Basic Doctrine The Gospel Adapted from Will Metzger’s Tell the Truth

Jesus Christ G G Hell ? Heaven

1. WHO IS GOD? ► God made everyone  He is our OWNER  We are responsible to Him ► God is a love-giver  He desires to be a Father and bring many into His family as His adopted spiritual children ► God is law-maker  He is the perfect judge  His commands are to be obeyed

Acts 17:22-34 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 `For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.' "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Colossians 1:16 ► For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

2. LIFE = GOD-CENTERED LIVING ► God designed a one way road  All people are commanded to follow this road to His eternal home  God has two rules ► For our safety ► For our pleasure ► Rule #1 Love God perfectly  With everything that is in me ► Rule #2 Love others completely  As I love myself

Mark 12:29-31 ► "The most important one (commandment)," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

3. SIN = SELF-CENTERED LIVING ► Failure to obey and love God is sin ► Sin separates us from God  Relationship with God is broken  All attempts to restore the relationship fail ► Sin is punished by a God of justice ► Now self-centered, we are on a road to a hopeless eternity in hell

Romans 1:18-23 ► The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

► Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ► Romans 6:21,23 “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 23 For the wages of sin is death”

4. JESUS CHRIST: THE WAY BACK TO LIFE ► GOD PROVIDES A WAY BACK TO HIMSELF  Jesus Christ the God-man ► 1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ► 1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

► JESUS KEEPS THE RULES FOR LIFE PERFECTLY  He lived as our substitute ► 2 Cor. 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ► Heb. 7:26-27 Such a high priest meets our need-- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

► JESUS TAKES THE FULL PUNISHMENT  He died as our substitute, taking the penalty we deserve ► 1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ► Rom. 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ► 1 Cor. 15:3 “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”

► JESUS IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD  His death satisfied God’s wrath ► Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. ► Acts 10:10 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ► 1 Cor. 6:14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

5. OUR RESPONSE: COMING BACK TO GOD ► Turn (repent) LORDSHIP  From our sinful lifestyle and efforts at self-justification ► Ezek. 18:30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ► Acts 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” ► Acts 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ► 2 Cor. 7:9 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Our Response ► Trust (faith) SAVIOR  In Christ alone as your forgiver who perfectly obeyed enabling you to follow God’s rules. ► Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” ► Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ G G Hell ? Heaven