And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32, The Bible
I'm not writing this blog post to convince you to believe in Jesus Christ; I simply would like to give my own reasons for believing the gospel. I don't believe anybody can really be convinced through argument (or a blog post) anyway. It's a choice to believe: you hear the truth and you either accept it or reject it.
In this blog post, I'll discuss briefly why I believe the gospel and what it means to me.
What I thought the gospel was
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:16, The Bible
Religion was no stranger in my home. I grew up in the church for all my youth; I can't remember a time when "not going to church" was acceptable in my family.
So I've heard it all.
"God loves you, but only if you do good."
"Follow the ten commandments and you will go to heaven."
"Give your tithes and offering so God will bless you."
"Be a good person like God made everyone."
"Go to church or you are a devil."
"Don't question God; he knows everything and you know nothing so just shut up and follow."
"Be a good person or you will die and go to hell!"
"You must stay away from sin or you will die!"
These were the the thoughts circling in my head about God through the teachings of others. God will love me if I love him; it's that simple.
It makes complete sense; how many of us would love our spouses if they didn't love us back? Or if we had a father or mother that betrayed us, would we want to love them? Are they deserving of our love?
So it had to be true. Do good and good would be done to you. Love God and he would love you back. Heaven helps those who help themselves.
But they were all lies; I only found out the truth when I heard the true gospel, or as Apostle Paul puts it:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17, The Bible
What the gospel is
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:30-31, The Bible
There are two concepts repeated in every listed thought I had in the previous section: work and self. It was all about the work that I had to do. I had to "be a good person". I had to "give so I would be blessed". I had to "go to church to not be a devil".
This whole idea of our work and self is the antithesis of the gospel: the gospel is about the work that Jesus Christ has done for us.
The gospel is simply this:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16, The Bible
Notice how no work is required from the world; the only person doing the work is God. This fundamental truth is what makes it so hard for people to understand; it goes against everything we are accustomed to as humans. (We work for everything we have, including love.)
The only thing God requires is belief. He wants us to believe in him. He wants us to believe that he sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins. He does not want us to prove it (or else, that would be us working); he just wants us to believe:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6, The Bible
After you believe in Jesus Christ once:
- You receive everlasting life forever right that instant.
- The everlasting life is not contingent on your behavior i.e. sinning would not jeopardize your eternity.
- Even if you doubt, you are still eligible for heaven because it's a free gift. Once a gift is received, it cannot be taken back.
- You enter into your eternal rest immediately.
Therefore, we can conclude that everlasting life does not come from:
- Praying
- Fasting
- Confessing your sins
- Being righteous
- Speaking in tongues
- Giving all your money to the church
- Giving to the poor
- Attending church every Sunday
- Evangelism
- Singing praise
- Casting out devils
- Loving your neighbor
- Loving God
- Following Christ
- Healing the sick
- Prophecy
- Etc.
It comes from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (remember John 3:16). None of what I listed is bad, but none of them offers you eternal life.
The bottom line
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11, The Bible
Without the gospel, there would be no hope for me. I grew up in a Christian home and yet, I still sin. Everyday. In thought, word and deed. The Book of Proverbs puts it like this:
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Proverbs 24:9, The Bible
Every foolish thought I've had is a sin. So there is no escape for me. Except through Jesus.
So I believe the gospel, not because I'm strong, but because I'm weak. However, I know that he's my strength in my weakest moments:
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9, The Bible
I have seen no greater love.
Other resources
- How to be saved from hell (video) by Onorato Diamante
- How to be saved from hell (video) by Daniel Perez
- What is once saved always saved?