The gospel. What is it? I've heard the word so many times but not so much the content. Well this is what I think. The gospel is Jesus, His life, His purpose and His relationship with you!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
This passage is the first section of what we call the gospel. Basically it's letting you know the character of Jesus. When reading this passage you can substitute the name "the Word" for the name Jesus.
Like this!
In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
It makes it a little clearer doesn't it. Jesus existed first, before anything, including time itself. He was with God, His Father, and more than that He was (and is) God. Therefore Jesus created the world, nothing was made without His craftmenship and expertise!
Ok, so that's part of the Gospel, Jesus created the world, what's next? Well the world went wrong.
Well what was created was perfect, but it didn't stay that way, man messed up and sin entered the world! Technically there is only one sin, and that is turning away from God. Everything else that is called sin is just a symptom of that!
The fact of the matter is that there is not one person in the world that has not turned away from God, and so we all fall short of His standards (perfection).
Now the only way to now meet those standards having already fallen short is to somehow cover the fact that we have turned away from God. How can we do that? Well Jesus told a story...
The Story of the Lost Son
Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, "
Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'
"So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
"That brought him to his senses. He said, "All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him,
Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.
"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: "
Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, "Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here--given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.
"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, "Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast--barbecued beef!-because he has him home safe and sound.'
"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, "Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'
"His father said, "Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours-- but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"
There are loads of points in this story but I've highlighted what I wanna talk about now! After the son had turned away from his dad, gone done his own thing and messed up he came back, there were no repurcussions, there was no anger or bitterness from his dad. BUT his dad covered the dirt on his son's body with the best clothes, and put the family rinbg on his finger, welcoming him back!
This is what Jesus offers!
1. To cover sin with the best clothes. The best clothes are Jesus's blood. In other words, the price Jesus paid, He was beaten, ridiculed and killed in a very very painful way, but more than that every evil thing that ever has and ever will be done he felt! That sacrifice is the best clothes.
2. To welcome us into the family. Jesus wants us to be His brothers- God's son's/daughters and heirs to the kindon of God (perfection)
So how do you get this?
It starts with a simple prayer (chat to Jesus)
You could pray like this!
Mate, I've messed up, I've not given you the respect you deserve! I've not done what you wanted me to do! Help! I wanna be more like you! I want to follow the path you want me to follow and do the stuff you want me to do!