We live in a day when bad news is the norm. It is refreshing to hear someone say, "I've got some good news for you!" The following paragraphs contain good news!

Friendship Baptist Church is a gospel preaching church. The term "gospel" has been used so much that it's meaning has been muddled. It means "good news". The gospel is recorded in I Corinthians 15:1-4: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and in which ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that, He was buried, and that, He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures". This is the wonderful message we have for the world. There are four simple truths a person must acknowledge and submit to in order to become a child of God.

(1) You must admit that you are a sinner. The Bible states that "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There are basically three types of sins - sins of the word, sins of thought, and sins of deed. Everyone has violated God's standards as revealed in the Bible in all three of these areas. Before a person can ever become a Christian, they must acknowledge their sinfulness and the fact that they are not a Christian, they must acknowledge their sinfulness and the fact that they have broken God's law. Only pride would prevent anyone from readily admitting their sinful condition.

(2) You must understand that sin has a price tag. Because God is holy and righteous He cannot allow sin to enter into Heaven. His justice demands that it be punished. "The wages (or payment) of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). There are two types of death in the Bible - physical and spiritual. Both of them have to do with the idea of separation. When a person dies physically their spirit is immediately separated from their body (James 2:26a) and goes either to hell or Heaven. Spiritual death, likewise, denotes that man is separated from God because of sin. The final destination of those that are spiritually dead is a place called the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14-15). God loves people, but He hates sin and must punish it. This punishment is being eternally separated from God in a literal place called hell.

(3) You must understand that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that He paid the penalty for your sins in full. "But God commendeth (showed) his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Notice what Christ did on the cross - He died! That is, He paid the penalty for sin - which was death. He was our substitute and died in your stead. Though sin condemned the human race to die and spend eternity in hell, Jesus Christ willingly took on a human body and submitted Himself to God's wrath upon sin while hanging on the cross (II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 3:18). Jesus Christ was God in the Flesh. And as God, He never sinned and was qualified to be your sacrifice for sin. He rose bodily and literally from the dead to show that God the Father had accepted His death and is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for those that belong to Him (I John 2:1-2). This is the heart of the gospel; it is good news! However, it is entirely possible to know all of this and still not be a child of God. The next step is where you act upon this truth.

(4) You must repent of your sin and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. The word "repent" means "a change of mind". Repentance is when you change your mind about the way you see yourself, your sin, and the Savior. repentance is when a person sees himself as a sinner in need of salvation, not as a righteous person who has done no wrong. It is when one sees sin as that which crucified Christ and no longer wants to live in sin, but serve God. It is when a person realizes that they cannot go to Heaven on their own terms, but they need a Savior and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. This attitude is expressed by trusting Christ, and Him alone, for forgiveness of sins and a new life (John 1:12-13). It is expressed in a simple prayer like this:

Dear Lord, I know that I have sinned against You and I am sorry for it.
I believe that when Jesus Christ died on the cross He bore all of my sins.
Right now, I am receiving Jesus Christ as my Savior.
Lord, forgive me and change me. Help me to live for You.
Have mercy upon me and save me.

For more information, email us at information@FriendshipBC.net