Why Is the Gospel Good News?

Since God will judge us all according to His perfect righteousness, we need help if we are going to escape the condemnation we deserve. Today, R.C. Sproul declares the good news of the gospel: Help has arrived.

The good news of the gospel is that God Himself supplies the goodness that you and I do not have. He gives to us the very righteousness of Christ if we trust in Him. When somebody says to me, “I don’t need Christ,” I want to weep. Because unless that person is perfect, and I know that person really doesn’t believe that they’re perfect, they need Christ. They need Christ more desperately than they need anything. More than they need air, more than they need water, more than they need food, more than they needed shelter, more than they need companionship with other mortals in this world, they need Christ. There is nothing more relevant to unjust people than the gift of the righteousness of Christ who alone can satisfy for me and for you the demands of a perfect and holy judge.

Let me review it. If God is righteous and you are not righteous and He is going to judge you according to His righteousness, you need help. And the good news of the gospel is that help has arrived. He is our help in times of trouble because He comes bearing the thing that we need the most. He comes offering His righteousness that He will give to you as your possession in the sight of God, if you cling to Him, and to Him alone.

Let me say to you, dear friends, that you may not want Christ. You may not want to be bothered with religious things. But dear friend, you need Christ. You know you’re not perfect. You know that you’re not holy, and you know that God is holy. And the biggest problem you will ever face in your existence is how to reconcile that problem. And what Christianity is all about is that righteousness has been achieved by somebody else, for me, and for all who put their faith in Him.