The Basic Teachings of the Bible · Study 01
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The God who created us in love has come to rescue us in Jesus Christ.
From creation to new creation, discover the good news at the heart of the Christian faith.
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Teaching, Scripture excerpts, and closing prayer from The Basic Teachings of the Bible, pp. 2–8. Read each passage in its biblical context as you study.
Creation and our need
01 / THE GOOD NEWS
God created everything good.
In love, God created man and woman in his image to receive and reflect his love.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… God created the man in his own image… Male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:1, 27
“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”
Genesis 1:31
02 / THE GOOD NEWS
Mankind turned away from God.
From the beginning, we turned away from God in unbelief to believe the lie that God is not good and that we should trust in ourselves to choose what is good and evil.
“Has God really said…?”
Genesis 3:1
“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food… she took some of its fruit and ate.”
Genesis 3:6
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
03 / THE GOOD NEWS
Sin brought death and brokenness into God’s good creation.
Separated from our life-giving God, we are enslaved to sin and to spiritual, physical, and eternal death. Sin corrupted our relationship with God, with one another, with ourselves, and with creation.
“So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned.”
Romans 5:12
“The wages of sin is death.”
Romans 6:23
God’s rescue in Christ
04 / THE GOOD NEWS
But God did not abandon the world he loves.
God promised to rescue his fallen creation. Throughout the Old Testament, he promised a Savior who would defeat evil, forgive sin, restore his people, and reign forever.
“He [the Savior] will crush your head [the serpent], and you will crush his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
“But it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced. He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved… and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
05 / THE GOOD NEWS
God came to rescue us in Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, the eternal Son of God became truly human. Jesus came not merely to teach us how to find God, but to bring God’s saving love to rescue and reclaim us as his own.
“The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.”
John 1:14
“Today in the town of David a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11
06 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus lived the life we could not live.
Jesus perfectly trusted, loved, and obeyed his Father. He fulfilled God’s righteous will in our place and loved God and his neighbor without sin.
“One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15
“Through the obedience of one man the many will become righteous.”
Romans 5:19
07 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus died for us and carried our sins on the cross.
On the cross, Jesus willingly took our guilt, judgment, and death upon himself. God reconciled the sinful world to himself through the sacrificial death of his Son.
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.”
1 Corinthians 15:3
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.”
2 Corinthians 5:19
“He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree.”
1 Peter 2:24
08 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death.
On the third day, God raised Jesus bodily from the grave. His resurrection declares his victory over sin, death, and the devil and guarantees resurrection life for his people.
“He is not here. He has risen, just as he said.”
Matthew 28:6
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:20
“Because I live, you also will live.”
John 14:19
Salvation received as a gift
09 / THE GOOD NEWS
Salvation is God’s gift from beginning to end.
We cannot rescue ourselves, make ourselves worthy, or earn God’s favor. God saves sinners entirely by his grace because of what Jesus has done for us.
“Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works.”
Ephesians 2:8–9
“He saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy.”
Titus 3:5
10 / THE GOOD NEWS
God gives us Christ and his salvation through the Gospel.
Through his Word and Sacraments—Baptism and Holy Communion—the Holy Spirit brings Christ’s saving work to us personally, creates faith, forgives our sins, and joins us to Jesus.
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.”
Romans 10:17
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Acts 2:38
“Baptism now saves you… through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3:21
11 / THE GOOD NEWS
Through faith we receive what Jesus has already accomplished for us.
Faith does not earn salvation. Faith simply receives Christ and trusts God’s promise that, for Jesus’ sake, our sins are forgiven and we are declared righteous before God.
“For we conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law.”
Romans 3:28
“Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
12 / THE GOOD NEWS
In Christ, God makes us his beloved children.
United with Jesus by faith through Baptism, we receive a new identity. God adopts us into his family, gives us his Spirit, and assures us that nothing can separate us from his love.
“To all who did receive him… he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
“You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we call out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
Romans 8:15
“…nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39
Our new life together
13 / THE GOOD NEWS
The Holy Spirit gives us new life to love and serve others.
We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for a new life of good works. The Spirit changes us from within so that we begin to love God and our neighbors as Jesus has loved us.
“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
Ephesians 2:10
“The love of Christ compels us.”
2 Corinthians 5:14
“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
14 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus gathers his people together as his Church.
Christ does not call us to follow him alone. Through the Gospel he gathers us into his body, where we receive his gifts, encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, and serve one another with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“You are the body of Christ, and individually you are members of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:27
“Encourage one another and build each other up.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Serve one another, each according to the gift he has received.”
1 Peter 4:10
15 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus sends his Church into the world with his Gospel.
The Church lives as Christ’s people in the world, bearing witness to the King and his coming kingdom. Through our words and lives, we proclaim the forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life that God has given to the world in Jesus.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
“Go and gather disciples from all nations.”
Matthew 28:19
The hope of all things new
16 / THE GOOD NEWS
Jesus will come again and make all things new.
The risen Jesus will return visibly in glory. He will raise the dead, judge evil, destroy death forever, and bring his people into the fullness of the new heavens and the new earth.
“The Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16
“But according to his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
2 Peter 3:13
“Look! I am making everything new.”
Revelation 21:5
17 / THE GOOD NEWS
God’s story ends—and begins forever—with his people dwelling in his love.
God’s purpose for creation will be fulfilled. Redeemed humanity will see God face to face, share in the glory of the risen Christ, and live forever in the joy of God’s heavenly presence in a renewed creation.
“Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.”
Revelation 21:3
“There will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain.”
Revelation 21:4
“We know that when he is revealed we will be like him, and we will see him as he really is.”
1 John 3:2
This is the Gospel
The God who created us in love has come to rescue us in Jesus Christ. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has forgiven our sins, defeated death, and reconciled us to God. By grace, through faith, the Holy Spirit gives us this salvation and makes us God’s children. And when Jesus comes again, he will raise us from the dead and make all things new.
REFLECT AND DISCUSS
Bring the good news into conversation
Use these companion questions for personal reflection or discussion with your group.
- Read Genesis 1:27, 31 and Romans 5:12. What do these passages tell us about God’s creation and what has gone wrong?
- How do Jesus’ obedient life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection answer our deepest need? See Romans 5:19, 1 Peter 2:24, and John 14:19.
- According to Ephesians 2:8–10, how are we saved, and what place do good works have in our lives?
- Read Romans 10:17 and Acts 2:38. How does God bring his saving promises to us personally?
- Which promise in Romans 8:15, 39 gives you comfort when you feel afraid, guilty, or uncertain?
- How might your group encourage and serve one another this week? Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and 1 Peter 4:10.
- What difference does the promise of resurrection and a renewed creation make for the way you face suffering and death? See Revelation 21:3–5.
PRAY GOD’S PROMISES
A prayer of faith and hope
Gracious Father, thank you for creating us in love and for not abandoning us when we turned away from you. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, who carried our sins to the cross, rose victorious over death, and reconciled us to you. By your Holy Spirit, keep us trusting your promises, living as your beloved children, and sharing your love with others until Christ comes again and makes all things new. Amen.