247. The Gospel Is Good News for All

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The gospel is good news for everyone! For the person who hasn't yet come to know Christ, it's the good news that the gift of God's righteousness is freely given to all who believe. For the person who has already known Christ, it's the continuing good news that all their sins - past, present and future - are completely forgiven and done away with, and that they are kept eternally by God, not because of their continuing good deeds, but solely because of God's grace.

The gospel reveals that what we do or don't do doesn't make us who we are! Our identity is by birth.  A sinner is born a sinner because they are born in Adam, and all their righteous deeds can never change that.  A saint has also become a saint through birth - this time through the second birth - being 'born again' in Christ.  Again, none of this has anything to do with our actions.  It's all based upon the free gift of God's righteousness.

"The gospel" is called several things in the Bible, including the "gospel of peace," "the gospel of Christ," "the gospel of grace" and "the gospel to the poor."  Does the phrase "the gospel to the poor" mean that the gospel is for those who are poor materially in this world, or does it mean some other type of poverty (ie: spiritual poverty)?  We'll talk about that and these other things this week on Growing in Grace.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing with a friend!