Online Bible Study - Foundations of Faith

Law and Gospel

Now, however, let's happily and joyfully learn about God's Good News. The Gospel is revealed in all the places in the Bible where God tells mankind what He has done, and still does for us, for our salvation.

At the very beginning of this part of our Bible study, it is important for us to know that the Gospel of God is focused on the love of God, which is sometimes called His grace. The Gospel is only good. It comforts, gives hope, and saves. Christ Jesus, God's own Son, is the center of the Gospel.

The Gospel is about Jesus, God's son. He is the one spoken about in one of the most beautiful verses in the whole Bible. It is the verse that teaches us what God has done and still does for us, for our salvation. St. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that joyful and hopeful?

We also read in I John 4:9-10, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." These words, read or heard by a sinner who is worried about the consequence of his or her sin, are like beautiful music-the music of loving forgiveness.

Here an explanation may help. As we studied about the Law, we learned that the Law of God is born in us. This is our conscience, namely, God's law written in our hearts. By contrast, God's good news about salvation through Jesus Christ is not written in our hearts. The Gospel is something that is revealed, or opened to us, in the words of the Bible, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So what has God done and what does He still do for our salvation? He gave His only Son to pay for all of our sins. This Jesus did when He suffered, died and rose again to forgive the sin of all mankind for all times. Now because of Jesus' work of redemption, by a simple Holy Spirit-created faith, we can have the forgiveness of sins, peace in our hearts, a new life, and the hope of heaven. This is the good news, the Gospel.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Review