Every person needs to be saved from their sins. Every person has sinned, and all it takes is one sin to be disqualified from heaven, and then your eternal destination is hell. Many good people will be in hell because they thought they were good enough. No one is good enough; everyone needs to have their sins forgiven. The gospel is what saves us, and it is what allows God to forgive us of all our sins.

We had our “Good Friday” service tonight. We were celebrating the death of Jesus on the cross. The death of Jesus is part of the gospel, an important part, but only a part. While Jesus was on the cross, God the Father reached into the past and the future and took every person’s sins, and put them on Jesus. I explaine it to kids that it was like picking apples from trees. God the Father is infinite, omniscient, and omnipresent; He could do such a thing. He took all my sins and put them on Jesus, meaning that the Father looked at Jesus as if He committed all of those sins. Jesus felt the guilt, shame, and remorse for my sins, and then He felt the Father’s rejection as the Father turned His back on Jesus as He became our sin; their “oneness and unity” was broken for the first time in all eternity. Jesus paid for our sins. He took our sins on Himself and was punished by the Father for our sins.

But the rest of the gospel. Jesus had to become like us to be our substitute. Jesus, as infinite God, equal with the Father, emptied Himself of all He was as God and became human, flesh, and blood, just like us in every way. We celebrate that part of the gospel at Christmas. He then lived a perfect, sinless life, though He was tempted in every way we are. If Jesus had committed even the tiniest of sins, He would have been disqualified from being our substitute, our savior.

After Jesus died for our sins, He was buried, and then three days later, He rose from the dead and is alive today. We will celebrate that part of the gospel on Sunday. Because He rose from the dead, all those who have admitted that they are far from perfect, believe that what Jesus did was for them and trust in Him as their savior; they also will rise from the dead and live with Him for all eternity.

The gospel is simple, free, and universal, but many people reject it. There are many reasons given, but the main one is pride; I can do it myself. Hell is hot, and it is forever. Letting our pride keep us from God’s free gift of heaven seems silly.