The Just Shall Live By Faith Series

1. The Gospel is a gift from God.

a. SALVATION… to be saved from the Penalty of Sin (justification), the Power of sin (Sanctification), and the Presence of Sin (Future Glorification).

b. And as with ANY gift, it’s simply to be ACCEPTED.

God says, “I know sin has damaged and destroyed you, but I offer you life, and that life is in my Son, Jesus Christ.”

John 1:4-5 (NKJV) 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

And the Gospel is for ALL WHO BELIEVE, not just some certain groups of people.

• The Bible is full of WHOEVER & EVERYONE statements…

Matthew 12:50 (NKJV) 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

John 4:13-14 (NKJV) 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 11:26 (NKJV) 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

And for anyone, and for everyone, and for whoever will believe in Jesus… for the Jew and for the Greek… (Gentile)

• If you believe, you will not perish, but have everlasting life.

• You don’t have to pay for it, or earn it, or work for it.

• The price has been paid by Jesus Himself!

NOW Everyone shares basic needs… whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, we all share the same basic needs.

#1 – GUILT

• Being born into sin brings with it a tremendous amount of guilt.

• It’s a burden that gets heavier with every day that passes.

• Yes some ignore it. Some have seared their conscience.

• But the gospel addresses it as many have come to Jesus had the burden of guilt removed, their sins forgiven!

#2 – LONELINESS.

• It’s possible to be surrounded with people and still be lonely.

• And folks all over this globe deal with feelings of isolation, loneliness, and even some desperation.

• But the gospel addresses it as Jesus said I’ll come to you and never leave or forsake you!

#3 – ETERNITY.

• People struggle with the question: Where will I go when I die?

• Every single culture on the planet wrestles with this question.

• Some deny there is an eternity, others pour themselves into today living for this world.

• But the gospel addresses it by offering ETERNAL LIFE.

#4 – SECURITY.

• Everyone has a need to be loved and accepted.

• No matter what a person looks like on the outside, they have this need deep down on the inside.

• There is only one way to have that need met and it’s thought the gospel and a real relationship with Jesus.

These needs are common to every single human being on the planet.

• AND through the gospel, they are answered with certainty, clarity, and finality. The gospel gives both HOPE & HELP!

• In Jesus there is life….

John 10:10 (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

SO THEN, the question becomes ‘how does a person get into heaven? What is the requirement?’

• And this is where man and religion have rushed in with answers that wildly go all over the place.

• But the Bible says that what we need to get to heaven is righteous perfection.

• Well, some say, I’m a good person doing good and therefore compared to so and so I’m righteous & perfect! But Bible says:

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Filthy rags… think of a dirty, soiled, stinky diaper.

• If I was to run over to the nursery right now & bring one back for you and just drop right here in the middle of the room! WHEW!

• GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE! You’re right.

• That’s our righteousness before God! It stinks!

• AND we can be sure, God will NOT accept it.

• So we need a righteousness FROM God… look again at v16-17

I. (1:17) A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD!

1. (17) THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS

a. The gospel is good news… really good news.

b. Activated by faith, salvation brings the very righteousness of God into our lives!