Gospel
As an individual grows in age, he becomes capable of understanding many things related to morality. This is a natural process and no one needs to teach him any of these. One prominent tendency that develops is to find fault with others, point out their mistakes and suggest corrections to be employed. Another is to defend himself before others so as to safeguard his image. Thus it becomes evident that there is a judge in every man who tries to accuse others and defend himself based on factors which feel right to him. This judge within us is usually referred to as our ‘CONSCIENCE’. It is the conscience of a man that makes him realize that reading good literature, being in the company of noble people, striving to think, talk and do noble things, makes his conscience nobler. Such a man will be quite sensitive to the needs, pain, and sufferings of others. However, if he broods over evil and vulgar thoughts and is in the company of such people, his conscience becomes less sensitive to the pain of others and he will be bold enough to do things that can hurt others. In short, a person’s environment can mold his conscience.
So we can concur that all have a moral sense and ability to distinguish right from wrong, due to our conscience. There is this unseen law of what to do and what not to do, inscribed in our conscience even though we have not tried to incorporate it into ourselves. This points to a few important facts. Primarily, it points to an ultimate lawgiver. It also gives us the indication that as we are judged by ourselves, we are to face a judge eventually. All along, we pass judgment on others depending on our moral standards, ignoring the fact that by the same standards we are being judged within. Due to this hypocrisy, we make our conscience numb, thereby becoming indifferent to many of the evils around.
Now, if there is indeed a lawgiver and we are to be judged ultimately, these are issues that have an enormous impact on our lives and hence should be matters of major concern. Is the question does our life and the way we live on this earth matter? Do we have to face a judge after our death? The Bible says that we are beings with eternal existence and that we will face a judge after our death who is none other than God, our creator Himself. Of course, the materialistic philosophies backed by pseudo-science tries its best to erase a creator from the scene. While science says matter + energy + time give life, the bible says that matter + energy + intelligence give life. The scientific formula for life is unobservable in nature and sounds like a matter of belief. The creativity of man is an evidence for the necessity of intelligence for creation and innovation. In this modern era where science and technology have grown leaps and bounds, we genetically engineer organisms also. This, in fact, solidifies the need for an intelligent designer. In the beginning, a super intelligent creator set off the whole creation the way we see now. And since He owns what He made, He is also the judge and the lawgiver. The Bible says that man is a special creation because the almighty and holy (righteous) creator gave man His own image (nature). However, the man failed to retain his privileged position because when faced with a test, man chose to neglect God’s instruction and in rebellion, followed his own desires. Thus he sinned against God. This brought separation of man from his creator. In other words, it brought death.
The Bible talks of death of three kinds:
- Physical Death: Separation of our spirit from our own body
- Spiritual Death: Separation of the spirit from God the creator which happened in the beginning when the first man sinned. So all human beings are descendants of a man who is already separated from God. Hence we are all born spiritually dead.
- Eternal Death: The eternal separation of the spirit of man from his creator God, never again to come back in fellowship with Him (the state of Hell)
If such is the state of affairs, all men are bound to hell as punishment of rebelling against God and His laws. A righteous God needs to allow this punishment as His holy Justice require it. Though God is righteous, He is also loving. God, who is love, desires to forgive people for their offenses and take them into His presence. But this can be done only without compromising God’s righteousness. How can this be done then? Is there a hope for the humankind? This is where God’s greatest gift to mankind comes in the picture – a way out from this pitiful state where all people are destined for hell, in line with God’s holiness. This is called GOSPEL (good news). God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ who is God Himself to become a man and take the punishment of all mankind upon Himself by dying on the cross as their substitute. Why did He have to become a man? Because only a man can die. For this purpose, God prepared the nation of Israel to receive His laws and instructions and finally the Savior-the Messiah-the Christ who is called Jesus would be born through them. However, the same people who were prepared to receive the Messiah (indeed they were eagerly awaiting a Messiah), could not accept Him. They crucified Him because He testified that man has a wicked and evil heart and He alone can save them. They were so enraged that they handed him over to the civil authorities of the day to be hanged on a cross, to die an extremely painful and shameful death. But, in fact, He was dying in our place! He took all our sins upon Himself and paid the price in full and died by giving up His own life for us. Neutral onlookers buried Him. However, no tomb could hold within the Son of God! On the third day, He defeated death and grave and arose from the dead. He appeared selectively to His followers. He did not appear to His detractors as it is reserved for the Grand Finale- the last day of the present earth when all will be judged.
The resurrected Jesus, the Messiah (or Christ), has promised that all those who trust in Him, He will never leave nor forsake. He has done everything for man’s restoration and eternal salvation. There is no more need for any sacrifice or any kind of good deed to draw to God. Jesus Christ has done it, once for all. Then how can one appropriate this salvation? One has to confess that he/she is a sinner and rightfully deserves only hell. One should acknowledge and believe that Jesus Christ died to save him or her from his/ her sins and hence he/she will no longer live for himself/herself but for the one who laid down His life for him/her. By one man death entered into the world. By one Man’s substitutionary death, the penalty of sin, the eternal death (not the physical death), has been taken away from those who put their trust in Him and decide to follow Him. They are saved from eternal damnation. This is nothing but the achievement of Moksha or Salvation.
God’s Spirit will start living in those who believe and are saved while they still live on this earth. He will help them to become like their savior. When they die, they will be with their Master (in Heaven) who died and was resurrected to give them eternal life. There they will enjoy the richness of God’s greatness by sharing in His goodness in measures proportionate to how they obeyed their Master while they were in their bodies on this earth. This is the good news – the Gospel. Since it is the ultimate good news, those who find it are compelled to tell it to others because this is the greatest gift that they can give to others – leading mankind from falsehood to Truth, from darkness to Light, from death to Life. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “I am the Light of the World”; “I am the resurrection and Life. He who believe in me will live even if he dies”; “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” No wonder many have laid down their lives through the centuries for this truth which they experienced in their life. The church is the community of people who understand this truth and have accepted it in their lives and are willing to testify to it. Hence the doors of this church are open to those who come to this understanding and have received the forgiveness of their sins through repentance and faith in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Why Church? That is God’s household of the redeemed people where they will be nurtured and cared for to live a life pleasing to their Maker, Redeemer, and Master.