The Heart of the Gospel

An excerpt from my sermon on December 20 entitled “The Heart of the Gospel: Justification by Faith Alone in Christ Alone“:

At bakit naparito ang Diyos at namuhay na kasama ng mga taong makasalanan? Upang si Cristo ay mamuhay nang matuwid sa harapan ng Diyos, at sa kanyang kamatayan ay bayaran ang malaking utang ng taong makasalanan at pawiin ang galit ng Diyos dahil dito. Ito ang Mabuting Balita. Ito ang tunay na kahulugan ng Pasko. Ito ang tunay na layunin ng pagparito ni Jesus. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (4:4-5).

Hindi lang Pasko ang pinag-uusapan natin dito. Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito ay ang buhay, buhay na nasa sentro ay si Cristo, pinanghahawakan ang krus ni Cristo, at ipinamumuhay ang kahulugan nito. May we confess Jesus, by our lips and by our life, as the “Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (v. 20). The only ground, and there is no other, of God’s acceptance of us is the cross of Christ. “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” That’s the good news of the gospel.