The true Gospel

My faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior is the biggest part of who I am. From the friends I make to the television shows I watch, I believe my faith in Jesus should influence every aspect of my life.

I have found that many people misunderstand what it truly means to be saved. Salvation has nothing to do with following a set of rules or doing something to gain God’s favor. Being saved is a simple trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In First Corinthians 15:1-4, the apostle Paul says, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel… … how 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.”

Concerning salvation, there is nothing we can do to gain God’s love. He already loved us so much that he was willing to come down from heaven and die for our sins. A common expression people today use is, “I love you so much I would die for you.” With God, that’s not just an expression: it’s a reality. The Bible says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Nothing I do or don’t do can make me worthy of God’s love. Whether someone tries baptism, confession of sins or “sticking to the faith,” the Bible says that all have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The penalty for this shortcoming is death in hell. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus Christ had to die to pay the penalty for my sin. Only the spotless, sinless Son of God could pay that price. In First Peter 3:18, the Bible says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…” Because he loves us so much, Jesus offers a full, unconditional pardon to anyone who trusts solely in the blood he shed on Calvary.

I mentioned previously that Christianity should influence everything I do. However, I don’t make the choices I make to gain a relationship with God, I make them to maintain a relationship with my heavenly Father. In the Bible this is referred to as “fellowship” (I John 1:6-7). In fact, the Bible says that anyone who trusts in Jesus is sealed to the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30), and so nothing can change the fact that I have eternal life. Just like with my earthly father, I have permanent sonship with my heavenly Father, but my fellowship with him can be damaged, which is why I make an effort to obey his word.

Anyone who gets to know me very well will find out how much my faith matters to me. I love God because he first loved me (I John 4:19). His love for me cannot be broken (Romans 8:35-39). Salvation is all about what God has done for us in Christ and not in what we have done for God.