THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS

The "Good News," the Gospel, when believed, is capable of producing the new birth.  Let's let that sink in for a minute.

The Gospel, Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-4), when believed, has the power to produce salvation (Jn. 3:3-8; Rom. 1:16).  Genuine faith in God's gift of salvation, results in a turning from sin and the desire to follow Jesus as Lord (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 10:9-10).  John wrote:

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:  which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:11-13).

To those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, what I am about to say is also good news!  But to the lost individual, whether a blatant sinner or a religious church-goer, being born again results in surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus, and to them, that is not really "good news."  Why?  Because when a person becomes a child of God, things change!  God begins transforming His child into the image and likeness of His only begotten Son.  Hear the Word of the Lord!

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). 

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:  for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Heb. 12:5-8).

"The Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:16-18)!