Gospel

What is the “Gospel” message of Jesus Christ?

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10.)

WE BELIEVE: that Jesus the Christ is the only begotten (born human) of the Father, and that He is God, just as the Holy Spirit is God (John 1, verses 1 thru 4 & 14). We believe that God decided at the appointed time in history (Galatians 4:4-5) about 2,000 years ago to live as a Man, born of a virgin according to the scriptures, and with no human father, but living among mankind as Immanuel, which means: “God With Us” (Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6-7, & Matthew 1:23.)

It is difficult to comprehend how God The Father and Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit can be ONE… a mystery our mere human minds are not capable of understanding the way God Himself does. The Word of God in the Bible gives us several hints as to the nature of God, but even the disciples that lived with him for years could not fully comprehend Him. Suffice it to say that GOD IS ONE, but reveals Himself in many ways. He came down from above and revealed Himself through the human body of Jesus Christ. He also reveals Himself through manifestations of His Spirit, such as through a “burning bush” to Moses, “tongues of fire” above the heads of the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost, and so on.

Colossians 1:15 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”

That means the Spirit within the Man Jesus Christ is not just a created being as we are, but Eternal God Himself, Jesus the Christ, who has always existed, without beginning of days or end of days. He is the Great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Word, the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Kings, YHWH, the Lord of Lords, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and known by hundreds of other royal and priestly titles (see link on “1000 Names of God” by the Preaching Ministry of Tom Harmon). He is the perfect “Lamb of God” slain since the foundation of the world to take away the sin of the world by His crucifixion and sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.

The human body of Christ was born at a specific time in history to a virgin, named Mary, and without human father, but the Spirit within the “God-Man”, Jesus the Christ, is eternal. Beyond that description, we cannot further explain the exact nature of God in Christ anymore than we can explain our own spirit interacting with our mind and body as one. The Bible just lets us know glimpses of information, but assures us that one Day all of our questions will be answered… until then we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12.)

He (His body, which He Himself as God created — you can’t kill the Spirit of God!) was buried in a tomb for three days, and then He showed Himself victorious over death in a Divine Resurrection. He then ascended into heaven where He now sits on the throne of all the universe until He returns a second time at the end of this age. At that time He will gather His elect saints both dead and alive in a resurrection — those dead from the graves, and those living — both in a miraculous and instantaneous change in less time than a twinkling of the eye to take them with Him into the “clouds of glory,” and usher in a new dispensation of His kingdom forever and ever. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57.)

Then He will replace everything with a “new heavens and a new earth” and a capital city called, “New Jerusalem,” where He will sit on His throne as King of Kings and Lord of Lords for all eternity. (Revelation 21:1-2.) These are His promises which cannot be broken!

Jesus loves you! He proved it by going to the cross so that you may live!
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26)

There are only two kinds of people in this world. Some would say, “alive or dead,” and they would be correct — to a degree. But to a greater degree, we could divide all people, both alive and dead, into two categories: those people WITH the Spirit of Christ living in them, and those WITHOUT God’s Spirit. Another way of saying it is, “Either you are a Saint, or you ain’t.”

Being a Saint means you will be able to live with Christ for all eternity, forever, and ever. If you are not yet a Saint, then you do not have eternal life in you yet, and are on the road that is destined for a final judgment of God in where you are condemned forever — that is unless Jesus Christ makes it possible for you. Remember: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

God’s Word says that people without the Spirit of Christ are NONE of His (Romans 8:9.) And in the same paragraph, God tells us through His Word that, “His Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are sons of God.” DO YOU FEEL DRAWN BY GOD TO KNOW MORE?

But what if you don’t (or someone you know doesn’t) perceive His Spirit doing that? What if you “feel” like there is no God, that you are alone, and there is no hope for you, or that you have done something “so wrong” that God can’t or won’t forgive you, that you are a worthless back-slider, that you can’t forgive even yourself, or that you just don’t seem to care about anything, or that you feel God has left and abandoned you, and so on? Maybe you’re uncertain about your salvation… maybe you’re just not sure if you really are saved or not. If your relationship with God through Jesus Christ just seems uncertain, you may ask, “How can I be saved???”

The answer is so simple, it may be hard to comprehend it. But the real truth, Jesus said, is: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Jesus said it’s hard (yet possible) to enter the kingdom of heaven, and at the same time — He also says to those who receive Him that He gives them the right to be children of God. On one side of the coin, it’s difficult… on the other side, it’s easy enough for a human to do so. Something has to occur between those two states of a man’s thinking. So, then, what’s the problem? Why doesn’t everyone go ahead accept Jesus’ free offer to be saved?

The word of God in the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” Here again, we see two sides to this dilemma… or rather two different “spirits” being considered… 1.) the spirit of man, and 2.) the Spirit of God.

If we continue to read in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Only God can reveal Himself to someone through His Holy Spirit (John 6:44, 12:32.)

Furthermore, in beginning in verse 16, God’s word states, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Here God begins to define the dilemma that we humans face! His Spirit is Holy… pure, righteous, sinless, perfect… and our spirit is unholy… going against God’s goodness.

God continues to further define the problem between not only His Spirit and ours, but a third element of the spirit realm in Ephesians 6:12 wherein He says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Now it becomes very clear that there are other spirits also involved with the human race in an ongoing war in a battle of wills between good and evil. God tells us in His word that there are also angels and demons in various positions of government in the invisible spirit world that we cannot see (unless God reveals these things to us.)

Just like during the day time when you look up at the sky, you cannot see any stars because of the sunlight being so bright that the atmosphere hides them. Yet, we know all the stars that we can see at night are just as plentiful on the other side of the big blue sky during the day time. God usually has hidden our eyes from seeing angels and demons, although He does allow them to be seen from time to time:

“Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:14-18)

Hebrews 3:7 ‘Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness…”

1 John 4:6 “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

John 3:3 ‘There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up he serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

But here is very good news for all of us:

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

Sadly, many people will choose to harden their hearts!!! Even though God has pricked their hearts and convicted them of sin, they choose the darkness of this world rather than His glorious light!

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Others will make excuses for not following Jesus Christ and doing His will:

Matthew 22:1 “And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (Matthew 22:1-10.)

Luke 14:16 “Then He said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, “Come, for all things are now ready.” 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.” 19 And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.” 20 Still another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.” 22 And the servant said, “Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.” 23 Then the master said to the servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” (Luke 14:16-24.)

So we see that it all comes down to a free-willed choice by a man to either turn from his sinful life with the help of the Lord (faith) through His quickening and healing Spirit (repentance,) or to reject God’s grace and continue in a life of rebellion. Either he WILL, or he WON”T accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Deuteronomy 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20.)

So, if you are reading this page for the first time, and you doubt your salvation in the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, then just know that Jesus loves you more than anyone else ever could. He wants to give you eternal life in His Kingdom forever and ever and ever. He wants a relationship with you. But you have to receive it without hardening your heart.

2 Corinthians 6:1 “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

God has a plan for your life! Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:3-13.)

Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2:1-4.)

We encourage you to seek the Lord with all your heart, and to receive the FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE IN A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS! He will do the work and change you from the inside out. He is able because He is God. But He will not force you, but He will not leave you or forsake you either. He is patient beyond our comprehension. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8)

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Did you notice that last verse? He says if you believe in Him, He will guarantee you by His Holy, unbreakable promise, that He will give you eternal life! How could anyone refuse such a loving, kind, gracious, forgiving, generous, compassionate Savior?

The choice is yours. You have free will to begin living a new life now, this very instant! He already paid the price on the cross at Calvary for you. Simply believe His Word in your heart, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and you shall receive HIM!

If you have any questions about your salvation, please feel free to Contact Us using the link at the top or bottom of this page.