THE GOOD NEWS!

The Good News is the message of what the God who created the Heavens and the Earth has done through our Lord Jesus Christ to reconcile humanity with Our Father in Heaven.

At it's core, there are three inseparable realities. Christ's death, His Resurrection, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit as He sanctifies those who believe, filling them with immense joy, and unshakeable peace beyond comprehension.

God is Holy, Just. and the source of all life. Humanity, though created in His image, has fallen into sin, which is not only wrongdoing, but a condition, whether willful or done ignorance that separation from God which affects our very nature, desires, and actions..

in the depth of His Love, God sent His Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth to Earth, fully God, and fully man to take on the weight of our sin and accomplish what we could never do.

Jesus was like us in every way, yet He lived a perfectly righteous life, resisting temptation in every way and fulfilling God's law without sin.

He willingly was beaten and endured an excruciating  death by crucifixion on a cross as a purposeful sacrifice that covers all of humanity!

Christ dies in our place. Through His death, the barrier between God and humanity was removed for all those who trust in Him.

Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus rose form the dead! Jesus didn't just come back to life, He conquered death.

The resurrection of Jesus is the confirmation and completion of His saving work. Without His return to life, there is no Victory over death.

The moment someone believed in their heart that Jesus was raised from the dead, and declares with their mouth that "Jesus is Lord (over their life,)" they are justified before God.

All sin and harm is forgiven, the righteousness of Christ is credited to them, and they are declared right with God, not based on their works or good deeds, but through faith in Christ's finished works!

This is the Gift of Grace.

After His resurrection and ascension, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within those who believe.

The Christian life isn't lived by human willpower, the Holy Spirit, through small intentional steps of obedience, does all the work to help draw us to Christ, give us new life, and empower us in becoming more like Jesus, to the will of the Father in Heaven.

Immense revelation of the Holy Spirit comes through Baptism, an intentional public declaration of your faith in Jesus that involves submersing yourself in water and being raised to life!

Sanctification is the ongoing process  by which believers are transformed to become more like Jesus.

There is no uniform timeline to sanctification.. We need to always be gentle and patient. So long as someone declares with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, we extend the trust that God is doing the work in their heart.

The Holy Spirit works within us to change our desires, shape our character, help us put sin to death, and produce Spiritual Fruit (joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, etc.)

Jesus describes the Christian life as abiding in Him, like branches to a vine.

To abide in Christ means, to trust in Him fully and continuously, trusting in His Word, depending on His Spirit, and living in loving obedience.

We don't produce spiritual growth on our own. Instead, we grow as we stay connected to Christ, allowing His life to flow through us.

The Gospel doesn't end with personal transformation in this life. It points toward a future hope:

- The full restoration of creation

- The resurrection of our bodies

AND

- Abundant, Eternal Life in the presence of God

What began with Christ's resurrection, will culminate in the complete renewal of all things!