[Note: This was originally my first blog post, but since I’ll be posting quite frequently on this website I thought it wise to make this a separate page so that it wouldn’t get buried.]

Although this blog will mainly be focused on Christian apologetics, I wanted my first post to articulate the basic tenets of the faith. Odds are, you’ve probably heard of Jesus Christ, and have heard the word Gospel thrown around, especially if you’re an American. But for those of you who haven’t, or have never had the Gospel explained in depth, this post is for you. 

The word “Gospel” literally means “good news.” Simply put, it’s the good news that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect, sinless life on our behalf, then die a criminal’s death on a cross, rising again three days later to win eternal life for all mankind. 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.  After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

The Gospel is what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Every other religion centers on man finding his way to God, but Christianity centers around God finding His way to man. In other faiths, the idea of God humbling Himself to become man and suffer death is something you’ll never find even hinted at in their theology, but it’s the centerpiece of our faith. Jesus came to save us from having to fear death. (Hebrews 2:15) and it is only by His grace that we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

How Do We Accept This Gift?

So, how do we accept this forgiveness? How do we cross (no pun intended…mostly) from death into eternal life? 

The answer is simple: by faith. You must put all your trust in Christ and His finished work on the cross to save you. There is no other way. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1

We must realize that none of our efforts can merit God’s favor. Of course we should do good. Of course we should avoid sin. But at the end of everything, when we stand before God to give an account of our lives, it will never be about what we did for God – it will be about what He did for us. 

This means that if we want to be forgiven, we must confess that we have sinned against God (1 John 1:9), believe that His son Jesus Christ died and rose again to pay the price for our sins (Romans 10:9-10), and believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, sinless and spotless. (Philippians 2:5-8) 

What Happens Next?

If you’ve taken that leap of faith and put your trust fully in who Jesus is and what He’s done for you, you might be asking: “What do I do now?”

The Bible tells us that saving faith isn’t just mental assent to a list of ideas, but an active trust in Christ that expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6). When you’re in Christ, you’re made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) different from the old man you once were. 

Does this mean that after we put our faith in Christ, that we need to do a bunch of good things to be saved? Or to prove we were saved to begin with? Not at all. And that’s the beauty of it – it never stops being about grace. Because even the love that you express for God and for others, and the new creature you are, is entirely because of the Holy Spirit working through you. (Philippians 2:13). When you put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you, you will naturally want to live a life that pleases God, and even that desire is not your own doing – it too is a gift from God. To grow in that desire and in your walk with the Lord, I would recommend prayerfully seeking a local church, for we are exhorted “Not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together, as is the gift of some.” (Hebrews 10:25.) But again, even this is not something you do to be saved – it’s something you do because you’re saved.

The Gospel is, always has been, and always will be the story of God’s grace. All that is asked of us is to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31.)

Have you?