There is only One Gospel and it is good news for us today!

Paul writes this in Galatians 1:3-5, Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is always central to the Good News.  Without Him, there is no good news.  Jesus, the eternal One, took on flesh to dwell among us.  He came full of grace and truth, and with His birth, life, death and resurrection, has changed everything.

And He is the One who gave himself for our sins.  He died the death that was ours to die.

John Calvin said, “These words, ‘who gave himself for our sins,’ are very important.  Paul wanted to tell the Galatians straight out that atonement for sins and perfect righteousness are not to be sought anywhere but in Christ…and then Calvin writes, so glorious is this redemption that it should ravish us with wonder.”

The Good News of Jesus is not, we were weak and needed some assistance.  It is not that we were drowning, and needed a life ring thrown to us.  No, we were dead, face down, no pulse.  And the Lord Jesus has given us new life.  And that should ravish us with wonder!

Through faith alone in Christ, we’ve been rescued.  We’re set free.

Think of the story of the Israelites being set free from Egyptian slavery.  400 years of bondage.  Unable to rescue themselves or escape in their own power.  Hopeless and helpless.  But God…

The Lord sets them free, and has complete and total victory over the evil of the Egyptians.

All of that is a picture of what Christ has done for us.  In Christ, we’ve been set free from a hopeless situation and we’ve been rescued.  Set free.  Chains broken.  In Christ, we’re free from being slaves to sin, our past, and this world.

Brother or sister in Christ, you’ve been set free by the One who gave Himself for our sins.  May that ravish us with wonder today.