Eternal Hope
in Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life

Eternal Hope
in Christ

Jesus Christ is the way,
the truth and the life.

What is

The Gospel?

The man who gave his name to the oldest book of the Bible, Job, asked the question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). The question of life after death has filled man’s thoughts throughout history.

But the most important question is, “What happens after death?”

Are you a good person?

Most people believe that if they are generally good, they will go to heaven. In other words, their good works will make up for their bad deeds, or if they sincerely try to lead a good life, God will accept them.

The problem is that good deeds don’t make you a good person, and the Bible makes it clear that there are no intrinsically good people. Romans 3:10 states: There is none righteous, not even one.

I know

To say that there are no good people anywhere may sound very unfair and harsh. After all, you might think, “What about people like Mother Teresa and Gandhi? Weren’t they good people?” History will look kindly on all such individuals as selfless people with high moral standards and great personal integrity.

God’s Standard

The problem lies in the fact that God doesn’t judge us by human standards, He judges us by His own. What are those standards? Quite simply, the Ten Commandments. I invite you to examine the Ten Commandments with me and, as we go through them, evaluate yourself to see if you measure up to the perfection God demands.

Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

Matthew 5:48

God’s law

The 10 Commandments

Let’s take a look at the Ten Commandments together, and as we do, seriously ask yourself if you’ve kept them.

This commandment is not only a prohibition against worshipping other deities rather than the true God. It also means that nothing in our lives should take precedence over God and His will. Has there ever been a time in your life when something or someone was momentarily more important to you than God? Has God always been your greatest priority and your greatest love?

If you believe things about God that aren’t supported by the Bible (for example, believing that God will accept you as long as you “try to be a good person”), then you’re not worshipping the real God. You’ve created a god in your own image. This is called idolatry, just like praying to images or paintings and kneeling before statues, and it’s a serious sin.

God treats His own name with the utmost respect. Have you ever used God’s name in a vulgar, inconsiderate or rude manner? That’s called blasphemy.

Have you always kept a day of the week apart to rest your body, nourish your spirit and worship God with his people?

Have you always respected and obeyed your parents? Have you ever lied to them (breaking two commandments at once)?

Most of us have never killed another human being. Perhaps you think you’ve kept this commandment? Yet the Bible teaches us that “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever hated another human being and thus committed murder in your heart?

This commandment not only forbids relations with other people during marriage and even before marriage, but goes far beyond the physical act. Jesus said that if you look at someone with lust or carnal desires, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart. Have you ever done it? Have you ever desired someone who doesn’t belong to you?

Have you ever taken something that doesn’t belong to you, regardless of its value? A bubble gum, a piece of paper from your desk or some extra change you’ve received? Ever downloaded music without paying for it? Watched movies illegally on the Internet?

Who among us has never lied?

This means we shouldn’t want to own someone else’s property, whether it’s their house, car, boat, wife, social status, prestige, gadgets, smartphone – anything. Have you ever coveted?

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

Your Sin

How did
you do?

If you’re like me, you probably didn’t do very well.

If you’re completely honest with yourself, I think you’ll find that you’ve broken most, if not all, of God’s commandments at one time or another. Even if we break only one commandment, it’s as if we’ve broken them all (James 2:10).

By God’s standards, we are all liars, thieves, idolaters, blasphemers and adulterers at heart. We have all, at one time or another, disobeyed our parents, coveted, and failed to put God first in our lives.

You see, by God’s standards, we’re not as good as we might have imagined. The truth is that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).

God’s Justice

The Consequences of Sin

The Consequences of Sin

It’s obvious that we’ve broken God’s law, and if God judges us by His standards, we’re guilty.

Many people disagree because they think God won’t judge by the average or that they aren’t as bad as Hitler and the terrorists.

However, every sin, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us, is a mockery and an infinite offense against the holy God. The Bible teaches us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

This death is not just an absence of Paradise, but eternal, conscious suffering, a place where God will punish transgressors of the law by unleashing his wrath, a very real place that the Bible calls Hell.

Sin has an eternal consequence because it is committed against an eternal God. As soon as a person goes to Hell, he or she no longer has a chance; their fate is tragic and eternal.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Gospel

The Good News

God is rich in mercy and has given his Son, Jesus Christ, as the only way to forgive your sins.

Jesus lived a perfect life; he never sinned, not even once. And he offered his sinless life as a sacrifice to pay for your sins. When he was crucified, he exchanged his perfection for your sin, so that all the sins you committed were imputed to him and his righteousness was credited to you.

What’s more, he absorbed in his body the eternal wrath of God that was supposed to fall upon you. He has taken over your punishment, so that God no longer has to make you pay.

You broke God’s law, the 10 Commandments, but Jesus paid your fine and satisfied God’s justice through his perfect life and sacrificial death.
Jesus died in your place and, because his sacrifice was sufficient, he rose from the grave on the third day in a glorified body, in which he ascended to heaven, promising that we too will one day be resurrected.

God offers us forgiveness of our sins and eternal life, not because we’re good, but because Jesus paid for us. What we need to do in response is repent (turn from our sins) and place our trust in Jesus for eternity.

As soon as we do this (repent and believe), God promises that he will forgive us of every one of our sins and grant us the free gift of eternal life in Heaven.

This is wonderful good news!

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

Repentance and faith

Your Response

According to God’s Word, dear friend, what you decide about Jesus will determine where you spend eternity. No one can earn his salvation by good works (Eph 2:8-9). If we could earn God’s favor in any way, God would be a corrupt judge.

We have been forgiven of our sins if we have recognized that we are sinners in need of salvation. So to those who believe the good news and are willing to repent of their sins and place their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, salvation is freely given.

Are you ready to turn away from your sins and surrender completely to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Come to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Come to him because only he can save you from the judgment that must and will come to anyone who dies as a transgressor of the law.

If you come to Christ, don’t expect your life to suddenly become wonderful and problem-free. Jesus didn’t promise that to anyone. On the contrary, Jesus has promised those who follow him that they will face trials, persecution and be hated by others – perhaps even by their own families. No, Jesus doesn’t promise an easy life, financial or physical prosperity. He does, however, promise you the greatest gift of all: forgiveness of sins and eternal life. When life’s inevitable trials come, he will give you sufficient grace and strength exercised in helplessness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He will give you his peace, which surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). This peace and strength come from knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that our eternity is assured.

If you’ve heard all this and have been convinced by God’s Holy Spirit that you need to surrender to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so now. Go to Jesus and ask him to forgive and save you. He is ready to receive you and wash away your scarlet-red sins, and make you white as snow.

Do you have any question?

Do you have questions about the Gospel
or want to give your life to Christ?