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For thousands of years before Jesus was born, God spoke through prophets of a coming Messiah—a Savior who would redeem humanity. Jesus is that promised Messiah, sent to bear the punishment for our sins so that we might receive everlasting life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Jesus is God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He is the exact representation of God’s person (Hebrews 1:3), the image of the invisible God made visible (Colossians 1:15). In Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9, NIV).

“There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Adam and Eve committed the first sin against God when they ate the forbidden fruit, and all of humanity inherited the consequences: distance from God, toil, pain, death, and a fallen, sinful nature (Genesis 3).

Sin is failing to meet God’s standard, or breaking His law. Scripture declares, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). By breaking the law, we deserve punishment by the law, “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Fortunately, Jesus came to bear that punishment for us.

Now, Jesus was not the backup plan; He was the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), so that we might be reconciled with God once and for all. When we are baptized into Jesus Christ, we are “baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3), and “our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed” (Romans 6:6).

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18)

The word gospel means “good news”—the good news that Jesus Christ has come. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered into the world, bringing death, brokenness, and separation from Him. Humanity became subject to sin and its consequences, unable to restore itself to God. The gospel proclaims God’s plan to reconcile mankind to Himself and to deal fully and finally with sin.

Jesus was born of a virgin, fully God and fully man. Though tempted in every way as we are, He did not sin. Throughout His life, He taught with authority, healed the sick, and performed many miracles. Despite this, He was falsely accused of blasphemy by the Jewish leaders and was put to death by crucifixion. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God, the once and for all sacrifice for sin (1 Peter 1:19). Three days after His burial, He rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples and to more than five hundred witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Before ascending, Jesus commanded that disciples be made and that believers be baptized (Matthew 28:19). The apostle Peter—to whom Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom—understood this command clearly and declared: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). When we are baptized in Jesus’ name, we are united with His death and raised with Him to new life (Romans 6:3–4). By faith in Jesus and obeying His commands, we are spared the punishment our sins deserve and reconciled to God. This is the good news of Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

For more, see The Gospel.

Faith is trusting in God enough to act on what He has said. Scripture describes faith as more than intellectual belief; it is confidence in God that produces obedience. True faith begins by believing who God is, but it is proven by how we live in response to His Word. Scripture tells us that faith and obedient action are inseperable:

• “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
• “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).

Having faith includes believing in God: "...without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists..." (Hebrews 11:6), but it also requires:

• Following Jesus's teachings
• Turning away (repenting) from sin.
• Being baptized.

Faith is a living, active response to who God is and what He has spoken. True faith produces repentance, obedience, love for others, and a transformed life empowered by the Spirit. As Scripture teaches, those who walk by faith bear fruit to joy, peace, patience, and eternal life (Galatians 5:22, Romans 6:22)

The best way to begin growing closer to God is by regularly entering into sincere prayer. Just like any other relationship, a relationship with God requires spending time in His presence. To build your own understanding of God and the priciples we are to build our lives upon, supplement prayer with studying scripture. These two elements are essential to building and maintaining a relationship with God; If you wish to start, start here.

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6)