I’m in the middle of a YouVersion Bible reading plan in the book of Galatians.  It’s a six day devotional taken from Timothy Keller’s book, “Galatians for You.”  Everything I have read/listened to from Keller is dynamite -I highly recommend his ministry to you.  On day two of the plan, Keller poses the simple question, “How would you  explain the gospel message to a friend?”  This is a question we should all think through, because this is a message we should all share.  Here’s how I answered it in my journal, how would you answer it?

The gospel is good news that speaks into our horrible predicament.  The God who created everything is holy.  He is perfectly just and right in all he does.  Since we have all sinned against this holy God, we have earned the judgement of God -eternal death.  This is our horrible predicament.  The gospel is the good news that Jesus, God’s only Son, willingly stepped into our sinful mess to bring us out of it.  He gave His very life as a substitute for ours.  Jesus paid the total cost for sin’s penalty when God crushed Him on the cross.  After three days in the grave, Jesus rose again giving power to all of God’s promises.  This is the good news.  We have the gift of slavation at the high cost of Jesus life.  Nothing we do can add to or take away from this gift, we must only receive it.