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Hey, have you heard the good news?
This is the very question we should be asking, not just to those around us, but also to ourselves.
And what is this, "good news" I am talking about?
It is the "Gospel". Because that is what the word, gospel, means = "good news".
Why am I bringing all of this up?
Because of it's importance. Because the gospel is God's power for salvation (
Romans 1:16-32
). And hearing the gospel is the first step we must take in order to be saved, as previously mentioned in the lesson #10.
The reason is: It is impossible to believe in something that you have never even heard of (
John 9:35-36
&
Romans 10:17
).
I know that a lot of the information in this topic was covered in a previous topic (Study 008) about "God and Man: In Brief". But just in case you haven't "heard", here is a brief rundown on 10 very basic things you should know, according to the Bible:
1. God created the heavens and the Earth:
Genesis 1:1
2. God created man: (
Genesis 1:26-27
&
Genesis 2:7
). When man was created, he was created as a 'free will agent'. Meaning, God gave man the power to make his own decisions, the power of reasoning.
3. God tells man what is expected of him:
Genesis 2:16-17
, also
Exodus 20:1-17
,
Deuteronomy 4:2
&
Revelation 22:18-19
. (Remember, this is just a very brief list. That is why study is so important, so as we grow, we can learn 'all' the things that God expects of us.)
4. When man fails to do what God expects of man, then that becomes sin: (
1 John 3:4
&
James 4:17
).
5. God allows man to make his own choices, but God holds man accountable for the choices he makes: (
Matthew 25:31-46
&
Revelation 20:11-15
).
6. The sad truth is that sometime in our life, we all have made some wrong choices and fallen short of God's expectations, therefore we all have sinned: (
Romans 3:23
).
7. Now, because of our bad choices, our sins, we are eternally lost. We are doomed to spend eternity suffering pain, fire, and punishment in Hell forever with out God (
Matthew 13:40-42
&
Matthew 25:31-46
). If only there was someway we could get rid of our sins so we would be once again accectable to God and spend eternity with Him in the joys of Heaven ; instead of the punishments of Hell.
8. GOOD NEWS: There is a way! In the old days, the times of the Old Testament, the 'way' was the sacrifices that were offered to hide the people's sin from God for a year, but then that required another sacrifice every year: (
Hebrews 10:1-4
).
9. BETTER NEWS: Where as these sacrifices using blood of bulls and goats could not take away our sins. God sent His son, Jesus, into the world (
John 3:16
) , born of a virgin (
Luke 1:26-38
), to live as a man (
Philippans 2:5-11
while we were yet sinners (
Romans 5:8
),
to die "once", (one time) as a one time sacrifice (
Hebrews 7:27
), and take away our sins (
John 1:29
,
Hebrews 9:26
&
1 John 3:5
), and rise again three days later (
1 Corinthians 15:1-20
,
Matthew 28:1-7
,
Mark 16:1-15
,
Luke 24:1-9
, etc.).
And as the sacrifices of the Old Testament had to be perfect, His son also had to live a perfect, sin free life (
Hebrews 4:15
&
Hebrews 10:4-17
).
10. So how does this information apply to us humans?
(
2 Peter 3:8-18
) Tells us there WILL be a day of the lord, a day of reckoning, so to speak, when we, YOU and ME, will be helt accountable for any sin still found in us.
So, now that you have HEARD 'The Good News'. We MUST believe it & accept it as fact.
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