The Gospel Changes Everything
Introduction:
Today, I want to proclaim a powerful truth: The Gospel changes everything. This isn’t just a slogan or a phrase we casually throw around. This is the heartbeat of our faith. The Gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ—radically transforms every aspect of our lives. When we encounter the truth of the Gospel, we are never the same again.
Today, we will dive deep into Scripture to see how the Gospel changes our past, present, and future. My prayer is that by the end of this message, you will be reminded of the life-altering power of the Gospel and leave this place transformed by the truth of Jesus Christ.
1. The Gospel Changes Our Past: We Are Forgiven and Set Free
Ephesians 1:7 (NLT): “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
The first thing the Gospel does is deal with our past. In Christ, our sins—every failure, every mistake, every wrong thought and action—are forgiven. The Greek word for forgiveness here is aphiemi, which means to send away, to release. In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would lay hands on a goat and symbolically transfer the sins of the people onto it. The goat, the "scapegoat," would be sent away into the wilderness, symbolising the removal of sin. In the same way, Jesus, our ultimate sacrifice, has sent away our sins—far from us—never to be counted against us again.
Psalm 103:12 (NLT): “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
Our past no longer defines us. In Christ, we are new creations, and our past sins are forgiven and forgotten. The shame, guilt, and weight of our failures are lifted because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Some of you today may be living under the weight of your past mistakes, but the Gospel changes that. In Christ, your past is redeemed. You are forgiven, and your sins are erased. Don’t let the enemy remind you of what Jesus has already forgiven.
Imagine being in a courtroom, guilty of a crime with undeniable evidence against you. But at the moment the judge is about to sentence you, someone steps in and says, "I’ll take the punishment." That’s what Jesus did. You are no longer under the sentence of sin; you are free.
As Tim Keller once said, “The Gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
2. The Gospel Changes Our Present: We Are Empowered to Live Differently
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT): “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
When we accept the Gospel, we don’t just get forgiven; we are transformed into new creations. The Greek word used here for “new” is kainos, meaning fresh, of a new kind, or unprecedented. This isn’t just a "clean slate"; it’s an entirely new existence. The old has passed away—our old habits, old mindsets, and old ways of living—and we are empowered to live a new life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 2:20 (NLT): “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
This is a powerful truth. The Gospel not only saves us from sin but empowers us to live differently. We are no longer slaves to sin. In fact, the Greek word for "crucified" in Galatians 2:20 is systauroo, meaning "to crucify together with." Our sinful nature was nailed to the cross with Christ, and now we live by His resurrection power.
Today, if you’re struggling with sin or feel powerless in certain areas of your life, remember this: You are a new creation! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. You are empowered to live differently. Victory over sin is possible because of the Gospel.
Imagine driving a car that has always broken down and malfunctioned. Now imagine someone gifting you a brand-new car. You wouldn’t go back to the old, broken-down car, would you? The Gospel has given us new life—why would we go back to the old ways of sin?
John Piper once said, “The Gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God.”
3. The Gospel Changes Our Future: We Are Promised Eternal Life
John 3:16 (NLT): “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
The Gospel is the good news of our future hope. We are no longer bound by the fear of death, because Jesus has secured eternal life for us. The word used for “eternal” in Greek is aionios, which not only refers to a duration without end but also to a quality of life that begins now and extends into eternity.
Romans 6:23 (NLT): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Because of sin, the only future we had was death. But the Gospel changes that! The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life. This eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts the moment we accept Christ. We begin living in the reality of eternal life now—experiencing the joy, peace, and presence of God daily.
Church, our future is secure in Christ. We no longer need to fear death, because we have the promise of eternal life. Let this truth shape the way you live today. The Gospel gives us hope, purpose, and a future.
Picture a ship headed toward destruction, and someone provides a lifeboat, a means of rescue. You’re not just saved from the storm—you’re given a new destination, a new future. The Gospel has secured that for us.
Billy Graham said it well: “The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.”
Conclusion: The Gospel Changes Everything
The Gospel changes our past by forgiving our sins and removing our shame. The Gospel changes our present by empowering us to live a new life, transformed by the Holy Spirit. And the Gospel changes our future by securing for us eternal life and giving us hope beyond the grave.
Call to Action: Be Transformed by the Truth of the Gospel
As we close today, I want to ask you: Have you allowed the Gospel to truly transform every area of your life? Maybe you’ve accepted the truth of forgiveness, but are you living in the freedom of a new life? Are you walking in the power of the Holy Spirit today? And do you have the assurance of eternal life, knowing that your future is secure in Christ?
If you haven’t accepted the Gospel, today is the day of salvation. Allow Christ to change everything. And if you are already a believer, live in the fullness of the Gospel’s power—your past, present, and future are secure in Him.
Let us pray together, asking the Lord to open our hearts to the transforming power of His Gospel, that we would live changed lives and be a witness to the world around us.
