May 19, 2024
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
The Greek word that is translated 'gospel' in the New Testament is a compound word that literally means 'good news.' The Bible reveals to us the best news imaginable to the human mind and heart. In fact the 'good news' presented in the Bible is greater than our thoughts can imagine. The good news of the Bible is that everlasting life is possible for human beings. There is no news we can imagine that is better than that.
The God who created us will give us everlasting life, but there is a problem in His giving someone eternal life. In His infinite wisdom, God has so designed His creation that evil exists. And because God must be true to Himself … and because justice is part of God's nature … He cannot accept people into His everlasting life who are in rebellion against Him. He cannot say that our evil does not matter. He must bring His justice against rebels.
So there is unimaginable 'bad news' in the Bible. The human race has been created in the image of God, but the entire human race (including each of us) has refused to bow before God. We have all preferred ourselves to the Almighty. And the just penalty for such rebellion against the infinite Creator is an eternal hell. This is bad news beyond anything we can imagine.
There is an answer to this seemingly hopeless situation. Here is the 'good news' of the gospel. Jesus took our penalty upon himself, paying the debt we owe to God, so that if we trust in Christ in repentance for our sins, we will be released from our just penalty and we will be given everlasting life.
But we must feel the weight of the reality of the bad news or we will never bow our knee to Christ.