The Good News Of The Gospel

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
                                                                                                                                    Isaiah 55:6-7




There were several knocks at the door. They were quiet and gentle at first, but then they grew louder and more frequent. The sleeping man tried at first to ignore the sounds and he pulled the covers in further over his head. The knocking continued, and the sleeping man grabbed a pillow to try to muffle the noises outside. After a period of time, however, the weary man grew to understand the persistence of the One who stood outside his door.

It wasn't that the man really wanted to deny entrance to the One who was knocking at his door. It's just that the timing felt inconvenient to him. He preferred to sleep a little longer and perhaps open the door tomorrow. When it was light outside. When he wasn't so tired. When it felt more convenient.

This was the mindset of the people in the church at Laodicea. Jesus told them, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will eat with him and he [will eat] with Me. He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:20-21).

John MacArthur describes this verse as follows, "Christ was outside... and wanted to come in- something that could only happen if the people repented. The invitation is, first of all, a personal one, since salvation is individual, but He is also knocking at the door of the church, calling the many to saving faith, so that He may enter the church. If one person (anyone) opened the door by repentance and faith, Christ would enter that church through that individual.

Christ's offer to dine with the repentant church speaks of fellowship, communion, and intimacy. Sharing a meal in ancient times symbolized the union of people in loving fellowship. Believers will dine with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:19), and in the millennial kingdom (Luke 22:16, 29-30). Dine is from the word "deipneo" , which refers to the evening meal,
the last meal of the day. The Lord Jesus Christ urged them to repent and have fellowship with Him before the night of judgment fell and it was too late forever."

Jesus is the One who pursues us and loves us with a love that is beyond our comprehension. It is our human nature that resists and rebels because we "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). But, even in our sinfulness, God still loves us passionately. We are told that, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

God made a way for us through His most precious commodity, His Beloved Son. He didn't make a way for us through angels or by our works. There is nothing we can do to add to the finished work of Christ. It cannot be bought through our religiosity, or our sincerity, or our morality, or our philanthropy. God's path of salvation comes through the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone.

We can only receive this gift through our faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving] but it is the gift of God."

Not only do we open the door of our heart, but we also are convicted of our sin and recognize a deep desire for righteousness and doing what pleases God. D. Martyn Lloyd Jones says, "Repentance means that you realize you ae a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world and its mind and outlook, as well as its practice, and deny yourself, and take up the cross, and go after Christ."

God offers us a beautiful exchange for our sin. While it is true that the "wages of sin is death", it is also true that "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The choice is clear: we remain in our sin and spend eternity in hell or we receive God's gift and spend eternity with Him. When we choose His gift, His grace covers all our sin, no matter how egregious or copious they may be. God's provision for our sin is lavish and poured out in the abundance of His love.

God's way of salvation is neither difficult or complicated. His intent was to save us from danger and from destruction.  It all comes down to what we believe in our hearts. It is understanding that "whosoever" believes in Him will be saved and that it is solely based on what Jesus has already done for us. God's heart is that "all men would be saved, and come to the knowledge of truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) Then, we humble ourselves and trust in His mercy.

Our actions will follow these beliefs. Romans tells us that, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The Scripture says, 'No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.' For everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved" (Romans 10:9-11;13). We can trust God's Word for the assurance of our salvation.

We do remember, though, that our salvation came at a great cost. Jesus endured physical pain and carried all the weight of our sin upon Himself. He was separated from the Father and endured the divine judgment that you and I should have received.  Because crucifixion was the most shameful way to die, Jesus not only bore our guilt, but He also bore our shame.

Like the sleepy man who had Jesus knocking on the door, it is time to awaken and arise. It is time for revelation into the places of our lives that need redemption. It is time for us to take a spiritual inventory and ask God to shine His light into the parts of our lives that are not in alignment with His will.

Jesus shed His blood just so that you and I might become a part of God's family (John 1:12). All He asks in return is that we do the Father's work on earth, share the Gospel with others, and live our lives to please Him. He promises to provide us with all we need to do these things. Considering what the cost of our salvation is, the Gospel really is Good News!


If you trust that Jesus died for your sins and that you will receive new life through Him, pray this prayer to express your repentance and faith in Him:

Dear God,
I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died to forgive me of my sins. I now accept your offer of eternal life. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sin. Thank you for my new life. From this day forward, I will choose to follow You. In Jesus' Name I pray."

If you made a decision for Christ today, Congratulations! You are now a child of God. Please share your decision with a Pastor to discuss the next steps of discipleship. God bless!!!