BASIC CONCEPTS ABOUT ALL MANKIND
•You cannot do anything to save yourself (Titus 1:5).You have been judged already. You have been condemned and sentenced. If you continue in unbelief, you will perish eternally (John 3:16-18). The only way that verdict can be overturned is by believing in the unique Son of God (John 3:16-18).
•What damns people to hell in the end is not because they sin and break God’s Law. It is simply because they do not believe in Jesus Christ. That is the key factor (John 3:16-18).
•If you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you will die in your sins and be eternally separated from God (John 8:24; Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
REPENT AND BELIEVE
“Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. He said, ‘The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!’” (MARK 1:14-15)
“Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a Man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” (ACTS 17:30-31)
THE GOOD NEWS CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST
Jesus is the Redeemer – He died in your place to save you. You have sinned and the consequence of your sin is eternal death (eternal separation from God). Jesus took your place and died for you (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Jesus is the Savior – He rose from the dead and offers you eternal life if you will trust in Him alone to save you. If you truly believe in Him he will rescue you from eternal damnation (John 5:24).
Jesus is Lord – He is the Sovereign God over all things and when you put your faith in Him you will begin to submit to Him and obey Him. If you truly believe in Jesus, you will begin to abandon your own personal agenda and follow Him. Instead of living a life centered around yourself, you will begin to live your life centered around God (John 20:24-31; Romans 12:1-2; Luke 14:25-33).
Some believers of the past have come up with three aspects of true belief:
Knowledge. You have to know. You have sinned, and you are separated from God (Romans 3:23). You have brought shame on yourself and on your family (Proverbs 13:5). You have dishonored God (Romans 2:23). Faith comes by hearing the message about Jesus Christ in the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God exists eternally in triunity (Isaiah 63:7-16; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:13 [14]). Jesus exists eternally as part of that triunity, and He became a man so that He could die for you and save you (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus triumphed over death so that you can also have victory over death through Him (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). You need to understand who you are and what you have done. You need to understand who Jesus is and what He has done for you.
Faith. You have to believe. You need to trust in Christ alone for your salvation. It is by faith alone, and by the grace of God alone. You can do nothing to contribute in any way to earning your salvation by your own merit. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Assent or concurrence. When you put all this together it will bring about a concrete result. True knowledge and true faith results in true salvation. It results in a new life in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). It results in submission and obedience to God (1 John 2:3-6). It results in a Christ-centered lifestyle (Galatians 2:20).
Have you truly believed? Are you sure without a shadow of doubt that you have eternal life, based on the promises of the Word of God? What concrete results in your own life indicate that you have trusted in Christ alone for your salvation?
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)
The Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
A summary of the Gospel.