The Bible records the promise and fulfilment of the following:

Jesus Christ is the eternal firstborn over Creation who is fully God. There came a time when he was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a Jewish virgin called Mary, thus fully entering into humanity, without losing any of his eternal divinity. By the power of the Holy Spirit, this God-man lived a blameless life despite being tempted in all the ways that humans are tempted to sin and rebel against God. The only ever truly innocent man – in his early 30s he was killed on trumped up charges just as he knew he would be, yet he went to his death without once cursing his persecutors.

Having died and been placed in a sealed tomb, he rose again to life after three days and subsequently appeared in a physical form firstly to a couple of women, then to his inner group of disciples, and eventually to hundreds of people, before he was observed to depart the earth.  Jesus so went on ahead of all believers into heaven, where he continues to reign over all creation in the presence of God the Father.  From heaven He sent God’s Holy Spirit to the earth to make it possible for people to believe the truth about Jesus Christ, and to work within those believers to prepare them for eternal life in heaven. One day this same Christ will return, and eventually a cosmic court will assemble and final judgement will take place. Some will receive eternal life in the presence of God; some will be sentenced to eternal punishment apart from God.

The criteria on which judgement will be based will be this:

What did you do with the good news about Jesus Christ?

Those who have placed their trust in Jesus as Lord over creation will find they have no sins to explain away, for his victory over death has won them a place in heaven they couldn’t earn and don’t deserve.

That’s good news!

Bless you, David Ross