The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed good news about salvation, but it addresses the bad news of our sin and our guilt before God. There is a sense in which the good news, the glad tidings of the gospel, is good news, bad news, and worse news, all at the same time.
The bad news is that we are sinners separated from a holy God, to whom we will have to give an account. The worse news is that there is nothing we can do to reach God’s righteous standard. That leads us to the good news of the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
So, to embrace the good news of the gospel is to hear it in both its conviction of sin and its hope of salvation.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with H.B. Charles Jr. and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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H.B. Charles Jr.
Dr. H.B. Charles Jr. is pastor-teacher of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He is author of several books, including It Happens After Prayer: Biblical Motivation for Believing Prayer, On Preaching: Personal and Pastoral Insights for the Preparation and Practice of Preaching, and On Pastoring: A Short Guide to Living, Leading, and Ministering as a Pastor. He is host of The On Preaching Podcast.
