Comment: What I believe, confess, and hope for - Part 2: The Gospel

Gospel: While the Gospel message is multifaceted, and can be explained in different ways, I emphasize the following...

God, the King of all things, created our world, and it was good. Mankind turned to wickedness, however, and the world became corrupted by evil and death. When the appointed time came, God the Father sent his Son into the world, so that the Son could select for himself a wife. Taking on human flesh, the Son was born into our world more than 2000 years ago; he was given the name Jesus ("the Lord saves"), and would become known as the Christ ("anointed one").

Jesus grew up, lived a holy and sinless life, performed miracles, and taught God's wisdom to the people. He aroused opposition from the religious establishment of his day, however, and was eventually condemned and executed. While tragic and unjust, his death was neither pointless nor accidental; rather, Jesus sacrificed himself to redeem his chosen bride, the Church, from sin, death, and the judgment of God, for he died in her place.

After his death and burial, Jesus performed the greatest of his many miracles: He rose from the dead, defeating the power of the grave. He ascended back to his Heavenly Father, before whom he now continually intercedes for his Church. The time will come when he will return to call his Church to himself. Christ is inheriting his Father's kingdom, and the Church will reign beside him as his queen. Their rule, and love for each other, will never end.

The Church is a corporate bride, made up of people from every nation under heaven. While each of us is under God's condemnation because of our evil thoughts, words, and actions (and for our failure to do good), when God brings us into the Church our faults and shortcomings are washed away. Christ died to make his Church holy, and so we become holy when we become part of his Church. This involves God bringing new life into our hearts, providing us eyes to see and ears to hear, and giving us a trust and love for him. We grow in wisdom and holiness as we live our new lives, are granted forgiveness when we fall short, and, when we die, we go to be with Christ as part of the Church that is already in heaven. The day will come when we receive a transformed, resurrected body, and will be one with Christ, and with each other, forever.

If you find that this message touches your heart, and you want to learn more, please feel free to post questions as to what your next step should be. God bless.