THE GOOD NEWS!

The goal of the cross is love… that is the Good News of the Gospel! It is a blessing so profound that only the work of the Holy Spirit can help us to understand. The cross is the mighty power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Jesus is the One who finished the work of the cross. Jesus is:

• the One who sacrificed His life for us.

• the One who took our punishment but gave us the blessing as if we bore the stripes, the nailing, the piercing, the crowning of thorns, the slapping, the spitting, the humiliation, the cursing, the yelling.

• the One who took our place for sin and wrongdoing.

• the One who got judged guilty for us.

• the One who withstood agony to bring us into relationship by cleansing us with His blood.

On occasion, we may get a glimpse of who we were, our sinful nature, according to the unsaved parts of us. Our spirit has been purified and cleansed, but our mind, will, emotions, and flesh are in the process of becoming holy. We may see and experience failure by the unsaved parts of us. This may cause us to ask the Lord, “This is whom you suffered and died for?” By seeing this part of ourselves and asking this question, God reveals the quality and magnificence of His love and desire for us; Jesus Christ died for the ungodly and considered us worth it!

By Jesus’ sacrifice, by the spilling of His blood on the cross, He completely restored humanity to a peaceful relationship with the Father by destroying our sin-nature, making us pure and holy if we believe in Him. Relationship was God’s original intention from the moment of creation. By Jesus’ actions, peace was restored between God and man (Colossians 1:20). We were restored to friendship with God by “the body of Jesus’ flesh through death, in order to present us holy and faultless and irreproachable” (entirely without blame or beyond criticism) “in His [the Father’s] presence” (Colossians 1:22 Amp). We stand before God no longer a revolting mess of sin!

In fact, Jesus’ death, leading to resurrection, is our basis of hope, and where we find our lives right now. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20). As believers, we are seated with Him. He is seated above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:21). We are seated with Him! Since we are in union with Jesus, and He shares His life with us (Ephesians 2:5), we have great privilege. This is our inheritance and our position on earth, seated with Jesus at the right hand of the Father!

But we must be grounded by faith in the hope of the Gospel. We must be steadfast, and not moved away from hope, believing what we have heard God say (Colossians 1:23). Opportunity will present itself for us to move away, to be distracted from the Lord, from truth. But the Gospel is our hope!

God’s instructions to us are clear:

•   “… run with patient endurance, and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 Amp).

• Don’t be distracted from Jesus! Our life depends on where we gaze, where our attention is focused; Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Faith is essential for our journey, so our focus must be on Him (Hebrews 12:2 Amp).

• We live by God’s strength and not our own. In His strength we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). But apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5; John 5:19)!

• We must believe in Jesus, whom the Father sent (John 6:29). This is what we must do to work the works of God (John 16:28).

• If we believe, we will see God’s glory (John 11:40). “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). What are some things that the Lord has told you? And do you believe?

Jesus suffered with His focus on us! He suffered knowing the joy of restoring us to relationship with Him and the Father. This was love manifesting itself, of God moving toward us. This is the visible expression of God’s love on full display! This is the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ!

If we know the intensity of His love, we know that He has a good plan for our lives.

If we know the intensity of His love, how could we carry any care, be worried, anxious, concerned, or doubtful?

If we know the intensity of His love, how could we not trust and believe what He says?

If we know the intensity of His love, how could we take Him for granted, not spend time with Him, or judge Him wrongly?

If we know the intensity of His love, how could we not share this great truth with others?

If we know the intensity of His love, how could we not honor and worship Him, expressing our gratitude and being obedient?

“Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us … He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4,5 Amp).

When we understand the Good News, the Gospel, we understand God’s love for us, and in love we respond!