GOSPEL VERSES SEQUENCE

Perhaps you are not 100% sure you are a Christian?

Or you feel that some people seem to have a more certain faith than you do, and you would like to be sure about it? Perhaps you are confused about how a person can be right with God?

Or maybe you would love to be able to explain to others what the Bible says about how we may be reconciled to God.

First the bad news
Hebrews 9:27	'Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God' (Good News Bible translation)

Romans 3:23	'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'

1 John 1:10	'If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his word has no place in our lives.'

2 Thessalonians 1:8	'He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.'

John 3:18,19	'Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.'

But now the Good News ....
John 3:16	'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.'

2 Corinthians 5:21	'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.'

1 Timothy 1:15	'Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -'

Romans 3:21,22,24,25	'But now God has shown us a different way to heaven - not by "being good enough" and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says He will accept and acquit us - declare us "not guilty" - if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like..... Yet now God declares us 'not guilty' of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in His kindness freely takes away our sin. For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God's anger against us.' (Living Bible translation)

Romans 6:23	'For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

John 6:36	Jesus said 'All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.'

Ephesians 2:4,8,9	'But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.' 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast.' 'Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.' (Living Bible translation)

John 6:40	Jesus said 'For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.'

John 11:25	'Jesus said to her "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.' Jesus then said 'Do you believe this?' That is the question we must all answer for ourselves.

	So, you see, it is possible to know *now* that you are accepted by God and will be accepted by Him on Judgement Day. It is all a matter, not of you doing your best, but of trusting Jesus Christ and His death upon the Cross to win your forgiveness and your reconciliation with God. Jesus came saying 'The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News' (Mark 1:15)

To be a Christian is to believe and to live on the basis that this is true - and all that flows from it.

To understand more of the Good News (Gospel) and what it means to be a Christian you could turn to two courses on the Doctrine for Everyone page (click on that title). They will involve turning-up Bible verses to answer questions posed by the course so you will learn a lot more of what the Bible teaches. The first of the two is (1) Confidence in the Gospel and Scripture and the second is (5) What is the Gospel? By the time you have finished these you will have a very good grasp of the Gospel and God's purposes in and through it. You can do these courses on your own, but it would be more useful to do them with a Christian friend who will be able to explain things more as you go along. Or you could write to us with your queries, our email address is on the Home page.