The gospel gives an explanation for our existence, clarity for our confusion, grace for our guilt, meaning for our morality, and answers for our adversaries. The gospel makes sense of the world while filling life with meaning and purpose.

Yet, the gospel offers hope for wandering hearts like ours. The Bible reveals that instead of judging all of humanity in one fell swoop —God visited us in our despair. The gospel is the story of God writing himself into human history. Of course, if God really does exist, then he has been a part of the story from the very beginning. Thus, the gospel is really not our introduction to God but rather our re-introduction.

This is specifically the point of the gospel: Jesus has taken all our sin. And faith in him cleanses us from all transgressions and all unrighteousness. Jesus bore the full weight of our sin in our place. As a substitute he took it all. He took it all out of the way. He nailed it all to his cross.

The gospel does not imply that Jesus has risen and nothing else matters, but rather Jesus has risen and now everything matters. We can now live above the line of despair because the gospel is true.