Anchored in Christ

If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you’ll know that I love to talk about the Gospel: God’s good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s one thing to mention it and assume you know what it is and means, and it’s another thing to explain clearly what I mean when I refer to “the Gospel.”

Below is a brief explanation. I pray that if you know Christ, it will increase your thankfulness for His grace to you, and that if you don’t know Christ, you would come to know Him and receive the life that is found only in Him.

1. God is the Creator and Lord of everything that exists.

God created mankind to have a relationship with Him. Because He is the Creator, He has a special claim on our lives and we are accountable to Him and should live in perfect obedience.

God made us with a purpose: to enjoy Him and glorify Him forever. God is a Holy God, which means He is perfect and just in all His ways–and as a Holy God, He has to punish evil and wrongdoing.

• “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
• “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:3
• “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
• “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” Exodus 34:6-7

2. Man fell into sin, destroying our relationship with God, and earning for us His wrath and punishment.

Have you ever wondered what is wrong with the world? The answer is that it is sinful–collectively and individually. Each of us are sinners. Every time you have lied, cheated, stolen, been jealous, taken God’s name in vain, or worshiped something other than Him, you have sinned and have earned the consequence of sin: death and eternal punishment in hell.

Sin destroys our ability to have a right relationship with God and puts us under his punishment and justice. Just like a judge in a courtroom can’t be a good judge and let a convicted criminal go without the deserved punishment, God can’t overlook our sin and simply forgive us without our debt being paid.

• “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.: Romans 3:23
• “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
• “The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4
• “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

3. God sent His son Jesus Christ to take our sin upon Himself and save us from sin and death.

In His great love, God saw humanity in its hopeless situation and provided a Savior, His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus took our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross. Jesus was fully God, because only God could live the perfect life required to pay the price for our sin. Jesus was fully man, because only man could take the punishment for sin committed by man.

Jesus both paid the debt of our sin on the cross and appeased the wrath of God. Because of His death and resurrection, we can have our sins forgiven, walk in newness of life, and look forward to the delights of heaven.

• “God shows his love for us in that while we were still 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
• “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
• “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

How do we receive the benefits that Christ offers to us?

4. Believe in Jesus.

Think deeply about your sin and how it has offended God and bought you God’s condemnation. Think about Jesus hanging on the cross absorbing God’s wrath and paying the price for your sin. Put your faith in Jesus Christ and hate your sin enough to turn from it.

Jesus is alive and powerful to save. He saves those who call on Him with a repentant heart. Don’t let your head hit the pillow tonight without making yourself right with God. Come to Jesus today.

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
• “…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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ … For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-11, 13
• “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
• “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

If you have any questions or want someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to talk to you about following Jesus and pray for you.

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