6. Response | God's Good News | Presenting the biblical gospel so that you might find free and abundant eternal life.

God lays before us one of two responses to his mercy and love.

There you have it, God’s good news, the wonderful account of what God did in reconciling sinners to himself. Does this make sense to you? Has the Spirit of God convicted you of your sin, convinced you of your need and of what God has done in his Son to meet that need? Has he brought you to a point where you want to repent of your sin and place your trust in Christ? If so, review what you have read above, and express to God in prayer your understanding, your repentance, and your trust in his Son. Tell God in your own words that you:

Admit you are a sinner in rebellion against him
Rightfully deserve only his justice and condemnation for your sins
Understand what he has done through the perfect life, the sacrificial death, and the victorious resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ
See the beauty of his incredible mercy, amazing grace, and glorious love
Turn from your sinful rebellion out of a genuine sorrow for your sin because it dishonors and displeases God
Place your complete trust, not in who you are or what you did, could do or could ever do, but entirely and exclusively in Jesus Christ and what he did in the place of sinners
Desire from this day forward, by God’s grace, to follow Jesus as his disciple—loving, serving, and obeying him in all of your life

What is your response to what God has told you?—repent or rebel? Those are the only two options.¹ Either we bow our hearts before Jesus, repenting of our rebellion against him, or we remain in our rebellion.² The question that confronts us, though, is: “How could we refuse such a great salvation and turn our back on such a loving God?”

What happens next?

If you do profess faith in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and reconcile you to God, remember that it is all of God. And it is in dependence upon God that you will grow and mature as his child. God gives you several ways by which you can grow in your new relationship with him.

Gather with God’s people for worship³ and fellowship.⁴
Read the Bible⁵ to learn of God and his will for your life.
Approach God continually in prayer.⁶
Commit⁷ your ways to the Lord.
Engage others⁸ for Christ.

If you are not at the point of turning to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance, continue to study God’s Word, the Bible, asking him for his wisdom and help for you to understand this most wonderful and urgent of messages that you might know the joy of having your sins forgiven and the peace of a personal relationship with the living God as your Father in heaven.

The Gospel of John is a great book of the Bible to learn about this life that God offers in Jesus. You might read a chapter a day, asking God to show you the beauty of his gift of life. Listen to God’s promise from John’s Gospel:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.⁹

Next chapter 7. Growth

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Matthew 12:30

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 4:23

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
2 Timothy 3:14-16

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness...
Colossians 4:2

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-8; 1 Peter 1:14-15; Proverbs 3:5-8

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

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As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct...

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:15

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation...

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...
John 20:30-31

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.