It’s the Good News of the Christian Faith. Even though Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, there is hope. The full text of Romans 6:23 says:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NASB
This is the message that sets apart the Christian faith, but it’s only the beginning.
Salvation in Christ is the first step, the most crucial one, but it is far from the full measure of what God wants to offer those who follow Him. To the non-believer, the person who doesn’t really know God, what weight does the message of the Gospel carry? Unless they understand their desperate condition of living in sin, how can they know they need a savior? Some feel it when they suffer the consequences of their sin or the hardships of life in a fallen world, and recognize they need something more than what they have to deliver them from it. The prescribed answer to share as Christians is the Gospel of salvation. But what does that mean for our middle class neighbor just going through the motions, or the business man working 60-70 hours a week to make a six figure paycheck, or any other person living everyday life.
What do we have to offer the person bearing the weight of their sin day to day, but not so desperate as to feel that it’s unbearable on their own? We might convince them they need Jesus Christ as their savior if they believe that what the Bible says in Romans 6:23 is true. Yet, how could they believe it if they don’t know or trust the God who gave the Scripture to us?
Even if they do accept Christ in that moment, it doesn’t suddenly make life easier or better. They’ve only opened the door to the place where their lives begin to change. It’s not to say that the Holy Spirit can’t radically change a person’s circumstances in an instant, or that it’s never happened that way in someone’s life. But that’s not the point of salvation. Trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross saves you from your deserved, eternal punishment in that moment, but it only begins the work of changing your life.
If you take one step back in Romans chapter 6 to verse 22, it says:
“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” NASB
The ultimate outcome of salvation is eternal life, but the immediate benefit we receive when we trust in Christ is the life changing process of sanctification. Everyone has some sort of question about how to go about the various aspects of their life. From relationships to finances, nutrition, and mental or emotional well being, humans have been trying to navigate the different aspects of their lives with whatever resources they can muster. It’s clearly demonstrated in the rows and rows of “self-help” books at your local bookstore. Search for “self-help relationship books” on Amazon and you’ll find over 60,000 results, but there’s only one book that has all of the answers.
That book is the Holy Bible. God’s Word given to us. Here’s the thing though, you can’t just pick it up and begin reading and get all the answers up front. Much like all of life, there are nuances and caveats that need to be navigated before they are fully understood. Doesn’t it make sense though that the book that contains all the answers to all the layers and unique circumstances of questions in life isn’t a step by step instruction manual? Life just isn’t that easy.
It would be impossible to impart all of the information contained in the Bible into someone as you share the Gospel with them. What we can do is explain to them what it means for their life to take that first step. It means getting to know our Creator, and being taught by Him about who He is and His intention for how we are supposed to live our lives. If He created the world we live in, He would know how best to go about living in it. This is what most of those who go through their day-to-day lives without Christ are looking for. They are the ones buying those books off the shelf that try to tell you how to “be a better you” or what “the seven habits of successful people” are. They aren’t desperate enough to cry out for a savior, but hey, a book might give them some good ideas to make things just a little bit better.