Good News

The Good News of Jesus Christ

You Can Have Peace With God

The good news of Jesus Christ, plainly explained through the words of Scripture.

God created us to know Him, but our sin has separated us from Him. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to save sinners and bring us back to God. This page follows the words of Scripture to explain that good news.

What Is the Good News?

The word gospel means good news. The Bible's good news begins with who God is, what has gone wrong, and what God has done through Jesus Christ.

God made us, and He is good

God is our Creator. He is holy, which means completely good, without any fault. He is also loving. He made us to know Him, and life is meant to be lived in friendship with Him.

Sin has separated us from God

Every person has sinned. Sin is turning away from God. It shows up in what we do and say, and in what we love. Because God is perfectly good, our sin separates us from Him. This is true of all of us, without exception.

And we cannot fix it ourselves. Good deeds, religious effort, moral living, baptism, and church attendance cannot make a person right with God. The problem is deeper than our behavior. We stand guilty before a holy God.

Jesus Christ came to bring us back

The Bible presents Jesus as fully God and fully man. He is God's own Son, and He entered our world as one of us. He was not merely a great teacher. Unlike anyone else who has ever lived, He never sinned.

Then He died the death our sins deserved. On the cross, Jesus took the place of sinners, bearing the judgment we earned. He was buried, and on the third day He rose bodily from the dead. The resurrection proved that His sacrifice was accepted and that death has been defeated.

Salvation is a gift

To be saved means to be rescued from sin and brought into peace with God. It is not a wage we earn. It is a gift God gives, by His grace, to everyone who turns from sin and trusts in Jesus Christ. The sections below walk through this one step at a time, using verses from the Bible's book of Romans.

The Romans Road

The Romans Road brings together several passages from Paul's letter to the Romans to explain our need for salvation and how God saves through Jesus Christ. Read them slowly. Each passage is shown in the King James Version (KJV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).

  1. Step One We Have All Sinned

    The Bible begins with the truth about every one of us: we have sinned against God.

    King James Version (KJV)

    As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

    Romans 3:10–12 KJV

    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

    Romans 3:23 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 3:10–12 at ESV.org.

    Romans 3:10–12 ESV

    Read Romans 3:23 at ESV.org.

    Romans 3:23 ESV

    Sin includes the wrong things we do, and it also describes the condition of our hearts, bent away from God. Measured against God's holiness, every one of us falls short. The point is not that some people are worse than others. The Bible says plainly that this is true of everyone.

    Sin affects every one of us, and it carries a real cost.

  2. Step Two Sin Has a Cost

    Sin carries a real cost, but God offers something we could never earn.

    King James Version (KJV)

    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

    Romans 6:23 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 6:23 at ESV.org.

    Romans 6:23 ESV

    This verse sets two words side by side: wages and gift. Wages are earned; a gift is freely given. Sin brings physical death and eternal judgment. God offers eternal life through Jesus Christ. This gift cannot be earned. It must be received by faith.

    We have earned death, but God has shown His love by giving His Son.

  3. Step Three God Has Shown His Love

    God did not wait for us to clean ourselves up. He acted first.

    King James Version (KJV)

    But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    Romans 5:8 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 5:8 at ESV.org.

    Romans 5:8 ESV

    God did not wait for us to become worthy. He knew we never could be. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The cross shows how serious sin is, because it required such a price. It also shows how deep God's love is, because He willingly paid it.

    Christ died for sinners, and God raised Him from the dead.

  4. Step Four Jesus Is the Risen Lord

    God raised Jesus from the dead, and He calls us to trust Him and confess Him as Lord.

    King James Version (KJV)

    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

    Romans 10:9–10 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 10:9–10 at ESV.org.

    Romans 10:9–10 ESV

    To believe that God raised Jesus from the dead is to believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be: the living Lord. To confess Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His rightful authority and depend on Him for salvation.

    Genuine faith does not merely agree with facts about Jesus. It depends on Christ alone for salvation and receives Him as Lord.

    God's promise is open to everyone who calls on the Lord in faith.

  5. Step Five Call Upon the Lord

    The invitation is open to everyone, including you.

    King James Version (KJV)

    For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

    Romans 10:13 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 10:13 at ESV.org.

    Romans 10:13 ESV

    In this verse, “whosoever” means anyone, from any background, with any past. Salvation is offered to everyone who comes to Christ in genuine faith. No one is saved by growing up in a religious family, by good works, by church involvement, by baptism, or by repeating certain words. To “call upon the name of the Lord” is to turn to Jesus Himself and ask Him to save you. He will.

    Those who call on Christ receive peace with God and a new standing before Him.

  6. Step Six Peace and a New Standing

    Those who trust in Christ receive what this page began with: peace with God.

    King James Version (KJV)

    Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

    Romans 5:1 KJV

    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

    Romans 8:1 KJV

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Read Romans 5:1 at ESV.org.

    Romans 5:1 ESV

    Read Romans 8:1 at ESV.org.

    Romans 8:1 ESV

    Justified is a courtroom word. It means God declares a person righteous because Christ's righteousness is counted as theirs. The person who trusts Christ has peace with God, and there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus.

    This does not mean life becomes easy, and it does not mean Christians never struggle with sin again. They do. But their standing before God no longer rests on their own performance. It rests on Christ.

    These truths call for a response of repentance and faith.

What Does It Mean to Respond?

The Bible describes the response God calls for with two words: repentance and faith. They belong together.

Repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is a change of mind and direction, not a promise to be perfect.

Faith means trusting in who Jesus is and what He accomplished. He died for your sins and He rose from the dead. Faith rests on Him, not on your own goodness.

Confessing Jesus as Lord means recognizing His rightful authority over your life. It is saying honestly, “You are Lord, and I am not.”

Salvation is received, not earned. Knowing the facts of the gospel is not the same as trusting Christ. To respond is to turn to Jesus in repentance and place your faith in Him.

A Prayer of Response

A prayer is not a formula, and merely repeating words does not save anyone. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ Himself. Prayer is simply a way to speak honestly to Him. If you want to turn from sin and trust in Christ, you might pray something like this, in these words or your own:

God, I know that I have sinned against You and cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Forgive me, save me, and help me follow Jesus as my Lord. Amen.

The prayer itself does not save. Jesus Christ saves. If you are turning to Him in repentance and faith, your hope rests in who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.

What Comes Next?

Trusting Christ is the beginning of a new life. Here are some practical first steps.

  • Begin praying. Speak honestly to God in your own words. Thank Him, confess your sins, ask for His help, and learn to depend on Him.
  • Start reading the Bible. The Gospel of John tells about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Romans contains the passages used in the Romans Road. Either book is a good place to begin.
  • Find a faithful local church that believes and teaches the Bible, and become part of it. Following Jesus was never meant to be done alone.
  • Tell a mature Christian you trust about your decision. They can encourage you and help you grow.
  • Be baptized. Baptism does not earn salvation. It is an act of obedience and a public way of identifying with Christ.
  • Keep learning what it means to follow Jesus. That will take the rest of your life, and there is always more of Him to know.

The Invitation Is Open

You do not need to make yourself worthy before coming to Christ. No one ever has. He receives sinners; that is why He came. The invitation of the gospel is open to you now.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13