The Good News – What is it and Why Is It So Good?

The Broken Connection (The Good News – Part 1)

In Christianity, "the good news" refers to the Gospel — God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It encompasses His life, death, and resurrection, offering forgiveness of sins and a restored relationship with God. This is the central theme of the New Testament: the announcement of God’s Kingdom and His promise of redemption. Easter, where we celebrate the most important date for the entire world (whether we recognize it or not), has not long passed (at the time of writing), so it's only right for us to highlight and share why the good news is so good, and what it actually means for us all.

Christianity hinges on one central event — the resurrection of Jesus — which is what the entire message of Easter is about. The entirety of Jesus’ ministry rests on this event actually happening. The ultimate price paid for our souls, so we may have everlasting life and avoid the place known as hell. As much as the media and advertisements would have us believe Easter is about bunnies and chocolate eggs — (as delightful as those eggs can be) — that isn’t the true meaning of Easter. it’s the information in the first paragraph that’s important and is the true meaning of Easter

Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so important?

It’s important because, unfortunately, we have all inherited a sinful nature from Adam, who did the unthinkable — sinned against God. You see, Adam was the head of all mankind, the first of the first (or as I like to call him, the original beta tester). But he chose to be disobedient to his Creator, and thus let sin into humanity, dragging us all with him (thanks for that, Adam!🙄). Humanity sinning against the divine, breaking the connection between us and God — a connection that needed to be restored

But why did this connection need to be restored?

Since eating from the tree of knowledge, we’ve been on a one-way path to death — ultimate separation from God: hell. But God does not want this. He wants fellowship and communication with us. Only the divine could bridge this gap as in our new sinful nature we could not. So God sent the purest of the pure — His Son, born of a virgin, and therefore not born into sin. His Spirit revealed in the flesh — the divine coming down to Earth to live life like the rest of us, facing the same trials, pain, and suffering, yet remaining pure in spirit, body, and mind. He stayed obedient to God's Word, then died and resurrected, restoring the broken connection. saving us from ultimate separation from God: hell.

So in comes hell…

HELL (Part 2)

The notion of hell might seem far-fetched to some for many reasons, but I assure you, it is a real place. Over the years, I’ve come across many objections — one of the biggest being: “If God is love, and He loves everyone, He wouldn’t allow people to go to a place that causes eternal damnation. That’s not love.”

So let’s take some time to address this claim. On the surface, this criticism might seem valid, but in truth, it doesn’t hold up. Let’s explore why.

What exactly is hell, and does it exist?

Put simply: hell is separation from God.

Think of all the attributes of a loving God: joy, happiness, light, and life. Then think of the opposite — no joy, no love, no happiness just a dark, self-absorbed abyss. That is separation from God. That is (hell.) Ironically, it is God's very love that allows us to have the choice to be separate from Him. The same love that critics say would not allow God to send anyone to hell actually compels Him to do so.

But How?

Because while God is all-powerful, He cannot create logical contradictions. For example he cannot create a one-ended stick, a square circle, or a triangle with four sides. These are logical contradictions and impossibilities. The same applies to love. For love to exist, it must be freely given. God cannot force us to love Him, because forced love is not love at all — it’s a contradiction.

Lets give an example: “The sex argument”

Example 1: Two adults mutually agree to have sex. It’s consensual thus it = sex.

Example 2: One adult agrees to have sex, but the other does not. It is then forced upon the unwilling party, can we still call this sex no! It has a different definition as it’s no longer sex. It’s something else entirely — and it becomes a crime.

Just like the example above, love must be mutual and freely chosen. You cannot be forced to love someone — not even by God. Some people cannot stand the notion of god let alone spend eternity with one so God gives us a choice, and with that choice comes consequence.

Forced Love = No Love and is a Logical Contradiction

When we open the Bible — even before the main story unfolds — straight away we see god’s love in action on page 13 Genesis 2:15–17:

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’”

Notice how Adam was not forced. He was given a choice. God created everything in the universe but do we really believe He couldn’t of placed the tree in a restricted area of the garden, or placed Adam somewhere different? Or (my preferred option) surrounded it with angels, and an electric fence with snipers on the corners with orders to shoot on sight? (Just saying) Of course, God could’ve done all that. But because of His nature of love, He gave man the ability to choose. Instead instructing Adam not to eat from the tree God doesn’t want robots. He wants free people — willing to obey. And this is clear from Genesis 2:15–17 What further supports the notion of hell is the fact that God is just and fair — it’s an unbreakable attribute of His nature. If He isn’t fair, He isn’t God. That means He can’t let people who reject Him go unpunished. Nor can He force them into His presence. Just as importantly, He can’t ignore those who choose to follow and love Him. To suggest God would allow both the wicked and righteous into heaven equally is like a judge saying to a murderer: “You’ve killed ten people, but criminals and non-criminals deserve equal treatment. You’re free to go.” That would be unjust. And an unjust God cannot be God.

So, it’s clear:

1. For love to exist, it must be free.

2. For God to be fair there must be justice.

3. If God is not fair, He cannot be God.

The Good News (Part 3 – And Last)

But fear not — we have the Good News!

So what actually makes the good news so good? Is it being nice to someone? Giving a homeless person money? Donating to charity? While those things are good and we are called to do them, they are not what makes the good news "good" — because you can be clothed fed housed and still end up separated from god in hell.

What makes the good news truly good is this:

Wait for it......

“God did it.”

All the gospel requires from us is repentance and faith and nothing else because

“God did it.” In Ephesians, we see the overarching theme of what God did. Let’s take a look:

(Ephesians chapter 1 states)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory

Notice how in verse 3 it says Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HAS blessed us

It then continues in verse 4 and we start to see a pattern

·       Verse 4: for HE chose us in him”

·       Verse 5: HE predestined us for sonship”

·       Verse 6: “to the praise of his glorious grace, which HE has freely given us.”

·       Verse 8: “He lavished on us”

·       Verse 9: “He made known to us”

In every other religion, you must work your way to heaven. (mans attempt to get to god) But here, God has already done the work (Gods attempt to get to man) — because  he chose us, he predestined us it's HE, HE, HE not you, or us or them but he. All we are asked for throughout the bible is repentance and faith. And nothing more. This is one of the things that make the good news good because

“GOD DID IT”

And not only what God did — but how He did it:

In Christ.

The good news isn’t just good because “God did it” it’s also good because how he did it “in Christ”

Yet again if we go back through Ephesians we see another over arching theme

·       Verse 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world 

·       Verse 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ

·       Verse 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

·       Verse 7 In him we have redemption through his blood

·       Verse 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ

·       Verse 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

·       Verse 11 In him we were also chosen

·       Verse 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory

·       Verse 13 and you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him

Do we see it?  In Christ. In Christ In Christ

This is the other central part of the Good News: Because God did what we couldn’t do for ourselves, and He did it in Christ. Christ — being fully God and fully man, divinity in the flesh — God taking on human form. Becoming both, so that as Christ, He could keep the whole law, suffer death, and then overcome death and hell in the grave. He took on our sin, our debt, to become our new representative — just like Adam once was, Adam who represented all of us and brought in sin. But now, Christ represents all who believe — and restores freedom. His righteousness passed on to us, and our sin passed on to Him.

It is finished!

And all of that is summarised in the phrases: The good news , the Good News is good not because we did anything but because God did it all. We brought nothing to the table except our sinful natures and desires — but God dealt with this problem for us, so that we might have a chance at everlasting life through the breath of life Jesus gave us, with the price He paid on the cross. Christianity is the only faith where the hero dies for the villain. Jesus Christ — the innocent one — paying the price for all of mankind

And this, my friends, is the good news.

So by all means enjoy your Easter eggs (and buy me a few! My email address is below 😋 ), but remember: this is the time to give thanks to the One who paid the ultimate price — and offers everlasting life.

He is knocking.

Time is short.

There is a lot at stake.

Will you answer?