Image with the header "What is the Gospel?"

“Gospel” means “good news.”

But what exactly is this good news, and why does it matter?

To really understand the good news—and why it’s so good—we have to first understand the problem. After all, if there’s good news, that means there’s also bad news. But before we go there, let me ask you something: have you ever found yourself wondering about any of these questions?

Image with the most common existential questions: What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Does life have a purpose? Why do bad things happen? What happens after we die? Is there a point to anything? Why do I feel so empty inside? Is there a God?

These kinds of questions reveal something deeper—a longing in every human heart to understand our purpose. It’s like there’s something missing, something we’re all searching for. And no matter what we try to fill that emptiness with, it never truly satisfies.

Image of a person sitting with a bunch of questions over his head.

What if I told you there’s an answer to these existential questions? Would you be interested in finding out what it is?

Before we begin, I encourage you to keep an open mind as you consider what I’m about to share. This isn’t a myth or fairy tale—it’s a true part of history, grounded in reality. Whether you believe it yet or not, it’s real. So with an open heart, let’s go back to where it all began.

Image of a sunburst and text that says, "Let There Be Light!"

Genesis 1

Long ago, before creation, there was God. He had a plan to create everything as an expression of His love. In the beginning, there was nothing—only darkness. Into the darkness, God said, “Let There Be Light!”

And there was light. He called the light 'day' and the darkness 'night.'

Then God created the sky and the oceans, and on the third day, He made dry land appear.

Abstract image of the sea and land

He formed plants and trees, the sun, moon, and stars, the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and animals to live on the land.

Image of the sun and moon
image of land animals and sea animals
Image of birds flying

God loved all that He created—but He poured His greatest love into His final creation: mankind.

image of man and woman, God's first creation of mankind.
Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…
— Genesis 1:26

So God created human beings—male and female—to reflect His image. This means we are unique from the rest of creation. We were made to have a relationship with God.

The man’s name was Adam. He was formed from the dust of the ground, and God Almighty breathed His life into him—and he became a living being.

Nothing else in creation contained God’s very breath, so man was uniquely special to God.

God planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and placed Adam there, where he had been formed.

In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

God caused all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.

Image of a tree that represents the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

God commanded him,

'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.'

The forbidden fruit

God didn’t want Adam to be alone, so He caused a deep sleep to fall on him. While Adam slept, God took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh. From that rib, He made a woman. She was called 'woman' because she was taken out of man.

Read Genesis 2:18–23

Image of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with the serpent

Genesis 3

In the garden, there was a serpent, more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman,

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Image of the serpent

The woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,”

the serpent said to the woman.

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

image of adam and eve with the forbidden fruit

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Image of fig leaves used to cover Adam and Eve

The serpent—used by Satan—planted a seed of doubt in the woman’s mind by questioning God’s word: “Did God really say…?” He twisted the truth and made her believe they wouldn’t actually die if they ate the fruit. Instead, he tempted her with the idea that they’d gain something—that they’d be like God, knowing good and evil.

Humankind was created to walk in close relationship with God—to trust Him fully and live without the burden of knowing good and evil. That kind of knowledge wasn’t meant for us. We were made to enjoy God, to depend on Him. But the lie led us in a different direction—a desire to be independent, to be our own god. And that choice broke the connection between us and our Creator.

God breathed His own life into man, and that’s what made him truly alive. He was whole and complete because God’s Spirit was within him. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate from the tree God had warned them about, that life—the very presence of God—left them. They were left exposed and empty on the inside. You see, we were created to live in connection with God. That’s what gives us real life. But without Him, we’re like a flower pulled from the soil or a fish taken out of water—it may seem alive for a moment, but it won’t last and will die.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree, they made a choice—they chose to trust their own way over God’s word and desired to be their own god. That act of rebellion was sin entering their hearts, and because of it, God’s life was no longer in them. They became separated from Him and fell under the control of Satan, no longer free but bound by his rule.

Image of Satan

What happens when we’re living under Satan’s influence instead of God’s freedom?

5 text images of what it looks like to be under Satan's rule: Disbelief in God, Sin + Separation, Spiritual Death, Slave of Satan, Under Law

What does this mean for us?

Since sin entered the world through one man, it spread to all of humanity—including us. We were born into this world separated from God and without His life. We were born as children of Satan. He uses the law to convince us that we’re not good enough and that we’re not loved.

Why is Satan so set on this?

Because Satan wants to keep us away from God forever. No matter what we do or how hard we try, we can never make our way back to God on our own. That is the problem.

But God had a plan to save us from the very beginning.  

God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”
— Genesis 3:14-15
Image of the serpent crawling on its belly

Who is the offspring mentioned in Genesis 3:15?

It was a prophecy about Jesus and His role in overcoming the devil and his works.

God covered Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve covered in animal skin
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
— Genesis 3:21

How do the garments of skin in Genesis 3:21 point to something greater?

An innocent animal had to die to cover man’s nakedness. You see, the nakedness man felt wasn’t just physical—it was internal. When the Spirit of God left them, they were truly empty, and that emptiness is what they felt. The garments of skin represent something much deeper: a foreshadowing of what Jesus would one day fulfill—His death on the cross. Fully God and fully man, He came to die as the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Those who have faith in Christ are now covered by His blood.

The Cross

You see, God cannot dwell with sin. So He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus is God—the Christ—who came to save us. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross. That death on the cross was what we deserved. He took our death sentence and paid our debt, so that through faith in Him, we might be justified.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
— John 3:16-17

So, what do we need to do?

Put your trust in Jesus Christ and what He has done for you—and for all people. We needed a Savior because we were trapped in sin and under Satan’s control. But through faith in Jesus, those chains are broken. He took our place on the cross, paid the price for our sins, and when we believe in Him, we become His—fully forgiven and free.

When you place your faith in Christ, you become a child of God. Jesus is the answer to our fundamental problem.

Jesus carrying a child
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
— Galatians 3:23-29

What it means to be ‘Abraham’s Seed’

  • Genesis 12:1-3
    In these verses, God calls Abraham (then Abram) to step out in faith and follow Him. God promises to make him into a great nation, give him a respected name, and bless all the families of the earth through him.

  • Genesis 15:5-6
    In this passage, God reassures Abraham by promising him countless descendants, comparing them to the stars in the sky. Abraham believed God, and that simple act of faith was counted as righteousness in God’s eyes.

    • Galatians 3:7
      This verse teaches that true children of Abraham are those who have faith. It’s not about physical ancestry, but spiritual connection—anyone who puts their faith in Christ becomes part of Abraham’s spiritual family.

    • Galatians 3:14
      Here, Paul explains that the blessing given to Abraham was always meant to extend beyond Israel. Through Jesus, that promise is now available to the Gentiles—anyone who believes in Him receives the gift of the Holy Spirit by faith.

    • Galatians 3:29
      This verse powerfully affirms that if you belong to Christ, you are part of Abraham’s family. You are his spiritual descendant and an heir to God’s promises—showing the unity and inheritance we share through faith.

  • Romans 4:13
    This verse explains that God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants didn’t come through obeying the law, but through faith. It points to Jesus as the one who makes us right with God—not by works, but by trusting in Him.

  • Jesus became our truth and the way back to God

    Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

    John 14:6

  • Jesus solved the problem of sin by dying on the cross for us

    For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

    2 Corinthians 5:21

  • Jesus solved our problem of spiritual death by giving us life

    Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

    John 11:25  

  • Jesus solved our problem of Satan by crushing him

    The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

    1 John 3:8

  • Jesus met all the standards of the Law perfectly for us

    “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

    Matthew 5:17

Do you believe?

If you believe this, you can say this prayer:

Dear God,

I know I was born with sin in my heart, and that sin has separated me from You. I believe I cannot fix this on my own. I believe You sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, and that He rose from the dead. I invite You into my heart and my life.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen

What happens after you invite Jesus into your heart?

Jesus lives in your heart and you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are born again into God’s family.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
— Romans 10:9-10

What does it mean to be born again?

When you accepted Christ into your heart, your old identity—as a child of Satan—was crucified on the cross, buried, and when Christ rose from the dead, you rose with Him as a new creation: a child of God! You were reborn in the Spirit. Jesus will never leave you. He will always love you, no matter what. And one day, you will be in heaven and see Him face to face.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:3

How do we live this life on earth?

Even after choosing to follow Jesus, life will still have its ups and downs. The enemy will try to make you question your faith. But remember—if you’ve placed your trust in Jesus, you belong to God.

Because of what Jesus has done for you and me, our response is to live for Him. So, what does that look like?

When you truly love someone, you naturally want to be close to them and show that love through your actions. It’s the same with Jesus. We live for Him—not because we have to, but because we want to. Why? Because He loved us first.

That doesn’t mean we’re free to live however we please just because we’ve been forgiven. A changed heart leads to a changed life. When we belong to Christ, we willingly submit to Him—not out of obligation, but out of love. Love isn’t forced, and neither is following Jesus.

God isn’t expecting you to be perfect—He just wants your heart. As you walk with Him, the Holy Spirit will lead you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me.
— John 14:1
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
— Romans 12:2

Now that you believe in Jesus, what comes next?

The Bible says to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. We grow in grace by learning about God’s great love for us through His Word. This amazing gift makes us want to share the Gospel with others.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
— 2 Peter 3:18

Keep believing in Jesus and enjoying Him. He loved you and pursued you before you were born, He loves you right now, and He will love you forever!

heart with a cross in the middle

You’ve Accepted Christ—Here’s Where to Go From Here

Want to get to know God more? Start by getting a Bible.

Here’s a link to an online Bible you can use right away—it’s a great option until you’re able to get a physical copy.

Bible.com

I know there are a lot of versions out there, so to keep it simple, here are a few recommendations:

  • NLT – very easy to understand

  • NIV – easy to medium

  • ESV – a bit more formal, medium to hard

I’ve also included a helpful guide from Bible Gateway that explains the differences between other versions too!

Choosing the right Bible version

As a believer, it’s important to be part of the body of Christ.

Getting connected to a Bible-teaching church helps you grow in your faith and walk alongside other believers. Not every church teaches the truth of God’s Word—some have compromised the message to be more popular or comfortable.

Before visiting a church, take a look at their website to see what they believe. Make sure their focus is on teaching the Bible, not just saying what people want to hear.

Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance—He’ll help lead you to the right church where you can grow and thrive.