God commends His own love for us in this: in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8
From eternity past, the Triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- dwelt in perfect blessedness. Though in need of nothing, He was pleased to create the universe, with man to dwell in it and bear His image. Adam and Eve were created good, but their fellowship with God was severed when they succumbed to sin and temptation. As God had warned, their sin brought death upon them, afflicting their bodies, and worse, alienating their souls from God, their Creator. But God, being rich in mercy, promised that a Redeemer would arise from Eve's offspring, One who would conquer the tempting serpent and the curse that had been pronounced on the world.
That Redeemer, foretold by the prophets and eagerly awaited by the saints of old, came in the fullness of God's appointed time, as God the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary, and God the Son took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Being truly both God and man, Jesus alone perfectly obeyed God's law, earning a righteousness He would impart to all who would trust in Him by faith. In His ministry on earth, He showed compassion to the brokenhearted who grieved over their sin, and He healed the wounds of the afflicted. Through His miracles, He manifested God's Kingdom, proving He was sent by the Father. But men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. According to the Scriptures and God's predetermined plan, they put Jesus to death on a cross, and He was buried in a tomb. That death He died not for His own sins, for He was sinless, but to pay the penalty of God's wrath for all the sins of those who were joined to Him by grace. God vindicated His holy servant Jesus by raising Him from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
The good news of the Gospel is that all those who trust not in their own merits but in Jesus Christ alone receive forgiveness of sins through His atoning death, along with eternal life and righteousness through His perfect life and resurrection. This amazing grace, God purposed from eternity past to bestow on those whom He would call from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Whoever you are, and whatever you've done, look to Jesus and live!
That Redeemer, foretold by the prophets and eagerly awaited by the saints of old, came in the fullness of God's appointed time, as God the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary, and God the Son took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Being truly both God and man, Jesus alone perfectly obeyed God's law, earning a righteousness He would impart to all who would trust in Him by faith. In His ministry on earth, He showed compassion to the brokenhearted who grieved over their sin, and He healed the wounds of the afflicted. Through His miracles, He manifested God's Kingdom, proving He was sent by the Father. But men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. According to the Scriptures and God's predetermined plan, they put Jesus to death on a cross, and He was buried in a tomb. That death He died not for His own sins, for He was sinless, but to pay the penalty of God's wrath for all the sins of those who were joined to Him by grace. God vindicated His holy servant Jesus by raising Him from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
The good news of the Gospel is that all those who trust not in their own merits but in Jesus Christ alone receive forgiveness of sins through His atoning death, along with eternal life and righteousness through His perfect life and resurrection. This amazing grace, God purposed from eternity past to bestow on those whom He would call from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Whoever you are, and whatever you've done, look to Jesus and live!