Why We Have Hope: The Gospel

How would you describe your relationship with God? Do you know Him? You may not be aware of this, but God is personally interested in you and longs to share a close relationship with you. God reveals Himself in the Bible. In order to have a relationship with God, you need to understand four things about who He is.

1. God is Holy.

Therefore, He cannot tolerate our sin. He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil,” and cannot look on sin (Habakkuk 1:13a). Every wrong action is a sin against God, and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We were made to live in a close relationship with God, but we have been separated from Him because of our sin.

2. God is Just.

Because of this, He cannot overlook our sin. God will judge all people, and we all deserve hell apart from his grace (see Matthew 25:41). Imagine a human judge: even if he is a loving person, he cannot just let a guilty murderer go free. It is the same with God: His love does not undo the necessity for judgment.

3. God is Love.

Because God does not want us to go to hell, He reached out to us by sending His Son Jesus to become a man. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” As Jesus died on the cross, He was performing the Great Exchange: “Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). II Corinthians 5:21 teaches that He completes this exchange in two ways: first, by paying the penalty for our sin; second, by giving His perfect righteousness to us. He suffered on the cross in your place and offers you the ability to have a full relationship with God as your Father, accepted by Him, all on the basis of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

4. God is Gracious.

He offers salvation as a gift. John 1:12 promises, “As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” You can receive Jesus by believing that He died in your place and rose to defeat the penalty of death for you. He will give you a satisfying relationship with Him and an eternal home in heaven.

We strongly encourage you to pray to God right now, asking Him to exchange your sinful record for His holy one. He is loving and gracious; He will save those who seek Him.