The Good News
ELIZABETH JEAN-MARIE
One of the primary tenets of Christianity is that we are
obligated to spread the “good news”—in other words, the
Gospel. But what is this good news? Simply put, the Gospel
is embodied in Jesus Christ, Whom we, as Christians,
believe is God the Son, and Who came down to earth in
the flesh (John 1:14). We believe that Jesus Christ is one
with the Father, and that when He walked the earth, He was
both fully human and fully God (John 10:30). We believe
that He is the Savior that was long awaited by the people of
Israel and foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament.
Jesus Christ lived the sinless life that we could not and
died the sinner’s death that we will not. He died for us
sinners, to justify us in the sight of God (Romans 1:16).
Accordingly, whoever believes in Him will not perish,
but will have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Gospel
was not intended for righteous people, for none of us
are righteous; all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God (Romans 3:23). Even the people we consider
morally just could never completely live up to God’s standards.
This doesn’t mean that we may purposely continue in
sin. Those who believe in Christ have been freed from
the chains of sin (Romans 6:1-2). Through Him, we can
conquer our failures and mistakes. When we choose to
follow Jesus, our main purpose in life is to glorify Him. We
must glorify Him in all that we do, whether that be in our
academics, our talents or skills (1 Chronicles 16:23-25).
We will experience pain (Psalm 34:19), and we are called
to endure suffering (2 Timothy 3:12). But there is no way
these sufferings can compare to the glory that will be
revealed to us in Christ (Romans 8:18). We believe that
Christ will return, and that when He returns, eternal life with
Him is our reward, which comes through repentance and
belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
The staff chips in on why they personally believe in Jesus Christ:
How does one come to believe that
God exists, and that Jesus is His Son,
outside of personal experience?
“Through trial and error, you see that
nothing else fits the way God does.”
To someone unfamiliar with the
faith, how would you describe
what it means to be a Christian?
“Relying on God for everything.”
“We are in need of a savior.”
“Always having God in the front of your
mind—present in everything you do.”
“Romans 6:12.”
“By faith.”
“By choice. You can be a non-believer
and still be a good person, but it’s
because we are made in God’s image.”
“By having a community and a foundation.”
“Truth and historical accuracy of what
Jesus did for us validate our faith.”
“We don’t have proof, but we have evidence in
the healing, transformative power of Jesus.”
18
CORNERSTONE Magazine
“We can’t settle for lukewarm. In
order to be a true Christian, we
have to be on fire for Christ.”
“Being a Christian is
being different, being set
apart from the world.”
“To be a Christian is simply
to be like Christ; He is the
standard to live by.”
“Christianity is this constant act of letting go; the biggest
thing is letting go of yourself and understanding that
you are in the hands of someone who is infinite.”
“Serving others.”