The Gospel 101

Keep it Simple Stupid (aka K.I.S.S.)

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

One of my all-time heroes is Nazi concentration camp survivor, Corrie ten Boom. When speaking to audiences, she often used the acronym, K.I.S.S., Keep It Simple Stupid. That’s what I hope to do with this short, Gospel 101 presentation. We don’t have to understand theology or be able to explain creation or the Greek and Hebrew syntax. What I have written are the basics for having a real relationship with the One Who created you. I pray that He opens our eyes and ears to hear His voice and receive His free gift. If we seek Him, He’s promised to be found by us.

1. According to God’s Word, the Bible, man is not basically, good, rather we are all born with an inherited sin nature. No amount of good works or effort on our part can change the fact that we are sinners by nature. It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.
2. God can’t look at sin, which is a bummer since we are all sinners. “He is Light and in Him is no darkness.” Like turning a light on in a room, darkness simply ceases to exist when the light comes on. Because God can’t look at sin, as Jesus puts it, we will all go to hell once we die (it is our default destination, not heaven).
3. But, and this is a game-changer, because He loves us, He chose to make a way for us to become new, sin-removed creations. He did this by coming to earth in the form of The sinless Man, Christ Jesus. Paying the full price for the entire sin debt of all humanity, so that anyone who chooses to accept this gift may receive the free gift of eternal life. This process is called being born again.
4. Jesus also tells us that there is no other way to The Father. In other words, while exclusive in that He is the only way, it is available to all who call upon Him.
5. So, to Keep it Simple – We admit we are sinners, willingly turn from our sin, tell Him we humbly receive His payment for our sin debt (past, present and future) and accept His free gift of eternal life. He then grants us the right to become children of God. Our spirit which was dead (which literally means separated) is now brought to life.
6. Things like reading the Bible, talking to God (prayer) or doing “good works” will naturally flow from a heart that has been forgiven. These good deeds don’t save us or even keep us saved, they are simply a reflection of what has happened inside us. As His Word says, “He who has been forgiven much loves much. And if you love Me, you will obey Me.”
7. As with any family, you resemble those you’re related to. In this case though, rather than those brown eyes or the big Italian nose (but I digress), the longer we are His child, the more we begin to “resemble” Him and His other children. This process is called by the Bible word, sanctification. Which is a life-long process.
8. One last important point. We are free to choose or reject this amazing-grace offer. It’s not forced on anyone (what kind of gift is forcefully given?). There is no other offer on the table. No other way to God’s home, the place we call heaven. According to His Word, no other so-call god or religion or set of good works, or sincere intentions can earn us a place in His home. And, as we all know, the stats are 10 out of 10 people when it comes to death. We all have an expiration date. A shelf life. And this offer extends only till that point.  Now is the time to make a decision. We aren’t promised tomorrow. “Today is the day of salvation.”

Sample prayer:

God, I admit I am a sinner, by birth and by choice. I repent (turn away) from my sin and turn to You. I receive the free gift of eternal life purchased by the Blood of the Lord Jesus. I accept Him as my Lord and Savior, this day. With the help of Your Holy Spirit, help me to live a life that honors You. In Jesus, name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Some of the Scriptural references used:

Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29 , Isaiah 55:6, Acts 17:27, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Habakkuk 1:13, Isaiah 59:2, John 3:18, John 3:16, John 14:6, Isaiah 7:14, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, John 1:12-13, John 14:15, Luke 7:47, Romans 8:29, Philippians 2:11-13, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Hebrews 9:7, Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Hebrews 10:4-10, Isaiah 53:5, Luke 13:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Gospel 101