The message of the gospel is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Those who believe in Him receive everlasting life (John 3:16). It is the gift of God (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven and our lives renewed. We become heirs of eternal life through Jesus the Saviour. The life of the Son gives real life as God originally intended, and eternal life beyond physical death. The divine life He gives is the victory over sin and death and removes the fear of death that holds people captive. The Son sets free and those set free by Him are free indeed. The gospel message is the message of hope—the hope of eternal life!

 

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The Message of Hope

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God is life. God is eternal. God offers eternal life to humanity. The gospel explains the work of Christ on the cross, through which He ‘abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel’ (2 Timothy 1:10). The death and resurrection of the Son of God was the victory over sin and death, giving those who receive it eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). Christ's crucifixion was the victory over sin and His resurrection was the victory over death. Christ is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) and He gives life to those who believe in Him and receive His eternal life. Those who have the Son have life; they have passed from death into life (John 5:24-29). The divine transfer in Christ is from the domain of darkness and sin into the Kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13-14). God didn’t intend for His creation to be enslaved in sin and destruction—His will is life, freedom and peace. Through Christ, God restores life back to humanity lost in sin and in need of salvation, as well as eternal life. Through the resurrection Christ overcame sin and death, and those who believe in Him receive everlasting life. Believers in Christ have, therefore, the hope of eternal life, because God made them the heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:7). The gospel is the message of hope.

 

The faith Paul the apostle proclaimed carries ‘the hope of eternal life.’ The God who cannot lie, has promised this ‘ages ago,’ yet at the ‘proper time’ manifested the expression of true life and eternal life in Christ. This knowledge of the truth is in accordance with the commandment of the Saviour God (Titus 1:1-3). The gospel is 'His word' (v 3), that which God is saying (see why). This is the ‘common faith’ of the Church of Jesus Christ (v 4), according to the gospel and the faith once and for all given to the believers (Jude 3). It is the Apostolic Gospel as handed down by the eye witnesses (see why that matters). The Good News is that God did not abandon sinful humanity in the negative and destructive consequences of sin. Jesus is ‘Immanuel,’ which means, ‘God with us.’ Jesus is the Saviour, who saves us from our sins (Matthew 1:21-23). He came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He didn’t come to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:16-17). Christ came to seek that which was lost and give salvation to those who would receive it by faith and humility (Luke 19:9-10). He is the good Shepherd (John 10:10).

 

The grace of God appeared through Christ, bringing salvation to all of humanity (Titus 2:11). The salvation God offers to all of us is according to grace, not works. It is the free gift of God by grace through faith (Romans 5:17; Ephesians 2:8-9). It is according to God’s purpose and grace, not works we have done (2 Timothy 1:9). Grace is the gift of God we don’t deserve but don’t have to earn. It is a gift! ‘He saved us,’ Paul writes, ‘not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…’ (Titus 3:5). We are not saved by good works, but for good works (Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:10). The purpose of God for His people in view of the sacrifice of Christ is ‘to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession’ (Titus 2:14). God is Saviour and sent His Son as Saviour to redeem and purify. Human beings are not meant to live in the slavery of sin and its destruction, but in the life and freedom God originally intended when He created everything, notably human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). God wants us to be free from sin and live in 'newness of life' (Romans 6:1-4; see A12). There was harmony until sin disrupted all good things and turned what God intended for good into evil. The purpose of salvation is eternal life, as well as true life in this present age. We are to live sensibly and godly, not wasting our lives on sinful pleasures that bring bad consequences (Titus 2:12). God’s people must be ‘zealous for good deeds’ (v 14). He redeemed us and we are to live pleasing to Him. 

 

Of course, we were all doing the wrong things at one stage in life (Titus 3:3), but God’s kindness and love for humanity appeared in Christ, His Son (v 4). He gives salvation through the ‘regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit’ (v 6), that is, a renewed life through His Spirit, the Spirit of life. When God created human beings, He breathed His Spirit (ruakh) into them and man became a living soul (nephesh). Without God’s Spirit we are lifeless. True life comes only from the life-Giver, God the Creator. But because of sin, death came to us all. Yet in Christ, God restores humanity back to life. The Spirit makes us alive in Christ. He empowers us to live a life pleasing to God (Romans 8:1-4). The gift of God is ‘life and peace’ (v 6). Through His Spirit we become children of God and start a relationship with God; He is no longer some distant or unknown Deity, but we get to know Him as Father (vv 15-16). Through Christ and the life He gives, we become God’s children (John 1:12). As His children, we are heirs of God (Romans 8:17) and heirs of the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7). Christ is the good Shepherd to who gives life (John 10:10).

 

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