There is one truth which is increasingly becoming irrelevant in this degenerate day and age, and it is the truth about what man is by nature – a fallen, totally morally corrupt and hell-deserving creature (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; Job 14:4; Job 15:14-16; Job 25:4; Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 58:3; Isaiah 48:8; Isaiah 59:4-16; Isaiah 64:6-7; Jeremiah 13:23; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:3-7; John 8:34-36; Romans 3:9-12, 23; Romans 5:12, 16, 18-19; Romans 8:5-8; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 2:13; Colossians 3:5-7; Titus 3:3).[1] And because men by large are ignorant of this truth, they neither know why they need salvation, nor the only possible and legitimate way in which they can be saved – by unconditional sovereign grace. There is in fact no Good News for fallen man apart from sovereign grace because man’s total moral corruption requires unconditional effectual grace and absolute sovereignty of God in redemption.

Now, in order to understand better why the Gospel is called the Good News, we need to understand first the substance of the Bad News; for it is obvious that there can be no Good News without the Bad News. And the Bad News is precisely that all men are sinners, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12). Moreover, divine justice demands a capital punishment for every sin because every single transgression against the Law of the sovereign Creator is a manifest rebellion against absolute divine authority, and as such, rightly deserving of the toughest penalty. Therefore, the wages of each and every sin is death (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23). And further, that eternal death is due to every unrepentant sinner is plain from the fact that insurrection against infinite holiness demands no less than an infinite penalty – i.e., condemnation of hell for all eternity. And, if God were to acquit unrepentant transgressors without exacting the due penalty from them, and thus spared them from death and eternal perdition, He would in fact disown His righteousness and justice which are the foundation of His throne (Psalm 89:14); and therefore, He would also disown His sovereign dominion. And thus, since God cannot and will not acquit the guilty without satisfaction of His justice (Exodus 23:7; Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18), the only way in which a sinner can be redeemed is through a penal substitute who would suffer the wages of sin in the sinner’s stead (Isaiah 53:4-6, 8, 10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). And so the ultimate manifestation of God’s perfect standard of justice is that it required the shedding of blood of His own Son for the redemption of many otherwise hopeless sinners (Isaiah 53:4-6, 8, 10-12; Matthew 20:28; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:3-7; Hebrews 9:11-12; 1 Peter 3:18).

Other however than the debt he owes to divine justice on account of sin, every sinner faces another impossibility which hinders him totally from entering the Kingdom of heaven – namely, God’s standard of righteousness which requires perfect obedience to all of His commandments; for whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For the same One that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill (James 2:10-11). God’s Law cannot be broken, and therefore, he who breaks a single commandment is guilty of breaking the whole Law. For which reason the Scripture further tells us that, “as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them” (Galatians 3:10). The very purpose then for which the Law was given to the fallen man is to reveal to him his total inability to keep it, and thus to strip him utterly from his own pretended self-righteousness and self-sufficiency, so that he could then earnestly seek after God’s free grace and mercy as the sole hope for his salvation from hell’s damnation. Moreover, in realizing that he was, in fact, totally unable to keep the Law man was to look and hope for a divine Redeemer – One Who would not only pay the penalty for the Law which the man had broken, but Who would also be able to fulfill all the requirements of the Law in man’s place. It is precisely for this reason that Christ exhorted sinners to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), for they had none, and could not have any righteousness of their own (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, salvation was only possible by His own righteousness credited to the sinners’ account, and they were thus being exhorted to look unto Him for righteousness not unto themselves! For which reason the Scripture plainly sayeth that the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:23-24), for by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God, for by the Law is only the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 3:10-11). And, for the very same reason also, the Gospel is called the Good News, for in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed without the Law, and it is the righteousness of God as wrought personally by Christ (that is, His own faithful obedience to God the Father), which is through faith imputed unto all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). The reason then why Christ’s imputed righteousness is termed as “the righteousness of God without the Law” (Romans 3:21) is because it is the only way apart from the Law by which a man may be made just with God. Which is another reason why the Gospel is called the Good News because by the Gospel, God’s wisdom is revealed in designing a way in which to justify the guilty who could in nowise justify themselves, being utterly impotent to fulfill that which His Law for the purpose of justification required – perfect obedience by faith and from the heart to all of its precepts, which inherently totally corrupt man could never do. Therefore, the only alternative way in which the utterly depraved impotent sinner could be justified was by someone else fulfilling all the Law perfectly in his place, and him receiving this obedience by pure unmerited favour (= free grace) as a credit on his account, through which he would then be declared as just with God and absolved completely from all the condemnation of the Law as if he himself had fulfilled it.

“If he, [Christ] had not kept the law, the law had such power, that it would have condemned us all. For so it is written: Cursed be he, who abideth not by all that which is written in the law [Galatians 3:10]. So that, the least cogitation that we have against the law of God, bringeth this curse upon our heads. So that there was never man, nor shall be one, that could remedy himself by this law; for it is spiritual. It may not be fulfilled, but by the spirit. It requireth us to be clean from all spot of sin; from all ill thoughts, words, and deeds. But we be carnal; and, as St. Paul saith, sold under sin and wickedness [Romans 7:14]: therefore, he concludes thus: By the works of the law no man can be justified [Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:11]. As Christ did them, they merit: for he did them perfectly, as they ought to be done. But as we do them, they condemn. And yet the lack is not in the law, but in us. The law, of itself, is holy and good. But we are not able to keep it [Romans 7:14-25]; and therefore we must seek our righteousness, not in the law, but in Christ, who hath fulfilled the same, and given us freely his fulfilling [Romans 3:21-22; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9]. And this is the chiefest cause, why Christ would fulfil the law [namely, for our justification].” – Hugh Latimer[2] (burned at the stake with Nicholas Ridley) [emphasis added, italics]

“...[Christ] was a lamb undefiled, fulfilling the law for us to the uttermost; giving us, freely as a gift, his fulfilling to be ours; so that we are now fulfillers of the law by his fulfilling. So that the law may not condemn us, for he hath fulfilled it: that we believing in him are fulfillers of the law, and just, before the face of God. Our unrighteousness is forgiven us through the righteousness of Christ: for, if we believe in him, then are we made righteous [Romans 3:21-22; Romans 5:19; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9]. When he [God the Father] gave us his only Son, he gave us also his righteousness and his fulfilling of the law. So that we are justified by God's free gift, and not of ourselves, nor by our merits; but the righteousness of Christ is accounted to be our righteousness.” – Hugh Latimer[3]

And so in summary, another reason why the Gospel is called the Good News is because the Gospel tells us that it is God Himself Who justifies the sinner, and that “freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-30; Romans 4:5; Romans 8:30).

Now, even with the penalty of his sin fully discharged and with the righteousness of Christ credited on his account, the fallen man-creature is still not fit to enter the Kingdom of God because he is  morally corrupt and without inherent holiness no man shall see God (Hebrews 12:14). The third thing he therefore needs is to be regenerated by the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 1:13; John 3:3-8; Titus 3:3-5), and thus made partaker of God’s own divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). True conversion then is when God transforms the mind and the heart of the person in order to bring them to conformity to the will and the mind of God.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. – Ezekiel 36:26-27.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. – Romans 8:1-9.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost – Titus 3:3-5.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. – James 1:18.

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

Note here dear reader that true conversion is wholly the work of God, and this of necessity, for man is not merely morally flawed but utterly ruined. And part of this ruin rests, in fact, in his ignorance of his real moral condition. For which reason, the object of every true Biblical sermon (as well as this website), is to correct this ignorance, because as long as man is plagued by it he shall continue to despise the only hope for his salvation. There is therefore no knowledge that is more profitable for us than that of our own sinfulness, since without it, a fallen sinner, which we all are by nature (Job 15:14-16; Job 25:4; Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 48:8; Ephesians 2:1-3), cannot at all comprehend why he needs a divine Redeemer and His unconditionally-effectual saving grace. We know in fact that those who think themselves healthy will never seek after a physician (Matthew 9:10-13; Luke 5:29-32). It is therefore no rocket science to understand the reason why the true Biblical Gospel is rapidly losing relevance in this age: it is because in such times of rampant humanism and ever increasing great illusion of human emancipation, man is becoming more and more blind to his own total moral wretchedness and corruption. And feeble compromised preaching which either makes light of the doctrine of the fall, or distorts it, thus soft-pedaling the implications thereof, only helps the devil’s deceptive and damnable cause.

“In conclusion, we would say, that we cannot think, with some, that such speculations into a difficult doctrine like that of original sin, are valueless that they merely baffle the mind and harden the heart. We rise from this investigation with a more profound belief than ever, in the doctrine of the innate and total depravity of man—of his bondage to evil, and his guilt in this bondage. It is only when we turn away our eye from the particular exhibitions of sin to that evil nature that lies under them all, and lies under them all the while—it is only when we turn away from what we do to what we are—that we become filled with that deep sense of guilt, that profound self-abasement, before the infinite purity of God, and that utter self-despair, which alone fit us to be the subjects of renewing and sanctifying grace. If the church and the ministry of the present day need any one thing more than another, it is profound views of sin; and if the current theology of the day is lacking in any one thing, it is in that thorough-going, that truly philosophic, and, at the same time, truly edifying theory of sin, which runs like a strong muscular cord through all the soundest theology of the church.” – William G T. Shedd[4]

The most damnable pandemic therefore that plagues humanity is our lack of understanding of what we really are by nature: lovers of sin and haters of God who say to Him Who alone can save us from hell’s damnation – depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways (Job 21:14), and we see no beauty in Thee that we should desire Thee (Isaiah 53:2). Nay, for the wondrous things of God’s Law are accounted by every fallen sinner as a strange thing (Hosea 8:12), and thus, he is wise to do evil but to do good he knows not (Jeremiah 4:22). He hates the only wise God (Romans 16:27), Who is the source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 8:22; Isaiah 11:2; Romans 11:33; Colossians 2:2-3; James 1:5), and he thus sets at nought all His counsel and would have none of His reproof (Proverbs 1:25). He hates knowledge, and does not choose the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:29), which is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, and is therefore a fool (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10). He is wise in his own eyes, has no delight in understanding, but only in airing his own opinions, being ever quicker to speak than to listen; and he trusts in his own heart proving yet again that he is a fool (Proverbs 18:2; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 28:26). By his corrupt fleshly and worldly wisdom he neither knows nor can know God (1 Corinthians 1:21), for the natural man receiveth not the deep things of God, such as – the preaching of the cross, neither can he, for the things of God can only be known and received through the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23; 1 Corinthians 2:14) Whom he has not. He is thus carnally minded and minds the things of the flesh, which is death (Romans 8:5-6); and therefore, he will not come to Christ that he might have life (John 5:40). And yet he believes himself safe from hell’s damnation and says to himself – no evil shall come upon me though I walk in the imaginations of my own heart (Deuteronomy 29:19). And regardless of whether he wants to admit it or no yet the fact remains that faith that is not grounded in the Truth of God’s Word but rests instead on one’s own prejudice or imagination is but a self-delusion that will not at all profit a man in the day of trouble and final tribulation.

The pride of self-righteousness that is so much in vogue today is thus indeed a fruit of a damnable delusion, which is none other but the ignorance of our own total moral corruption and which leads straight to destruction, for God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Therefore, for as long as man is not humbled, he cannot be saved for only through the humbling of man’s self-righteous pride is room made for the saving grace of God (Job 22:29; Luke 18:9-14). For as long then as a man does not realize the gravity of his total depravity, he will continue to despise its only effectual remedy.

And therefore dear reader, if you have placed your hope of salvation in anything else than Jesus Christ, His precious blood and perfect righteousness, and God’s sovereign unconditional all-sufficient and unfailing grace, then you are like the man who built his house upon sand – it shall not stand in the Day of Judgment (Matthew 7:26-27). Plead with God to have mercy on you and to open your eyes and heart to the only Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), and to grant you the full redemption that is in Him.

“Oh come and cast thyself at the Saviour’s feet, and say, as that poor man did, who was full of leprosy, ‘Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.’ And Jesus, in the infinity of his grace, will answer thee as he did him, and say, ‘I will, be thou clean.’ [Matthew 8:2-3]” – Anne Dutton[5]

“‘If I knew I were one of God’s elect, I would come to Christ; but I fear I am not.’ To you I answer: nobody ever came to Christ because he knew himself to be one of the elect. It is quite true that God has of His mere good pleasure elected some to everlasting life, but they never knew it until they believed in Christ. Christ nowhere commands the elect to come to him. He commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. The question for you is not, ‘Am I one of the elect?’ but ‘Am I a sinner?’ Christ came to save sinners.” – Robert Murray M’Cheyne[6]

Christ indeed came to save sinners, which we all are (Romans 3:9-12, 23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3); and if you own yourself to be a sinner dear reader, and are convicted you need a Saviour, then perhaps the reason why you are reading this article right now is precisely because God the Father is drawing you to His Son in Whom alone, you can have eternal life (John 6:44-45).  

“...if this morning you feel guilty, wretched, conscious of your guilt and are ready to take Christ to be your only Savior, I can not only say to you that you may be saved, but what is better still, that you will be saved! When you are stripped of everything but hope in Christ. When you are prepared to come empty handed and take Christ to be your All and to be yourself nothing at all—then you may look up to Christ and you may say, “You dear, You bleeding Lamb of God! Your griefs were endured for me. By Your stripes I am healed and by Your sufferings I am pardoned.” And then see what peace of mind you will have—for if Christ has died for you, you cannot be lost!...
Your only question is, “Did Christ die for me?” And the only answer we can give is—“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners.” [1 Timothy 1:15] Can you write your name down among the sinners? Not among the complimentary sinners, but among those that feel it, bemoan it, lament it, seek mercy on account of it? Are you a sinner? That felt, that known, that professed—you are now invited to believe that Jesus Christ died for you because you are a sinner—and you are bid to cast yourself upon this great immovable Rock and find eternal security in the Lord Jesus Christ!” – Charles H. Spurgeon[7]

“This was the great question that always perplexed me—“I have sinned. God must punish me. How can He be just if He does not? Then, since He is just, what is to become of me?” At last my eyes turned to that sweet Word which says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleans from all sin.” [1 John 1:7] I took that text to my chamber. I sat there and meditated. I saw one hanging on a Cross. It was my Lord Jesus. There was the crown of thorns and there the emblems of unequalled and peerless misery. I looked upon Him and my thoughts recalled that Word which says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” [1 Timothy 1:15] Then said I within myself, “Did this Man die for sinners? I am a sinner. Then He died for me! Those He died for He will save. He died for sinners. I am a sinner. He died for me! He will save me.” My soul relied upon that Truth. I looked to Him—and as I “viewed the flowing of His soul-redeeming blood,” my spirit rejoiced, for I could say—

“Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to His Cross I cling!
Naked I look to Him for dress,
Helpless, I come to Him for Grace!
Black, I to this fountain fly—
Wash me, Savior, or I die!””
– Charles H. Spurgeon[8] 

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
in ev’ry high and stormy gale
my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
support me in the ‘whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand. 

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
– Edward Mote [9]

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. – John 14:6.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36.

[1] See also: William G. T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Original Sin, in: Discourses and Essays by William G. T. Shedd, W. F. Draper, 1856, available from archive.org; Thomas Boston, Human Nature in its Fourfold State, Part II: The State of Nature, available from monergism.com; & The grossly heretical implications of the doctrines of conditional election and libertarian freedom, Chapter 1: Hollow fruits and Luciferian roots of Arminian liberation theology – Conditional decrees strip God of His sovereignty and exalt the creature at the throne of deity Part 1.3.1: God’s justice in sovereign reprobation is vindicated by man’s original corruption.

[2] As cited by Augustus M. Toplady, in: The Complete Works of Augustus M. Toplady, Section XIII: The judgment of our English reformers. Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, Bishop Latimer, A New Edition in One Volume, With a Memoir from the Author and Extracts from His Diary, J Cornish and Sons, London, 1869, pg. 140-141, available from googlebooks.

[3] Ibid., pg. 140.

[4] William G. T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Original Sin, in: Discourses and Essays by William G. T. Shedd, W. F. Draper, 1856, pg. 270-271, available from archive.org.

[5] Anne Dutton, in: Memoirs of Eminently Pious Women, Volume 2, edited by Thomas Gibbon, revised and enlarged by Samuel Burder, London, 1827, pg. 253, available from googlebooks.

[6] Robert Murray M’Cheyne, M’Cheyne Quotations, available from The Robert Murray M’Cheyne Resource.

[7] Charles H. Spurgeon, Particular Redemption, Sermon #181 Delivered on Sunday Morning, February 28, 1858, available from spurgeongems.org.

[8] Ibid., Cited hymn is by Augustus M Toplady, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, available from hymnal.net.

[9] Edward Mote, My hope is built on nothing less, available from hymnary.org.