What is the Gospel?

A friend once asked me if I was on an airplane that was about to crash and had only a couple minutes to use my cell phone to call my family, what would I say?   What would I tell them if I knew this would be our last conversation on earth?  At first my mind when blank with the sheer tragic terror of it all, but then the answer seemed obvious:  Hang on to your faith.  But to understand why saving faith is that important, you have to really understand the gospel.

01 What is life & death and why should I care?

Understanding the gospel means we must understand the problem that the gospel solves. While the word gospel means “good news,” understanding the gospel begins with bad news.

02 What is justification and why do I need it?

There are 2 consequences to our sin: 1) We experience death and futility. 2) Our rebellion is wrong and we now owe a debt to justice that must be paid. Justification is the payment of that debt.

03 What is saving faith and why is it so important?

Saving faith is the permanent, ongoing trust in God that one day He will free me completely from all the consequences and effects of sin because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Saving faith itself is a gift from God and it involves 4 things.

04 What is hope and how do I know I have it?

The “so what” of being justified by faith is now we have a reason to boast. Paul explains the 3 things we boast about in Romans 5:1-11. The first is hope.

Questions? Please ask

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Want to read more?

• Crucial Questions, 28 free ebooks from RC Sproul
• The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
• Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
• Basic Christianity by John Stott
• Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul

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