The Gospel — How We Are Made Right With God

Romans 1:16 says, “The gospel…is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” But what exactly is the gospel—and what happens when we truly believe it?

This first study explains the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The companion study, New Life in Christ — The Miracle of Salvation, explores the supernatural work God does in saving those who believe.

To believe the gospel is to stop trusting in yourself and trust in Jesus—for forgiveness, for peace with God, and for the life with Him you were made for—depending on Him as the Savior who died and rose again for you, and recognizing Him as the risen King who reigns.

But first we have to understand why we need saving in the first place:

We can’t be good enough to go to heaven. God doesn’t weigh our good and bad deeds to decide who gets in. Because He is holy and just (and of course we want a God who is just), every sin must be paid for. Think about your own life. Have you ever lied, acted selfishly, or failed to love someone as you should? We all have. None of us has lived a perfectly righteous life (Romans 3:23). Even one sin makes us guilty before a holy God and disqualifies us from heaven (James 2:10).

But even though we were guilty, God still loved us (Romans 5:8). We didn’t have to earn His love or make ourselves worthy of it. His love came first. (1 John 4:9–10) And He didn’t merely say He loved us—He demonstrated it by sending His own Son to die for us, bearing the penalty for the very sins that separated us from Him. Through Jesus, God made a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be restored to the relationship with Him that we were created to enjoy, but that sin had broken.

Who is Jesus? The Bible shows us that Jesus is not just a good teacher or a prophet—He is far more:

• Fully God – one with the Father, equal in power and glory (John 10:30; John 1:1; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1; Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 2:9)
• The Son of God – sent in love, revealing the Father and offering eternal life (John 3:16; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:20)
• The promised Messiah – the one foretold in the Old Testament who would rescue and redeem (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:5–6; Luke 24:44–47)
• The Creator – through Him, everything was made (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17)
• The Lord and King of all (Philippians 2:9–11; Revelation 19:16; Acts 5:31)

What did Jesus do? He became human (John 1:14, 1 John 4:2), lived a sinless life, and died on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins. He lived the perfectly righteous life we could not live. God cannot simply wave away sin as though it does not matter. He is just, and sin must be judged. But out of love, He sent His Son to bear that judgment in our place. Because He was sinless, He had no sins of His own to pay for and could offer Himself as the perfect, acceptable sacrifice in our place. Through His sacrifice, we can be forgiven, made new, and brought into relationship with Him. At the cross, God upholds His justice while making sinners right with Himself through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25–26; Romans 8:3–4; Hebrews 7:26–27; Hebrews 10:11–18; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He was buried and rose from the dead, defeating death and confirming that His sacrifice was accepted and our debt paid in full. If He had remained dead, we would still be in our sins (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17).

He did it all to bring you into a relationship with Himself, now and forever—not to give you a system of religious duties by which to earn God’s acceptance. Jesus saves us so that we can know Him personally—come to Him freely, speak to Him in prayer, hear Him through His Word, and learn to trust His love in everyday life. Eternal life begins now in knowing God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3). He invites us to walk with Him, learning to trust Him more deeply as we come to know Him.

So, we can each pay the price for our own sins (eternal separation away from God, 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9), or trust fully in Jesus who paid the price for us so that we could be brought near to God (1 Peter 3:18).

How do we respond?

The Holy Spirit opens our eyes (John 6:44; John 6:65; 2 Corinthians 4:4–6; Acts 16:14) to see that God is real, that our sin separates us from Him, and that Jesus is the only One who can save us.

To repent means turning from sin and self-reliance—not by cleaning up your life first, but by turning to Jesus and trusting what He has done for you.

To believe means entrusting yourself to Jesus—not just agreeing with facts, but relying on Him alone to save you, rather than on your own goodness or efforts.

Even our faith is a gift of God’s grace. He enables us to believe in Jesus, rather than leaving us to find our way to Him on our own (Ephesians 2:8–9; Philippians 1:29).

Salvation isn’t about saying the right words—it’s about placing your trust in the right Person.

If God is stirring your heart, don’t ignore it.
Acknowledge your need for Him. Turn to Jesus, trusting Him alone to save you.

What happens next?

The Jesus we trust for salvation also calls us to follow Him. When we trust Jesus, we step into a new life with Him—not just someday in heaven, but starting now.

To be a disciple means to walk with Jesus, learn from Him, and grow to become more like Him. God makes Himself known through His Word, the Bible. As we read it, we learn who He is, what He has done, and what He promises. His Spirit helps us understand and put that truth into practice. As we come to know Him more deeply and understand more of His love for us, our trust in Him grows and our love for Him deepens. Following Him grows out of that relationship; it is our response to His love, rather than a way to earn His acceptance.

This new life begins with a miracle: God gives us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us, joins us to Jesus, and empowers us to know Him, love Him, and follow Him. We still need to grow, but we now have God’s presence and power at work within us (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 5:16–25).

What has God actually changed? More than we can discover by looking at ourselves or measuring how we feel. In New Life in Christ — The Miracle of Salvation, we explore 30 truths about what God has made true of us in Jesus, how He is changing us, and the future He has promised. Understanding these gifts helps us live with Him in confidence and wonder.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org