Knowing the Good News vs. Understanding the Good News

1 John 5:11-13

We hear the words "Good News" a lot. So much, in fact, that it has come to mean about as much as a frogs left foot.  

There are several reasons why the words have lost their significance in our ears.  

First, it's old hat. There's a lot of things that once meant something so grand that fade away into ordinary.  

Do you remember the first time that special someone said those beautiful words, "I love you."? 

But then, over time, you both said it enough that they merely become three words habitually said before goodbye. And then "I love you," turns into "love you," and that turns into "yup, you too." 

That's what has happened with the words "Good News." 

You see, before my wife told me she loved me for the first time, I spent years of my life waiting to hear someone say that to me. I longed for it. When it happened, it literally changed my life.  

Before the "Good News," all there was, all that existed, the only kind of news there was…was bad news.  

God made law. Mankind broke law. Mankind goes to Hell. 

Now, God promised that good news was coming, but people lived in fear of the bad news for thousands of years, trying so very very hard to be good enough and holy enough for God to overlook the bad news.  

Until one day, the long-awaited good news finally came in Jesus.  

In this series through 1 John, we've read a lot about what a believer should look like, should do - be. But lest we get lost in ourselves, and fall back into self righteousness or worse yet, self loathing, here is a reminder of the Good News.  

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." - 1 John 5:11-13 

The bad news is simple. You and I were born into sin. We were born into hopelessness, helplessness and utter despair. Every ounce of good news we thought existed was a lie by Satan to keep us from the actual good news. Every form of light was simply a different shade of darkness to make us think we'd found light.  

The good news is simpler. Jesus has torn away the veil, the light is pouring in and we, the believers, have seen it and have been saved by it.  

God, the Almighty, Holy Creator who demands death for sin, chose to spare us from our deserved punishment, and laid it upon Christ instead. This is Good News.  

If every member of ISIS laid down their weapons, turned themselves in, and vowed to do everything in their power to undo their wrongs and make the world a better place, we would consider that great news, but that does begin to touch the surface of the kind of Good News that Jesus is to the lost sinner - to you and me.  

And not only are we saved, but we are assured of our salvation. We who have believed in Jesus and His work on the cross and His resurrection can be sure. No matter what bad news we receive in our lives, it cannot touch the Good News we hold. God has accounted a lying, thieving, adulterating wretch like me…righteous - faultless before God.  

I need fear no man. I need not fear my own failures and shortcomings. I need not fear the state of this earth, nor of my country, nor or my freedoms. I have been made free in such a way that can never be undone by man.  

This is indeed Good News.