What is the Gospel?

There is a wonderful book which contains everything we need to know to live our lives the way our Creator intended (II Timothy 3:16,17). There are countless truths to live by found in this book, God's message to mankind, but if we were to boil everything down to its most basic message, this book, the Bible, makes three things clear...

First, the Bible says that mankind has a problem, and that problem is called sin. Sin is any action or attitude that falls short of God's perfect standard. Every one of us has the problem of sin (Romans 3:23). And the Bible teaches us that there is a consequence to sin - sin separates us from a holy God (Habakkuk 1:13). In fact, the Bible tells us that end result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that there is nothing that we ourselves can do to solve the problem of sin.

Second, the Bible says that there is a solution to the problem of sin, and that solution is the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). The Bible tells us that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus, His only Son, to die in our place (John 3:16). Jesus paid the penalty of your sin so that you would not have to be forever separated from God (I John 4:10). The Bible also tells us that Jesus is the only solution for our sin problem (John 14:6). Third, the Bible demands a decision. It is not enough to just know about Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for you. You must choose to put your trust in Christ, to receive this free gift of salvation that God offers (John 1:12).
What will you do with Jesus Christ?

You must make a decision. What are your options? There are only three possible answers to this question:

1. To say yes, to accept God's free gift of salvation by putting your trust in Jesus Christ.

2. To say no, to reject God's offer of salvation. The Bible says that those who make this choice will spend eternity separated from God in a place called Hell.

3. To say maybe, to try to put off the decision to a more convenient time. The Bible does say that God is patient, wanting everyone to come to the point of accepting His gift of salvation (II Peter 3:9). But none of us is promised that we will be here tomorrow, and because of this "x-factor" of death, trying to put off our decision by saying maybe automatically puts us in the "no" category. So, in reality, there are only two answers to the question, "What will you do with Jesus Christ?" To accept His free gift of salvation or to reject that gift.
Why are the books of the Bible placed in the order they’re in? Are they listed chronologically?

The books in the English Bible follow a subject arrangement and are not in the order they were written. The arrangement mirrors that of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament made a few hundred years before Christ.

The Hebrew Old Testament follows a slightly different order than the English. If you compared a Hebrew Old Testament with our English Bible, you would see that the table of contents lists only twenty-four books. At first glance, you might think some books are missing, but those twenty-four contain the same material as our thirty-nine.

The Jews arranged the books according to the official status of the writers: Moses; the prophets; and the other writers. If that arrangement sounds familiar, it should, Jesus mentioned it in Luke 24:44, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Here’s the order of books in the Hebrew Bible:

The Law of Moses:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

The Prophets:
The Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings
The Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and “The Twelve” (Minor Prophets)

The Writings:
Poetical Books: Psalms, Proverbs, and Job
The Five Rolls: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther
The Historical Books: Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles

The New Testament order is also based on subject categories. First come the historical books—the gospels and Acts. Then come the epistles—first those from Paul, then those written by the other writers. Revelation comes at the end. The early church always grouped the gospels with Matthew first, followed by Mark or Luke, then the gospel of John. It also arranged the Pauline epistles in two categories—first the epistles to the churches, then the personal letters. It typically arranged those epistles according to size or length. The personal letters and general epistles (non-Pauline writings) appear to follow that arrangement—Hebrews first, followed by the writings of James, Peter, John, and Jude.

Why is it important for me to study the Bible?

You’ve asked a good question that deserves a straightforward answer: The Bible, the only source of absolute divine authority, will inform you of God’s mind and will for your life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That is surely reason enough to study God’s Word.

The Qualities of God’s Word

You can do a quick, informative study of the Bible right now. Just match the following statements about God’s Word with the verses listed below.

The Bible:

is infallible in its totality
is inerrant in its parts
is complete
is authoritative and final
is totally sufficient for your needs
accomplishes what it promises
provides assurance of salvation
How does a person making decisions know what is the will of God?

The will of God is not meant to be a secret we must uncover. God wants us to understand His will far more than we want to understand it. He always makes His will clear to those who seek it with an obedient heart.
Most of the real problem areas in the question of God's will are settled for us in Scripture. The Bible reveals that it is God's will for all of us to be:

Saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9)
Spirit-filled (Ephesians 5:17-18)
Sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
Submissive (1 Peter 2:13-15)
Suffering ( Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:12)
If all those things are true in your life, you may do whatever you want. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." That means that if you are conforming to God's will in all the five ways listed above, He will place in your heart desires that reflect His will. So do what you want to do!