The Simple Beauty of the Gospel

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” Acts 16:31

I love the simple beauty of the gospel. God has made salvation available to all and told us how we can be saved. Though we were sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Now, if we believe and trust in Christ, we will be saved. This is a simple yet beautiful process. In coming to Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and we gain life. All we must do is believe on Him. 

Other religions do not teach this beautiful and simple promise. Adherents to some faiths must do a slew of “good works” in an attempt to earn God’s favor. When the list of their sins grows long, they lengthen the list of their good deeds. But part of the simple beauty of the gospel is that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9)!

Still others believe that they cannot have assurance of their salvation. Though they do a bunch of good works, they do not have a way to measure if they have been “good enough.” They live with uncertainty regarding their eternal destination, which can cause great anxiety and fear. However, as part of the simple beauty of the gospel, we have the blessed assurance that Jesus is holding on to us, and as a result, we will never perish or be taken from Him (John 10:28). 

The gospel is not a complex message. Though we may not understand all of its aspects or how God works through it, through the Word of God, we know how we can live in the Word Himself. It is simple yet wonderful, mysterious yet accessible even to one with childlike faith. 

Can you, like the hymnwriter, declare, “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” (My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, Edward Mote)? Have you trusted in Jesus? If not, may the simple beauty of the gospel captivate you and become the defining reality of your life.