WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?

God loves us

God loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. He wants to help us on our journey through life and into eternity.

We blew it

We were created to have a relationship with God, but we turned to our own way instead. That rebellion caused a separation between God and us. Leaving God’s path to follow our own is what the Bible calls sin.

By doing good things (being kind, going to church, giving money, serving the poor, etc.), we hope to make up for the bad things we’ve done (being selfish, angry, immoral, greedy, etc.)

“To sin” means that we have missed the mark of God’s perfection. No matter how good a person is, every human being falls short of the complete perfection God requires.

We all die physically but there is also a spiritual and eternal death. Spiritual death involves judgement and separation from God forever. But God wants to save us from that eternal torment.

Christ paid for it

God loves us and does not want anyone to be separated from Him in this life or in eternity. That is why Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross—to provide a way for us to enter into a personal and eternal relationship with God.

Jesus paid in full the penalty for our sins and rose from the grave to prove that he has purchased a place in heaver for us which he offers us as a free gift.

We must receive him

We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). GRACE can be defined as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. God’s Riches (forgiveness, eternal life, and a personal relationship) are freely given to all who believe in Him. All this and so much more cost us nothing. Christ paid the full price, but He won’t force it on us. He waits for us to turn to Him and to receive Him as our personal Savior.

To receive Christ has to be simple because it’s for everyone. No one has to clean up his life to come to Christ. We come just as we are and then He cleans up our lives. He forgives our sins and begins making us new on the inside.

Would you like to receive Christ and cross over to God? Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you. Please forgive me for all I have done wrong. Please come into my life and begin to lead me. I pray this sincerely as I know how. Amen.

Note: This Bridge to Life illustration is adapted from the Navigators’ discipleship resources.