Why do we say the gospel is the Good News?
Oo nga naman, ano nga ba ang dahilan at naging magandang balita ang message ng gospel? In order for us to make sense of the Good News, we have to understand first what the bad news is.
Sa modernong panahon natin ngayon, many believe there is no God. But the Bible and the creation are clear that God exists whether you believe it or not (Psa.19:1-11).
Would you believe that the One who gave the Good News ay meron ding hatid na bad news for us.
God is Holy
God is perfect, righteous, and absolutely holy, “Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa.6:3). Therefore, God cannot and will not commit sin or any form of malice, unrighteousness, nor approve any type of evil.
If God can commit sin, hindi Siya maaaring maging banal at Dios.
It says in Habakuk 1:13, “Napakabanal ng inyong paningin upang masdan ang kasamaan.” Kahit pinapayagan ng Dios na mag-exist ang sin sa mundo, He will bring justice to it in His own time.
Nais ni Yahweh na tayong mga nilalang Niya ay mabuhay ng banal and honorable for His name’s sake.
But the problem is that we are sinners.
Man is Sinful
The Bible is clear that we are not holy. Ibig sabihin, tayo ay makasalanan. All mankind is corrupted by its very nature, therefore, tayo ay “guilty” of sin against God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We cannot escape this truth. God gave us a “conscience” at ito ang nasasabi sa atin if we did something bad or good. Sa madaling salita, it “accuses us or defends us”, our “conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom.2:15).
Kahit na tayo’y gumagawa ng kabutihan at charity to others, we are still unable of understanding, love, pursue, and please God on our own, and we remain corrupted,
“Ayon sa nasusulat,
“Walang matuwid, wala kahit isa.
11 Walang nakakaunawa,
walang naghahanap sa Diyos.
12 Ang lahat ay lumihis ng landas at nagpakasama.
Walang gumagawa ng mabuti, wala kahit isa.”
13“Parang bukás na libingan ang kanilang lalamunan;
pananalita nila’y pawang panlilinlang” (Rom. 3:10-13).
Penalty on Sin
This is bad news. God’s holiness says He is just which demands that all sins and sinners must be punished by eternal death.
- “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die” (Ezek.18:4),
- For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23a),
- “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev.21:8),
- “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28).
The Bible shows that we cannot alter our sinful behaviors, solve our total depravity, or remove its impending consequences. Not even our good deeds, nor money, influence, and piety.
This is an absolute bad news para sa ating lahat. Kahit i-reject mo pa ito, it will not change the reality that we are all perishing and will perish if God will not show mercy on us.
If you say, “I do not believe in hell, because it cannot be proven,” well, do not be foolish to see it in person, it will be too late for you once you see it.
There is no turning back, undoing, or restarting once you die. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Di mo na pwedeng sabihin sa Dios na “patawarin moa ko Yahweh, or Oh Lord Jesus, naniniwala na ako sa inyo” pag nasa hell kana.
That’s tragic. Bad news di ba?
The Good News for Us
Is there any hope for us? Since the bad news is all man is destined for eternal death due to the demand of God’s holiness and justice, ipinakita padin ng Dios ang Kanyang biyaya at walang kapantay na pagibig.
Paano? By sending His only Son Jesus Christ para iligtas tayo sa tiyak ng kamatayan.
Sabi sa 1 John 4:8-10, “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”
Si Jesus Christ ang tanging kaligtasan nating mga makasalanan. God showed simultaneously His justice and grace on the cross.
Sabi ng 2 Corinthians 5:21, “Hindi nagkasala si Cristo, ngunit alang-alang sa atin, siya’y itinuring na makasalanan upang sa pakikipag-isa natin sa kanya ay maging matuwid tayo sa harap ng Diyos.”
Ginawa ni Jesus Christ ang hindi kayang magawa kahit na sino man para sa salvation ng tao.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom.323-26).
At sa muling pagkabuhay ni Jesus, death is defeated as evidence that in Christ alone, eternal life is true, assured, and forgiveness of sin is secured (Rom. 4:25; Jn 3:16-18).
John 3:16 says, “Sapagkat gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa sangkatauhan, kaya’t ibinigay niya ang kanyang kaisa-isang Anak, upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya ay hindi mapahamak, kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.”
In Christ alone, we can have eternal life. Money cannot save you because our days are already numbered. Only Jesus can save us. Pero ano ba ang dapat nating gawin and tugon sa Good News na ito?
Our Response
Ang Salita ng Dios ay malinaw, God is calling us and commanding all sinners to repent (pagtalikod sa kasalanan nang may pagsisisi sa harapan ng Dios) and believe by faith in the person and works of Jesus Christ. Paniniwala at pagtitiwala kung sino si Jesus (Son of God, Lord and Savior), at kung ano ang ginawa Niya sa krus at muling nabuhay para tayo ay tubusin sa kamatayas.
That my friend should be your response in humility and trust. A true saving faith is marked by complete trust in Jesus, His word, and obedience.
Warning!
Knowing facts about Jesus is not enough, ang devil ay mas madaming pang alam kaysa sa atin, pero sila ay salungat sa Dios. Salvation is God’s work, in His way, His term and His word.
Lumapit ka kay Jesus at manampalataya sa Kanya before its too late. Be humble, confess your sins, and believe in Christ Jesus and you’ll be saved by His mercy and His Spirit.