We saw in our last lesson that faith receives the gift of God. This is good news to

those who are sinners and under condemnation. They cannot work for their salvation;

they are not asked so to do any more, for the law has given place to the gospel, which

simply means "God's good news".

The same epistle which has told us so clearly about the blessings of the gospel, tells us

about the gospel itself. "The gospel of God.....concerning His Son". The first part of the

gospel, or God's good news, is about the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Saviour,

and to hear of Him and His love and sacrifice is to hear "God's good news". The apostle

especially points us to the Lord Jesus as the risen One, here "declared to be the Son of

God with power.....by the resurrection" (Rom. 1: 1-4). So full was this "good news"

concerning the One who died and rose again, that Paul said that he was willing to preach

it to all sorts and conditions of men. Some may have been better educated than others,

some may have had more civilized conditions than others, but all were in the line of

Adam, and so were "perishing", and had not "passed from death unto life", for they had

not believed the gospel. This "good news" of God was powerful in its effect. It came

with the power of God, and "they that hear shall live". "For I am not ashamed of the

gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth".

The gospel is divided into two parts. The first half has to do with God, the second half

with us. We have already looked at John 3: 16; let us look at it again so that this lesson

may be impressed upon us.

Write down the capital letters G.O.S.P.E.50:, but place them the one under the other as

shewn below. We will call the first three God's half of the gospel, and the second three

our half. Now we will start reading John 3: 16 and when we come to a word that

begins with either of these six letters we will put it down so:--

/ GOD so loved the world that He gave His

{ ONLY begotten

\ SON, that whosoever believeth in Him should not

/ PERISH, but have

{ EVERLASTING

\ LIFE.

The first half of the gospel starts with God and tells of His great love to a world of

sinners; a love so great that He gave His only begotten Son. The second half shows that