The Good News at the Heart of Christmas ... and our message at Bethel Church
People sometimes ask, What does it mean to be a Christian? What do Christians believe? How can I get a new start in my faith? Here is a simple, three-point explanation of the "Good News" (Gospel) that is the heart of our faith:
1. God’s Design
God created the world. We can see beauty, purpose and evidence of design all around us. It's impossible to ignore. Just look at the intricate design of plants, the way the moon influences the tide, or the ever changing colors in a sunset. The Bible tells us that God originally designed a world that worked perfectly — where everything and everyone fit together in harmony. God created us for a purpose. He created us to know Him and to enjoy Him; to live and bring glory and honor to Him. (Read: Genesis 1:31, Psalm 19:1 & Ephesians 2:10)
2. Our Brokenness (Sin)
If we look around at society, it's easy to see that humanity is not bringing glory to God. Rather there is a brokenness in our world. We see it in the evil of terrorism, we see it in war, violence, abuse, deceit and betrayal. In ignorance to God, we could search everywhere for the reason of brokenness, but the truth is, beneath it all, the problem is spiritual. Really, we are the problem. We have not lived for God, we have not followed God's design for life. We have not valued a relationship with Him. The Bible calls this sin. Sin is running from God, trying to do life our own way. It is because of sin that we as humanity have become hostile, not only towards God, but towards others. The Bible says the consequence of sin is death. (Read: Romans 1:25, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23 & Proverbs 14:12)
3. The Solution (Jesus)
Brokenness causes some to realize their need for help; a remedy, some Good News. God, because of His mercy and great love for us, did not leave us in our brokenness. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ as a solution to our sin problem. Christ came to us, lived a perfect sin-free life (exampling life by God’s design), taught us how to live, and willingly chose to die in our place to pay the penalty for our sin. He then defeated death and rose to life. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Simply hearing this good news is not enough: we must act on it and admit to our sinful brokenness, ask God for forgiveness, and stop trusting in ourselves. This is when we can begin to understand God’s original design for our lives and the lives of others. (Read: John 3:16, Colossians 2:14, Mark 1:15 & Ephesians 2:8–9)
