The word "gospel" simply means "good news."  But one cannot understand good news unless they first understand the bad.  The Bible tells us that mankind possesses a wicked heart and that there is no good found in us.  The Bible goes on to say that we are dead in our sins and trespasses and cannot make ourselves spiritually alive under our own power of our sinful nature, the only thing we deserve is eternal separation from God in hell.

But there is good news!  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! God gave His Son, Jesus the Christ, to die on a cross for our sins. The Bible assures us "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  An authentic confession of faith is made evident in a changed heart and a changed life through the power of God's Spirit residing within us.

This is what Christians mean when we ask "Are you saved?"  It means being saved from hell by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. One cannot work for salvation; it is a gift from God, and it's a gift He will never take away. Saving faith can be found in no one else than Jesus Christ.  Pursuit of other world religious systems, atheism, or a lack of belief in Christ as Savior and Lord only leads to eternal destruction.

Have you responded in faith to the good news of Jesus Christ?