At Grace, our message is the gospel! In Romans 1:16, we're told that the gospel is the "power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." The word gospel means "good news." Just what is this good news that brings salvation? The good news is that even though we have sinned against God and deserve His judgment for our sin, He has provided a way for us to be forgiven. The way God has provided is through His Son, Jesus. Without ceasing to be God, Jesus Christ became a man. For 33 and a half years, Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the Father. He was completely without sin. He repeatedly claimed to be God and proved His claim to be true by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and forgiving sins. Jesus was falsely accused of blasphemy by the religious leaders of His day. After an illegal trial, Jesus was condemned to death. He was beaten, mocked, spit upon, and nailed to a cross. While hanging on the cross, Jesus Christ bore our sins upon Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus became "sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him." Three days after dying on the cross, Jesus rose again from the dead. His resurrection proved that God the Father accepted the payment of God the Son for the sins of the world. Anyone who will turn from sin and place his faith in Christ alone for salvation will be forgiven of sin, indwelt by God's Spirit, adopted into God's family, and assured an eternity in Heaven with God. This is the message of the gospel.