Have you ever heard people in the church use the term,   "Good News"; as in "The Good News of Jesus Christ"?

  It is more likely you have heard the word "Gospel".  Well, the word "Gospel" means "Good News".  But before we get to the good news, let's talk about the bad news.

  I Know; bad news isn't very popular and it isn't pleasant to hear or think about.  The truth is though, you cannot fully appreciate or apprehend the Good News of Jesus Christ until you have heard the Bad News about yourself.

  You see, the bad news is that until you have been given spiritual life that comes from Christ, you are spiritually dead.  The Bible says that 'all', that's everyone, is spiritually dead because of sin and therefore separated infinitely and eternally from God.

  It isn't a condition you have because of something you did or did not do; you were born that way.  And because you were born that way you cannot help yourself.  It is in your very nature to be disobedient to God.  In fact, because of your nature to be sinful, you cannot even have a correct thought about God by your own power of reckoning.

  Pretty dark picture, huh?

  Well, that is why the news about Jesus Christ is Good News.  You see, in fulfillment of the plan of God that was made before the creation of the universe and before time itself, the Son of God became a Man through physical birth.  You've probably heard of this.  A young woman named Mary was chosen by God to bear His Son whose name was to be Jesus, and while she was still a virgin the Holy Spirit conceived in her that Holy Child.

  That Child was Jesus.  He was fully God and also fully Man.  In the fulness of time and, again, according to God's great plan, Jesus went to the cross and shed His blood and died there.  His death, as One entirely innocent of any sin and without even a sin nature, was sufficient to appease God's wrath against sin for all eternity for all who respond to the invitation of God to come to Him through His Son Jesus.

  On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus rose bodily from the tomb never to die again, and in the economy of God that resurrection was the first part of a larger resurrection that will include all who have believed in Jesus for salvation and eternal life.  Jesus said to those who were His followers, 'Because I live, you too shall live'.

  So the Good News for you in this is that through faith in the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of your sin and give you His kind of spiritual life, you can be forever freed from the guilt and penalty of sin and you can have everlasting life in the presence of God, who through His Son will accept you forever as His child - heir and joint heir with Christ to all the duration and benefits of eternity.

  Here is what the Apostle Paul said in 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 shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed'."

  That is a promise to you from God, and the Bible says many other things about what God's great plan is for you, which you will learn about and understand after He has given you spiritual life.

  Won't you believe from your heart today and ask God to give you life from above?  Another promise He made in the Bible is that He would never turn away anyone who came to Him in obedient faith.  If this is your desire today, don't make the decision in secret.  Contact us and let's talk, or contact a trusted friend or relative you know to be a true Christ-follower.  You can email Clark at pulpitdood@gmail.com

God bless you!