Simplicity

The gospel at its heart is a very simple thing. We Christians can and do tend to over complicate some matters. If you look at Genesis, you see the true foundation for the gospel.

In Genesis 3, we see Adam and Eve disobey God. God had told them previously that if they disobeyed the penalty would be death. Did Adam and Eve die? Eventually, but on that day the Bible says God made them coats of skin. I have never seen an animal live after being skinned! An innocent creature paid their price for sinning. And so God cursed mankind to suffer for their sin and cast them out of the perfect Garden.

In Christ we see this story played out on an eternal scale. Christ was God manifested (made known) in the flesh (John 1:1, 14). The life He led was sinless, therefore He was innocent before God and man. On the cross, His death paid my penalty for being a sinner: death. His resurrection is evidence that God accepted His payment eternally for the sins of those who will repent and believe in Christ.

Let me shorten it even further. God said if you sin, the penalty is death. Man is sinful and death has overcome every man (or woman) who has ever lived. Christ paid that penalty for me and offered me salvation from my penalty. I accepted and am now considered free in God's eyes from that penalty.

That offers lies at your doorstep if you haven't accepted it.