The Good News of Jesus
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

God Loves You
What if I told you that you were created in the very image of the God of the universe? And what if I told you this same God loves you deeply and wants a personal relationship with you? Would you believe me? Or does this seem too good to be true?
Your first thought may be, ‘Why would God love me? I’ve made too many mistakes in my life. I’m not worthy of such love.’ No, you are not worthy of God’s love. No one is. But yes, you are loved—more than you could ever fully understand. The greatest news you will ever hear in your life is that God loves you personally and intimately. He wants you to live with Him forever in a state of perfection in Heaven.
There is only one problem with this beautiful love story: God is perfect, and we are not. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death.” Have you lied? Stolen? Lusted? Coveted? Hated? We are all guilty of wrongdoing through both our actions and thoughts. This is the bad news of the fallen state of humanity. We can’t live with a holy God if we are stained by sin. And we are all sinners.
In the Bible, our sin is likened unto a debt. As we continue to break God’s law daily, our sin debt increases. The reality is that each of us has amassed an incalculable debt throughout our lives. No matter how many “good” things we do, satisfying this debt ourselves is literally impossible. Think of it like this: we owe God trillions of dollars and all we have is a $1 bill in our pocket. The dilemma we face, then, is that if we cannot pay off this debt, we will be sentenced to death—separation from God for eternity. Knowing this, our situation may seem hopeless. So how do we to make restitution with God?
Remember, God loves you personally and intimately. The Bible even says that God Himself is love. He doesn’t want to leave you in this hopeless state of condemnation. God desperately desires to be in a relationship with you forever and grant you the greatest gift you could ever receive—eternal life! Because of God’s immeasurable love for the lost, He made a way for our debt to be paid in full. Jesus is that Way.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Jesus Died for Your Sins
Two thousand years ago, God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to the world. Born of a virgin, Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life—the only innocent and blameless person to ever live. He opened the eyes of the blind, healed the lame, raised the dead, and forgave sinners. He proclaimed God’s love and compassionately invited all people to come to Him to find rest from their burdens. Most importantly, He came to earth to willingly suffer and die for the sins of the world. Jesus was the embodiment of God’s love in the flesh.
Jesus, as the sacrificial Lamb, endured unimaginable pain and suffering to bring salvation to all people. He was falsely condemned, publicly ridiculed, and viciously beaten. A crown of thorns was thrust into His head and He carried His own heavy cross up to the hill called Calvary where He was brutally crucified. It was there, while nailed to the cross, that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins and shed His own blood on our behalf. That’s how much He loves you personally. He suffered for your very sins. After His horrific death, He was buried in a tomb. Then, three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God. This message of hope and salvation is called the Gospel, which means “good news.”
John the Baptist once declared about Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus Christ literally took our place on the cross and received the punishment that we deserved. He traded His life for ours—the guiltless for the guilty. There is no greater love! If you have ever questioned whether God loves you, look no further than Jesus, and what He suffered on your behalf. The Bible says that by His very wounds, we are healed. There is an old saying about Jesus: He came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. The price for our souls has been paid in full.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
Trust Jesus for Eternal Life
So what now? How do we respond to God’s love? The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
All that we are asked to do is believe. Yes, believe! It’s that simple. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, and trust in Him alone as the only Way to save us, we are made right with God. Our sins are literally washed away and we are cleansed by Jesus’ very blood. God says that He blots out all our transgressions and remembers them no more. He casts them to the bottom of the ocean and they are gone forever. Your debt has been wiped away!
Whatever you have done, and whatever your past, Jesus loves you and He died for you. He is beckoning you to come to Him and place your burdens on His shoulders. Jesus loves you so much that He left the ninety-nine sheep to find you—the one lost sheep—wandering the mountainside. And when you finds you, He places you on His shoulders and rejoices. Dear friend, come to Jesus and receive by faith this incredible gift of eternal life. If you do, you will have everything that God is offering you through His Son: love, grace, mercy, freedom, and forgiveness. Salvation is not about religion, going to church, or being a good person. It's about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is good news.