The Gospel is the joyous response to the worst news you can possibly have. To really understand how great the good news is, you must first understand just how devastating the bad news is.

The Impossibility of the Law:
From birth we live in constant opposition to God because sin is so ingrained into our very nature (Psalm 51:5). Given God’s infinite holiness, His perfect justice must demand every sin to be judged and death as payment (Romans 6:23). Since the consequences of sin are this severe and fatal, we cannot afford to be ignorant about what sin actually is.

1 John 3:4 explains it very simply: sin is lawlessness. God is the only Lawgiver and Judge, and when we don’t follow His laws, we sin. Throughout Scripture God has laid out His perfect laws that govern not just our physical actions, but the hidden motives, thoughts and desires of our hearts.