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GOOD NEWS is even better news when it is in response to bad news.  For example, if a person says, “I just got a job,” that of course would be good news.  But, if you knew the person who just found the job had been unemployed for nine months and was on the verge of losing their home, then all of that sudden that good news becomes great news.

THAT’S THE WAY IT IS with the Gospel Message. The Gospel is, of course, good news.  Knowing that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life” is something to be thankful for and to celebrate. But when you consider the depth of sin that’s been forgiven, then that good news become really great news.

THIS IS PART OF THE MESSAGE to the Roman Church.  In the book of Romans, Paul takes great pain to point out the sinful condition of mankind.  But as he progresses through the book he highlight the grace of God.  For example, in Romans 3:23 he says, For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.  But then, later, in Romans 6:23 he says, The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

IN THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS of the book of Romans Paul highlights the sinful nature of man.  He tells the Christians in the Roman church that man is without excuse when it comes to understanding God’s expectations of him (Romans 18-20) and he warns of God’s wrath.  He highlights specific sins including Idolatry , homosexuality, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogance, disobedience of parents and more.   

PEOPLE TODAY DON’T WANT TO HEAR the truth of their sinful condition and they don’t want to be told what’s right and wrong based on Biblical truth. This is often true even in the church.  Christians (like those to whom Paul wrote the book of Romans) chose to exchange the truth about God for a lie.  But the truth of the matter is that God’s truth doesn’t change.  It doesn’t matter what you believe, God’s Word remains true and relevant for all people of all time.

AND, AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS IT IS sometimes to hear the truth about our sinful  condition, that’s what makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ so wonderful.  Even if you have committed every single sin that Paul enumerated in this list, you are still loved by God and can be forgiven.  See, it’s the awfulness of your sin that makes the Gospel such great news!

OUR CULTURE IS STEEPED IN SIN.  Rebelling against the God of our Universe has become more open, more detestable and more aggressive.  And it’s the work of the church to deliver the Gospel message in its entirety.  The charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4 was not to “Preach a loving message that is sure to inspire and encourage.”  Paul’s charge to the young preacher was to Preach The Word…  Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  (They will trade the truth of God for a lie.)

AND WHEN THE  correcting, rebuking and encouraging is done, may it be that yet another hears the bad news of their sinful condition and accepts the good news of God’s grace and forgiveness.  In fact it is GREAT NEWS because the person who only committed one sin from the Romans 1 list is no better than the one who has committed them all if both have accepted the forgiveness of Christ.  As Billy Graham has said, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” 

THAT’S SOME PRETTY GREAT NEWS!