"In the beginning, God created..."
Genesis 1:1
This is where it all begins. The Bible tells us that God has created you and me, the universe, and everything else. Because God is our Creator, he has the right to tell us how to live. He created us to love, serve, and enjoy being with him forever. God is perfectly holy and righteous, which means he is completely pure and hates all evil.
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves"
1 John 1:8
Instead of seeking God and loving him, we have all rebelled against him and done wrong. This places us in danger of eternal punishment, which we rightly deserve because of our sin against our Creator. One day we will all die and be held accountable for our every evil thought, word and deed.
"There is salvation in no one else"
Acts 4:12
Here comes the good news — the gospel — that even though we are sinners who deserve hell, God in his great love and mercy has provided a saviour so that we can be forgiven. God sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, and died on the cross taking on himself the punishment for the sin of all those who will turn and trust in him. Three days later he rose from the grave, conquering death itself.
"Repent and believe in the gospel"
Mark 1:15
How does this apply to us? God commands us to turn away from our sin and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness and salvation. If we turn toward God and have faith in the Lord Jesus and what he has done, we are saved and born again into a new and eternal life with God our Creator. Now that's good news indeed!
