Throughout the Bible God often uses times of greatest suffering and affliction to lead His children toward repentance. I do not mean that all natural or personal disasters are the direct “punishment” for sin, but the Bible gives numerous examples of God calling His people to repent of sin and turn to Him out of times of intense suffering.

The Old Testament prophet Joel is one such example.

While scholars are unsure about the exact time of Joel’s life and prophecy, we can set the context with some accuracy. The nation of Israel had already been divided into two nations: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. His words of prophecy follow a time of increased physical suffering as the nation lost their harvest to a swarm of locusts. These pests had destroyed everything.

On the heels of this great calamity, God speaks a word of eventual judgment and eternal hope that has been illustrated by this plague.

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴ Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?

Joel 2:12-14 (ESV)

Immediately following the loss of their crops, what is God’s word for Israel? Return to the loving, gracious God in genuine repentance and hope He relents from destroying you completely.

The reaction feels contrary to our current cultural climate. Suffering generally produces doubt and questions and anger and bitterness and pride. But one of the foremost responses to disaster in the Bible is repentance from sin. It is not merely that all suffering is the direct result of sin. Rather, suffering gets our attention. Suffering often leads to the type of introspection that reveals sin.

In the moments of the most intense physical or emotional pain, turn to the Lord in genuine repentance and receive the grace and mercy only God can offer.

People often wrestle with the idea of God sending His Son Jesus to live on earth and die for sin. If God is all powerful, why would God choose this method for “saving” people? Why not “just forgive” people? Or why not do it another way? Why Jesus?

The Bible offers a simple answer to these difficult questions: Jesus’ coming and dying provided the ONLY sufficient solution to an infinite problem. Thus far I introduced two important aspects of God’s nature and the obstacle created by man’s sin. Last time I explained that in this world three realities are colliding: God’s perfection, man’s imperfection, and God’s love. This collision brings God to the point of finding a way to satisfy His perfection and love in the face of man’s sin.

Again, His solution satisfies four necessary requirements.

1.      The need for a sacrifice.

2.      The need for a human sacrifice.

3.      The need for a perfect human sacrifice. Again, the sacrifice is required because of God’s absolute perfection. If the sacrifice was not perfect, it could not have accomplished its purpose. The primary reason I cannot die for the sins of my neighbor or brother or children is that my death will only pay the penalty for my own sin. I cannot die for you because even if I tried I would only be dying for myself. Imperfection cannot be offered as a means of satisfying God’s perfection. Thus, imperfect people are disqualified from being a sacrifice for other people’s sin.

4.      The need for a perfect person to make the perfect human sacrifice. Similarly, if the person offering the sacrifice is imperfect, he taints the sacrifice. Again, the sacrifice must be perfect or it tarnishes God’s perfection. So in order to preserve the purity of the sacrifice, it must be offered by a perfect priest.

So… why Jesus? Only Jesus could satisfy all four conditions. He could die as a sacrifice. He could die as a human sacrifice. He lived a sinless life so He could die as a perfect human sacrifice. He offered Himself by dying willingly so the sacrifice would not be tainted by a human priest.

Romans 3:26 summarizes that Jesus died “so that [God] might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” In a way He could never accomplish without Him, God satisfies His justice and His mercy perfectly in the death of Jesus.

Why Jesus? Because there is NO OTHER WAY!

People often wrestle with the idea of God sending His Son Jesus to live on earth and die for sin. If God is all powerful, why would God choose this method for “saving” people? Why not “just forgive” people? Or why not do it another way? Why Jesus?

The Bible offers a simple answer to these difficult questions: Jesus’ coming and dying provided the ONLY sufficient solution to an infinite problem. Thus far I introduced two important aspects of God’s nature and the obstacle created by man’s sin. Last time I explained that in this world three realities are colliding: God’s perfection, man’s imperfection, and God’s love. This collision brings God to the point of finding a way to satisfy His perfection and love in the face of man’s sin.

His solution satisfies four necessary requirements.

1.      The need for a sacrifice. The right or just punishment for sin is death. Every person who sins deserves to die. In order for God to uphold His perfection He must punish all sin with death. Again, if He were to overlook sin, His perfection dissipates and He forfeits His “God-ness.” Because of a person’s sin (or his inability to live in faith and obedience to God) he earns death. Therefore, for a person to live God allowed something to die in his place: a sacrifice.

God revealed this truth in the Old Testament through a sacrificial system that used animals. While animals cannot pay the debt incurred by man’s sin, God allowed men to use the system as a way to recognize their sin and foreshadow a better sacrifice that was coming. There is much more to say here, but for now understand: the only way for man to avoid the death he deserves is for someone to die in his place.

2.      The need for a human sacrifice. To satisfy God’s perfection the sacrifice had to be an equal trade. While the Old Testament animal system was symbolic; it could not be effective. An animal cannot pay for the sin of a person. The trade must be even. And this issue is no matter of “fairness” to people. This issue rests on the perfection of God. His perfection has been offended and the right or just reaction is to require the life of the offender.

Two down… two more to come.

People often wrestle with the idea of God sending His Son Jesus to live on earth and die for sin. If God is all powerful, why would God choose this method for “saving” people? Why not “just forgive” people? Or why not do it another way? Why Jesus?

The Bible offers a simple answer to these difficult questions: Jesus’ coming and dying provided the ONLY sufficient solution to an infinite problem. Last time we began the answer with two important aspects of God’s nature and the obstacle created by man’s sin.

Before we can address the solution to this quandary, we must establish man’s contribution to the problem more firmly. Most people are happy to accept an infinitely perfect and loving God, but they fail to see the real problem introduced by man. Their misunderstanding of the situation emerges from a failure to grasp sinfulness.

From Adam forward all men and women have rejected God and His standard of perfection. Even if you believe that people are basically good, you must admit that even the basically good people aren’t perfect. All people – by virtue of their imperfection – raise an obstacle between themselves and God because their imperfection contradicts God’s perfection.

On the basis of God’s absolute perfection and man’s inability to maintain absolute perfection, every person is separated from God. Thus, three realities are colliding: God’s perfection, man’s imperfection, and God’s love.

God wants to know us, but He must deal with our sin. He has three options.

1.      He could forget about humans altogether and move on.

2.      He could ignore our sin and accept us anyway.

3.      He could find a way to satisfy His perfection and His love.

The first two options present additional problems because each forces God to offend one of the two aspects of His nature I introduced last time. The first requires Him to ignore His love. The second requires Him to ignore His perfection. Therefore, the rest of the answer to our original question (Why Jesus?) centers on God’s plan for satisfying His perfection and love.

More to come…

People often wrestle with the idea of God sending His Son Jesus to live on earth and die for sin. They ask questions like: If God is all powerful, why would He choose this method for “saving” people? Why not “just forgive” people? Or why not do it another way? Why Jesus?

The Bible offers a simple answer to these difficult questions: Jesus’ coming and dying provided the ONLY sufficient solution to an infinite problem.

The answer begins with God and two important aspects of His nature.

God is perfect. His every thought is perfect. Every action from Him is perfect. He can only exist in perfect places. Perfection is not merely a standard of activity that God must maintain; rather, perfection is an attribute of God. He cannot ignore perfection or act in a way that contradicts it because doing so contradicts His nature. In other words, for God to ignore His perfection in any way destroys His God-ness. An imperfect “god” is no “god” at all.

Again, God is perfect. If He settles for less than perfection, He will stop being God.

God is love. With an undying and infinite love, God loves people and wants to bring them close to Him. He longs to welcome people to Him. Love is not a standard of activity that God must maintain; rather, love is an attribute of God. He cannot ignore love or act in a way that contradicts it because doing so contradicts His nature. In other words, for God to ignore His love in any way destroys His God-ness. An unloving “god” is no “god” at all.

Again, God is love. If He settles for less than love, He will stop being God.

As attributes of God, therefore, both perfection and love must be upheld at all times. One cannot dominate or destroy the other. He cannot ignore one to satisfy the other. Both are completely true of God at all times.

Thus, the infinite problem emerges from the fact that people are imperfect. Even though God loves us, by virtue of His “God-ness” He cannot just ignore our imperfection. Again, if He allows imperfection, He stops being God. At the same time, God cannot just ignore us. If He fails to love, He stops being God.

So our sin creates a barrier for God. He must overcome the imperfection of our sin if He is to maintain His love for us. This barrier is the first step to understanding, Why Jesus?

More to come…

The last three posts began to answer a simple, yet critical question. What are the essential elements of the gospel?

The Gospel is the message of God’s plan and work to save sinners from His wrath and bring them into a relationship with Himself through the work of Jesus Christ and the offer of that gift to all who will turn from sin and trust in Christ.

This very pregnant sentence demands unpacking so I began commenting on each phrase. Thus far we have made six statements. First, the “gospel” has a singular definition. Second, the “gospel” is a message or a definitive collection of concepts that relate a specific joyous announcement. Third, the “gospel” relates God’s plan. Fourth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work. Fifth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work to save. Sixth, the “gospel” offers salvation to sinners. Seventh, the “gospel” offers salvation from God’s wrath. Eighth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work to bring sinners into a right relationship with Himself.

Ninth, the “gospel” tells of the “work of Jesus Christ.” God’s work to save was accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He is only way to salvation thus the message about salvation must center on Him and His work.

Tenth, the “gospel” offers a gift. This message announces the solution to the deepest problem in our soul (our separation from God because of our sin). And this gift is FREE. It requires no work or merit. In fact, any attempt to earn the gift prevents a person from receiving it.

Eleventh, the “gospel” offers a gift to “all.” The only requirement for eligibility is to be a human being.

Twelfth, the “gospel” invites a person to repent from sin. Repentance is a change of mind resulting in a turn from sin. To receive the gospel a person must reorient their will away from sin. Don’t misunderstand, however, repentance is not work or merit. Rather it is a reaction to sin by a person who hears and believes the gospel.

Thirteenth and finally, the “gospel” offers a gift that is received by faith. In other words, faith is the means by which God appropriates salvation. The work of Jesus to cover our sin and reestablish our relationship with God is only applied to persons who trust fully in Christ. This trust is beyond mental acknowledgement of facts about His life, death, and resurrection. Faith in Jesus is life-altering causing us to rely solely on the work of Jesus to deal with our sin and to surrender absolutely to follow Him at any cost. When a person places his faith in Jesus, God applies Jesus’ work to him and saves him.

Therefore, the gospel is the message about salvation for salvation.

Again, read these statements and consider your beliefs regarding the gospel because this message lies at the heart of what it means to be “Christian.”

The last two posts began to answer a simple, yet critical question. What are the essential elements of the gospel?

The Gospel is the message of God’s plan and work to save sinners from His wrath and bring them into a relationship with Himself through the work of Jesus Christ and the offer of that gift to all who will turn from sin and trust in Christ.

This very pregnant sentence demands unpacking so I began commenting on each phrase. Thus far we have made six statements. First, the “gospel” has a singular definition. Second, the “gospel” is a message or a definitive collection of concepts that relate a specific joyous announcement. Third, the “gospel” relates God’s plan. Fourth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work. Fifth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work to save. Sixth, the “gospel” offers salvation to sinners.

Seventh, the “gospel” offers salvation from “God’s wrath.” The wrath of God is best understood as His settled reaction toward sin. Unlike human wrath, His is never out-of-control, never lacks wisdom, and is never cool or indifferent. God’s wrath is His directed, intense, just reaction to sin. It is not an impulsive, flying off the handle, fit of rage.

The practical result of this wrath is death. We die physically as we pay the penalty for our sin. We also die spiritually as we pay the penalty for our sin. In the Bible, spiritual death is described as separation from God. So, God’s wrath is a reaction to sin that brings us physical death and separation from God. The agony of this separation from God will reach its highest (or we might say lowest) point when God judges all people and brings everlasting punishment upon those men and women who rejected Him. The Bible calls the place where these people will suffer for eternity “hell” and describes it as a lake of unquenchable fire. So, the gospel is the message of God’s work to save people from His wrath, which they justly deserve because of their sin.

Eighth, the “gospel” tells of God’s work to bring sinners into a right “relationship with Himself.” Isaiah 59:2 makes a clear and alarming proclamation about sin and its effect on a person’s relationship to God.

“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.” (ESV)

As we have just seen in looking at wrath and death, we are hopelessly separated from God because we are sinful and He is perfect. To overlook our sin and welcome us anyway would tarnish His perfection. The gospel is the message of how God has crossed this chasm created by our sin and built a bridge for us to return to Him.

Again, read these statements and consider your beliefs regarding the gospel because this message lies at the heart of what it means to be “Christian.”

Last time I began answering a simple, yet critical question. What are the essential elements of the gospel?

The Gospel is the message of God’s plan and work to save sinners from His wrath and bring them into a relationship with Himself through the work of Jesus Christ and the offer of that gift to all who will turn from sin and trust in Christ.

This very pregnant sentence demands unpacking so I began commenting on each phrase. Thus far we have made two statements. First, the “gospel” has a singular definition. Second, the “gospel” is a message or a definitive collection of concepts that relate a specific joyous announcement.

Third, the “gospel” relates “God’s plan.” This message has been unfolding from the foundation of the world. God is not reacting to man’s whims or figuring it out as He goes along. Through Jesus Christ God is working out His plan and the gospel tells this story. Jesus teaches this truth in Matthew 25:34: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (ESV).

Fourth, the “gospel” tells of “God’s work.” This message tells of God’s activity. He is not a mere bystander nor does He simply direct the affairs of salvation from afar. God is active and the message of the gospel reveals His activity.

Fifth, the “gospel” tells of “God’s work to save.” He is not merely making moral people or helping people find their purpose in life. God is first rescuing men and women from the penalty and power of sin. People are drowning in the lake of their rebellion and God is reaching into the water to “save” them.

Sixth, the “gospel” offers salvation to “sinners.” As Jesus said, “For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13b ESV). This message claims that every person everywhere has offended God’s holy standard and is separated from Him. The gospel makes a strong statement about mankind: namely, all people are sinners and in desperate need of salvation.

Again, read these statements and consider your beliefs regarding the gospel because this message lies at the heart of what it means to be “Christian.”

More than two months ago I introduced a book that deals with seven important topics promising to address each of them in turn. Having written about the first two (truth and evangelism), I come now to #3: the gospel.

With much contemporary debate and misunderstanding about salvation, my goal through these entries is to answer one question. What are the essential elements of the gospel?

Also, please don’t lose sight of our goal with this series and with what will be several entries about the gospel… “I want to challenge you to consider your beliefs regarding seven topics (and now ‘the gospel’) because they provide a foundation for your understanding of Christianity and the Church.”

The Gospel is the message of God’s plan and work to save sinners from His wrath and bring them into a relationship with Himself through the work of Jesus Christ and the offer of that gift to all who will turn from sin and trust in Christ.

This very pregnant sentence demands unpacking. And thus we will over the course of a few entries expound upon the phrases of this important definition. (I’ll try to keep track of my first, second, third, etc. as we move along, but I make no promises.)

First and obvious, the “gospel” has a singular definition. Much of the current discussion about the gospel is an attempt to circumvent any negligible definition. The gospel has become something of a moving target that bends and flexes as we roam along from culture to culture and society to society. However, biblical revelation is our guide to all matters of faith and practice and it most certainly provides a single definition. Thus, one can only embrace or share the ‘gospel’ when he or she has rightly identified it.

Second, the “gospel” is a message or a definitive collection of concepts that relate a specific joyous announcement. Often called the good news, the gospel tells a distinct story. Thus, one can only embrace the gospel as good news when he or she has heard and understood a specific message.

To embrace and appreciate the gospel (that is… the good news regarding God’s act to save us) fully, a person must grasp its necessity. The gospel is not just one particularly helpful solution to a problem that many people in our culture face. The gospel is the ONLY hope for every single human being (except Jesus).

Until we come to grips with the universal depravity of mankind, we will not love, appreciate, or treasure the gospel or the God who designed, planned, and carried it out.

¹⁰as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12 (ESV)

At the heart of Paul’s systematic presentation of the gospel in his magnificent letter to the church in Rome, he labors to show mankind’s universal need for salvation. In fact, he devotes a massive chunk of this letter to establishing the foundation for these three verses.

For in these verses provide a summative declaration regarding the natural state of every human born into this world (except Jesus). Namely, we are enemies of God by our own choosing and we don’t know, understand, or even want Him.

If these verses describe our condition correctly, a few conclusions are obvious. I am naturally evil not good. Even on my best day I don’t want God. My hope of gaining merit with God is lost. My sinful heart leaves me with no value before a holy, perfect God.

Christian, don’t run from these conclusions for they are wonderful. Don’t ignore them or downplay them or hide from them or treat them like extraneous details or reject them. Embrace Romans 3:10-12. Thank God for its truthfulness because only in the light of our depravity does the gospel appear glorious and the God who accomplished it appear praiseworthy!