Author Jerry Bridges has written that, “the gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history.”

Such a claim might strike us as over-stated, archaic, myopic or simply wrong. But, that’s because we fail to grasp the dilemma in which all humanity finds itself. We live every moment of every day before the omniscient gaze of a holy Judge. The Bible says of him that, “He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9).

Were we perfect this would not be a problem. The problem is that this Judge sees that, “none is righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10), and that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Our desires, our words, our actions, our in-actions: all of these expose us as indebted to our holy Creator.

The gospel is the good news that this holy Creator did not leave us to die and face eternal punishment for our defiance of his kingly lordship. Instead, he sent his own Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, to live and die in our place. When we turn to Him in faith and place all of our hope in Him, embracing Him as our Lord and Savior, then the eternal joy of being His child, His servant, His worshiper, becomes our experience and inheritance.

If you want to read more on this truth above all truths, here are a list of resources:

• Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
• The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest
• The Pleasures of God by John Piper
  
• One Thing by Sam Storms
  
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott
• The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges