The Gospel
The purpose of this web page is to give the God of the Bible a voice in the ideas and philosophies of today’s culture that we live in. Opinions and thoughts abound regarding many issues that face humanity in our present day. Is truth relative or absolute? Subjective or objective? Is the Bible the Word of our Creator?
In a future post we’ll address the claims of the Bible in reference to it being the Word of God. But for now, accepting the belief that the Bible is the voice of God and true in all that is addresses, what does God say about the most important issue that mankind will ever face, is there life after death?
There are many beliefs in the religious and secular world regarding life after death. Does our life continue, or do we go out of existence after death? Does this life matter and have an impact on the next life? And where do we go? Do good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell? If I try to be good does that help? There are many ideas and thoughts. But what does God say?
What Happens After We Die?
God reveals in His Word that there is life after death, and it is eternal. God establishes there are two destinies at death, eternal life in heaven or eternal life in hell, the lake of fire. Man is headed to one or the other.
Man’s dilemma is found in Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin is described as missing the mark, to rebel or transgress. Sin is also described as lawlessness. 1 John 3:4: Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. When one breaks society’s criminal and traffic laws there are consequences. When one breaks God’s law the consequences are far more serious and deadly.
Sin is rejecting God’s law, and the result is alienation from God. This is the condition of all humanity. And the bad news continues in Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death… Sin, or lawlessness brings physical death and spiritual death, the wages for our sin. Man will attempt to satisfy the holy and righteous God with his good works, But Isaiah says that is futile, calling our ”good” works dirty rags. (Isaiah 64:6). God requires perfect keeping of His law, not my sincere, or best efforts.
The Standard We Cannot Meet
Just so there is no mistaking the demands of God’s law, Jesus summed up the law in these two commands: Mark 12:30-31: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
As a result, sinners, cannot and have not, and will not perfectly, or even come close to obeying these two commands, and hence are alienated from God.
To put it plain, man greatest need is to be saved from God’s wrath (Ephesians 5:6). Man is incapable of saving himself. He is hopeless in his sinful state, facing eternal hell as just punishment for his sins against a righteous and holy God.
But God, Rich in Mercy
Praise God there is good news found in Ephesians 2:4-5: But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
God has made a way, the only way to have a saving relationship with Him. It is accomplished by God Himself, through His Son, Jesus Christ, living for us and dying for us. It is by His grace, He will give us what we don’t deserve.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21: He(God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ, God in human form) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This is called the substitutional atoning death of Jesus Christ. God, motivated by His love provided the way to eternal life, through His Son, Jesus Christ. He alone, as truly God and truly Man, lived the perfect life I could not, and paid the debt I could not pay for my sin, as my Substitute. . God punished Christ as if that was me on the cross.
Christ Alone. Faith Alone.
Jesus made it very plain that there was only one way to salvation, in Him alone.
Jesus said in John 14:6: …“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.
Peter further explained this Truth in Acts 4:12: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
God says when I believe in Christ alone for my salvation with a repentant faith, that which is defined as turning from my sin that put Christ on the cross, believing in the Person and work of Jesus as Lord and Savior, will be saved from God’s wrath and forgiven of my sins. I contribute nothing to my salvation other than my sin that was placed on Christ. In exchange for my sin I am declared justified by God, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to my account. God sees me positionally in Christ, clothed in His righteousness.
This is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. God sees me in Christ, a new creation, my relationship restored to God, no longer alienated from Him. To God alone be the glory!
He has taken away my dead heart and gives me a new heart that understands the Gospel, and gives me what I don’t deserve, forgiveness of sin that separated me from God, and eternal life with Him.
Responding to the Gospel
This is the greatest news to the most important question we will ever be asked, where do we stand with God, our Creator and Redeemer.
Romans 10:9-11: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
It is Christ alone, by faith alone.
The hymn writer Charles Gabriel wrote these words as he meditated on what Jesus had done for him:
“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean.”
The warning given to unbelievers in Hebrews is just as serious now as it was then.
Hebrews 4:7: …Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
The voice of God is heard through His Word, commanding man to repent and believe in the Person of Jesus – He is God, and in His Work – He became our Savior by giving His life for those who will believe in Him.
Thank you Jesus!
Reach Out Today
Our prayer for this web page is for God and His Word to be honored and glorified. We do that by knowing the Word and obeying it. And that will call for us to contend for it. Jude 3 reminds his readers: Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints
The faith once for all handed down is the Word of God. We contend for it by proclaiming it’s Truths. All for the glory of God, alone!
What Happens After We Die?
God reveals in His Word that there is life after death, and it is eternal. God establishes there are two destinies at death, eternal life in heaven or eternal life in hell, the lake of fire. Man is headed to one or the other.
Man’s dilemma is found in Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin is described as missing the mark, to rebel or transgress. Sin is also described as lawlessness. 1 John 3:4: Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. When one breaks society’s criminal and traffic laws there are consequences. When one breaks God’s law the consequences are far more serious and deadly.
Sin is rejecting God’s law, and the result is alienation from God. This is the condition of all humanity. And the bad news continues in Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death… Sin, or lawlessness brings physical death and spiritual death, the wages for our sin. Man will attempt to satisfy the holy and righteous God with his good works, But Isaiah says that is futile, calling our ”good” works dirty rags. (Isaiah 64:6). God requires perfect keeping of His law, not my sincere, or best efforts.
The Standard We Cannot Meet
Just so there is no mistaking the demands of God’s law, Jesus summed up the law in these two commands: Mark 12:30-31: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
As a result, sinners, cannot and have not, and will not perfectly, or even come close to obeying these two commands, and hence are alienated from God.
To put it plain, man greatest need is to be saved from God’s wrath (Ephesians 5:6). Man is incapable of saving himself. He is hopeless in his sinful state, facing eternal hell as just punishment for his sins against a righteous and holy God.
But God, Rich in Mercy
Praise God there is good news found in Ephesians 2:4-5: But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
God has made a way, the only way to have a saving relationship with Him. It is accomplished by God Himself, through His Son, Jesus Christ, living for us and dying for us. It is by His grace, He will give us what we don’t deserve.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21: He(God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ, God in human form) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This is called the substitutional atoning death of Jesus Christ. God, motivated by His love provided the way to eternal life, through His Son, Jesus Christ. He alone, as truly God and truly Man, lived the perfect life I could not, and paid the debt I could not pay for my sin, as my Substitute. . God punished Christ as if that was me on the cross.
Jesus made it very plain that there was only one way to salvation, in Him alone.
Jesus said in John 14:6: …“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.
Peter further explained this Truth in Acts 4:12: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
God says when I believe in Christ alone for my salvation with a repentant faith, that which is defined as turning from my sin that put Christ on the cross, believing in the Person and work of Jesus as Lord and Savior, will be saved from God’s wrath and forgiven of my sins. I contribute nothing to my salvation other than my sin that was placed on Christ. In exchange for my sin I am declared justified by God, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to my account. God sees me positionally in Christ, clothed in His righteousness.
This is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. God sees me in Christ, a new creation, my relationship restored to God, no longer alienated from Him. To God alone be the glory!
Christ Alone. Faith Alone.
He has taken away my dead heart and gives me a new heart that understands the Gospel, and gives me what I don’t deserve, forgiveness of sin that separated me from God, and eternal life with Him.
Responding to the Gospel
This is the greatest news to the most important question we will ever be asked, where do we stand with God, our Creator and Redeemer.
Romans 10:9-11: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
It is Christ alone, by faith alone.
The hymn writer Charles Gabriel wrote these words as he meditated on what Jesus had done for him:
“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean.”
The warning given to unbelievers in Hebrews is just as serious now as it was then.
Hebrews 4:7: …Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
The voice of God is heard through His Word, commanding man to repent and believe in the Person of Jesus – He is God, and in His Work – He became our Savior by giving His life for those who will believe in Him.
Thank you Jesus!