The Truth of Bad News / Good News

“However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah

Says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from

hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:16-17

I’m currently teaching through Paul’s divinely inspired letter to the Romans, and it is a theological masterpiece. As I study through Romans this summer, I am reminded once again of the need for people, not only to hear and believe the “good news” of knowing Christ, but also the “bad news” of not knowing Him.

We never want to hear bad news, but it is often the bad news that drives us to hear and understand good news. For instance, people never want to hear they have a disease, but it is often this knowledge that leads them to seek treatment that will hopefully produce the good outcome of healing. Without knowing the bad news of the disease, they would never seek helpful good news to be healed but remain in their diseased condition.

It is the same with our spiritual condition. The Bible says we are radically corrupted by sin from birth. King David understood this tragic fact and wrote in the Psalms:

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)

Paul also understood our fallen condition and wrote these words, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because of our sinful condition, we are destined, not only for physical death, but more tragically, separated from God for spiritual death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). That is bad news! However, here is the good news given to us in the rest of Romans 6:23, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Read this amazing verse as it is written together:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

That is one of the most amazing bad news / good news statements you’ll ever find. All human beings since creation are tragically fallen in sin and separated from God leading to eternal death. However, God, by His grace and mercy, has given us the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. All who believe in Christ are forgiven of their sins and receive the gift of salvation for eternal life in Him. That is good news – the gospel of Jesus Christ!

However, here’s the problem: most people don’t believe this wonderful “good news.” Many think the Bible is a fairy tale or ancient fabrication. As Isaiah exclaimed, “Lord, who has believed our report?” Many would rather remain in their sinful condition, loving their disease and this fallen world, instead of turning to Christ and receiving the healing gift of salvation.

What about you? Do you believe the gospel (good news) of Christ? Listen to this concluding verse from Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). That is the truth of the gospel!