- CHAPTER 2 -
The Good News

The good news is the God of love and truth wants to be your God. His deepest desire is to have a loving relationship with you where He can fill you with life—a good and meaningful life. He has made a way that you might be reconciled with Him, not counting your sins against you, so that you may become one of His own. He is offering forgiveness, love, peace, joy, and hope.

The good news is that the life you have known, one of deep emptiness and internal conflict, is not the life God has meant for you to live. The creator of the universe wants you to know Him in truth. He wants to share His heart with you and watch over you as a loving Father. You were not created to be a servant where you clock-in to earn your day’s wages. Rather, God created you to be a part of His family where you may live a life of love with God and other people. He doesn’t want to enslave you, but to set you free.

In this world, we are chained by pain and suffering. The world has succumbed to darkness where evil abounds and our only escape is to find paths of ignorance or struggle. We know the hurt of being denied love as people break our trust, threaten our life, and abuse our talents. The offerings of this world leave the human soul empty and dry. Anyone who feels this draught of life knows of the inward thirst for life. While we may be alive and outwardly making progress, inwardly we feel a constant misery that beckons us to the grave. We hide our heart afraid of the pain we feel. We try to remain strong so that others will not know of our demise.

The good news is that this is not what life is supposed to be. We should not feel barren inside as though something were missing. God Himself should fill that empty hole in our heart. We were not created to barricade our emotions and seal our heart from others. We were created to feel and share so that we might delight in the gifts God has to offer. We were not created to ignore life, but to live life to the fullest producing good fruit that is pleasing to God. We were not created to struggle as though we were carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. We were created to live under God’s loving rule. We were not created to live in conflict and turmoil. We were created to live in peace. When God, who is complete, is the center of our life, we also become complete. We become filled with God and filled with life.

The good news is that God is good. He is not an evil overlord trying to control you through His burdensome commandments. God’s desire is not to force you into goodness through the slavery of a moral law. God is a loving Father who wants to see you become your best. Like any loving Father, God has given us laws for a good life. In addition, as a loving Father He is offering help to live out those laws. His desire is that you will have a good life. What loving father commands his child into misery or death? The hope of a loving father is that his child will grow up to become a glorious adult. The same is true of God. He is a good God who desires your best.

The good news is that you are a valuable person. God has created you. In doing so, He had a plan and purpose for you. In His eyes, you are integral part of His plan for creation. You are not a waste or worthless piece of trash to be destroyed at the end of the day. You are not a worm, wiggle or a sum of atomic parts. You are not a mistake. You are important and valuable, so much so, that God would make the greatest sacrifice He possibly could just to keep you. He created you as a unique individual and He values your person. He wants to be your God without violating your person. God has given you freedom to love. He doesn’t want to force Himself upon you violently so as to strip you of this right to love. He desires your love given by your own choice of commitment. He has no desire to restrain you, but wants you to have true freedom where your liberty is expressed in everlasting love.

The good news is that God desires a loving relationship with you. God wants your love. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He wants to show you His plans and share His heart. He wants to commune with you every day. He wants to communicate with you like a friend, shower gifts on you like a child, and have fun with you like a sibling. He wants to be the center of your life so that your life will always be filled with love. He wants fellowship, friendship, and community. He wants you to ask Him for help. He wants you to help Him. He wants to hear all your heart’s desires and help you make them come true. He wants to be with you everyday of every moment of your entire life so that He might love you endlessly for all eternity. He wants you.

The good news is that God is offering you new life. In this world, life is meaningless. We work only to die and lose everything. We love others only to lose the ones we love. We are constantly weighed down by death. God, however, is offering a new life filled with meaning and purpose that has no end. God’s desire is that we live forever. What we gain is eternal riches that follow us around forever. When we love someone, our love does not end with death. It reigns in life. Our every action is filled with meaning and purpose because it was done for God who lives forever. When we love someone, it doesn’t depend on what they deserve, but on what God has given us. We may love our enemy because we know that our lives are hidden forever with God. Our life is bound to His life. And in this way, our life is always filled. God is eternal and the life He gives is eternal. When we have such a life, we do not have to work hard to bring value to life because God has given value to our life. In this way, we live in perfect peace. We live in an eternal state of rest where all the internal conflicts have been resolved. We do not struggle to live, try to live or just survive; rather, we live contently. When we don’t have to fight for life anymore, we are free to pursue the greatest treasure of life which is a life filled with love.

The good news is that God wants to be our Lord. With God as our Master, we don’t worry about our ourselves because God cares for us. He is our security. With God looking after our every need, we are free to live and love without being vexed about our own welfare. We do not worry about what to wear, what to eat or drink, where to live, or how our needs will be met. We have confidence in God that He will care for those things. We don’t worry about our enemies. We know that God will protect us. We don’t live in fear because we know that God is in control of our life. We depend on Him like a child does a parent. Children do not work to support themselves. They don’t earn their parents love. Rather, they live each moment at play in complete security of their parents. We look to Him like a student does a teacher. Students trust the teacher will instruct what is best for them and not lead them astray. We depend upon Him like a citizen does a government. Citizens expect the government will protect them, keep them safe, and do what is right for all of society. The government sets laws and the citizens obey. Lastly, we submit to Him like a creature does a creator. Creatures let the creator have control over their shape and being. A sculpture bends to the will of the sculptor becoming what the sculptor wants it to be. When God is our Lord, He enables us to live a life of true goodness and love.

The good news is that God is offering hope for a better future. Though we may experience difficulty in this life, we know it is for a greater good. If we suffer now, God has a plan to turn those tears into joy and give value to our suffering. The evil of this world is not in vain. God has set aside a day of judgment to hold humanity accountable for every deed done in this life. God will bless those who have done good and will answer every act of evil with righteous justice. God is good, and in that day, God will do what is good. Evil, death, pain, and suffering will come to an end. Peace, love, and joy will reign forever in the Kingdom of God.

The good news is that God has a family and a home for you. God has prepared a place for you in Heaven where you will be a part of God’s family. In this place are many mansions, room enough for everyone. There will be laughter, rejoicing, and great celebration. All the people will be united under one banner. They will live together in peace and harmony. In Heaven, we will not have to be afraid of others. Instead, we will be free to share our hearts openly. We will enjoy the fruits of a coherent community bound together under one righteous King. There will never be locked doors, weapons or shields, walls, boundaries, social classes, prisons, poverty, or hospitals. There will be gardens, music, meetings, activity, beauty, plenty, freedom, smiles, and tears of joy. Most importantly, God will always be with us. His light will always shine upon us.

The good news is a Savior has been born in city of David. He is Christ the Lord. The promise of life and love has come to us in Jesus Christ. This means the good news is near to us. We don’t have to reach up to Heaven and bring God down. We don’t have to try and figure out who God is or imagine what He is like. God has revealed Himself to us. He has come down from Heaven so that we may receive this good news. God has come to us. He is seeking us. He is trying to draw all people near to Him that they may be saved from their sin. Jesus Christ has come and is available to everyone including you.

I tell you this because I have experienced it. I once lived a life of sorrow and sin where death reigned in my soul. Many times, I wanted to die. In many ways, I tried to run from life. Then a night came where I met Jesus Christ and my life was changed forever. Now, I know the good news in the greatest depth of my heart. It not something I just believe; it is something God has planted in my heart. It is true because God is true. He has revealed it to me.

It is not enough to hear this message from God, you must possess it. You must experience a divine intervention where the one and true God comes down from Heaven and meets you where you are. In this way, the good news becomes truly good news because it becomes true for you. You will know the truth because the truth will have come to you. The truth never changes. It is always the same. When it comes to you, you will be changed. And the truth will set you free.

The question now remains, how can this be? How can you, my dear friend, enter into this wonderful news? How can you experience this?

Let us now explore what the bible has to say. Join with me as we study the Scriptures together and learn more about this message God has sent forth to all humanity. In this way, may God speak to you.