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The Gospel
A Free Gift?
This immeasurable sacrifice that God and Jesus
made...was given to us as a gift. We didn't earn it
or deserve it. Jesus died for us even though we were
still enemies of God. A free and undeserved gift is
called grace (literally defined as unmerited favor).
Will We Choose to Accept or Reject this Gift?
Gifts can be accepted or rejected. Jesus gave us
the free will to decide whether or not we want to
accept this gift.
What does the Bible say that we must do to
accept this gift? There are many things to
consider...and we will focus the balance of this
lesson on these things given in scripture. It
is important that you complete the
entire
lesson.
What Must We Do? Let us first look at our
relationship to Jesus and the gospel:
Paul, writing to Christians, says in Romans 10:8-10:
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your
mouth and in your heart"-- that is, the word of
faith which we are preaching, that if you confess
with your mouth Jesus as Lord*, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall
be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting
in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,
resulting in
salvation." (NAS)
Question:
According to Romans 10:8-10, as we begin to
accept the gospel...how does our relationship with
Jesus and the gospel message change?
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Jesus is no longer just a name out of
history. Jesus becomes the true Lord* of
that person's life and that person confesses
this fact. The gospel message is not just viewed
as some event in history, but it is truly
believed in the heart of that person.
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People now call Jesus their Lord, but
don't necessarily have to obey what Jesus says.
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People now call Jesus their Lord,
even though they really don't believe that He
died, was buried, and then rose from the grave
(the gospel).
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"But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is
in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word
of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess
with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord*," and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you confess and are saved." (NIV) 
"But what does it say? "The word is near you, in
your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of
faith which we preach): that if you confess with
your mouth the Lord* Jesus and believe in your heart
that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved." (NKJ) 
But
what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth,
and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which
we preach: 9 because if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth Jesus (as) Lord, and shalt believe in thy
heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved: 10 for with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. (ASV) 
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of
faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord* Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved." (KJV)