We are all sinners.  Some people don’t like to hear that because it is offensive, but it's true.  We have all fallen short of God's perfect standard for our lives and that makes us sinners.  Our sin separates us from God.  In order to be brought back into relationship with God (as God intended) we must take care of our sin problem.  The only difficult thing about that is that we cannot fix our sin problem.  Note:  we cannot do enough "good things" to bring us back into relationship with God.  Good works don’t cancel out sin!

Because of God's great love for us, He came to earth on a rescue mission to save us from Satan, sin and death.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died a brutal death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and rose again to life after three days.  Jesus paid the penalty for our sins so we don't have to!  That is why the Gospel is called Good News!  Anyone who wants to be made right with God must place their hope and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and fully submit their life to Him and they will be saved.  Jesus bridges the gap and allows mankind to be back in relationship with God because He took care of our sin problem.  

The Gospel of Jesus Christ usually becomes a reality in people's lives by going through three parts of the body.  The head, the heart, and then the hands.

Head:  We must understand the Gospel on an intellectual level.  In other words, we have to understand that we are sinners who need a Savior and then recognize that Jesus is that Savior.  Our mind is very important and there needs to be a very clear understanding of the logic behind the Gospel.  But it cant stop there.  If we only have intellectual belief in Jesus, it will never change our lives.

Heart:  Make no mistake about it, Jesus is after people's hearts.  After understanding the Gospel on an intellectual level, it MUST move down into the heart.  The heart is the center or core of one's being and everything in life flows out of the heart.  When the Gospel of Jesus Christ has reached your heart, you begin to see life change.  Your desires become different.  Your begin to hate your sin.  Your love for others increases.  The Bible says that when your heart has been impacted by Jesus, God removes your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh.  This is also known as regeneration or being born again.  This is when someone has truly become a Christian.

Hands:  When the Gospel moves out through your hands you begin to do the work of the Lord.  God has called all of His people to a life of action and service that would glorify Him.  Christians are to be humble servants of the Most High God and share His love with others.  These actions do NOT save us, but they are evidence of the fact that we are saved.