fully joined to Him by His death (Romans 6:5), and will never fall way by the power of the Holy Spirit who is the seal and guarantee of our future complete redemption (2 Corinthians 1:22).
Other explanations of the Gospel: