In the first chapter of Acts, we see Jesus, resurrected and with his disciples. He then ascends to heaven, the disciples spend time in prayer, and they gather together (about 120 of them) to chose a suitable replacement for Judas as one of the 12 apostles/overseers. Needing to be one who was with Jesus from the time of his baptism, they pick two folks, cast lots, and Matthias is chosen to take Judas' place as one of the twelve.
Notice who the twelve apostles/overseers were. Eleven of them abandoned Jesus, and one denied him. Jesus still loved and chose them to lead his church and spread the good news of God's kingdom.
We don't have to be perfect. We're never going to be. All too often, I hear people say "I'm not perfect, and I never will be," almost as though they're trying to excuse themselves, saying to God, don't judge me for not being perfect...only you are perfect." There seems fear in what is said, as if we're hoping to avoid hell. We know that because we're not perfect, we're destined for hell, but because we believe in Jesus, we get to escape the fires of hell despite our imperfection.
What a bunch of hooey.
God loves us. Jesus loves us. I don't know that we're loved despite our imperfections so much as we are loved with our imperfections. We're loved. Of course we're imperfect, but who cares? God loves us.
That simple fact, to me, is good news. We noticed how quickly the gospel spread in the early days. People heard good news. I doubt the message they heard was, "you are all wicked sinners, damned to eternal torment, but if you believe in Jesus then you can avoid the eternal torment and go to heaven."
That's not good news. For that to be good news, we first have to be convinced of our wretchedness. Who wants to be wretched? God doesn't think we're wretched. God loves us. The good news is that God, our creator, the one who is good and loving, the source of all that is, loves us.
Further, God desires for us to love him, to love each other, and to be with him. The good news is we do get to be with God. We get to be with God here and now in this life, and we get to be with God after our mortal lives are over. We needn't fear death because God is there with us.
The good news is also that God did not simply give us a bunch of rules and facts by which to live while sitting himself upon an ivory tower. God lived as a human being. He knows us. We can trust him because he is one of us. As such, he gave us ways of living that help us live healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives here on earth than we might choose for ourselves.
Love God. Love your neighbor.
Be generous. Help those in need.
Don't worry. Care for one another.
God has given us a great way to live not so that by doing so we might narrowly escape this horrible place called hell. God gave us a great way to live so that living might be great. In case we keep feeling (as we often do) that our shortcomings make us unworthy of God's love or unable to be with God, he even died and was resurrected in order to pay whatever penalty was needed so that we needn't feel or be separated from God by our shortcomings.
God loves us, and we are free to love God in return.
That is the Gospel. That is the good news. That is news we can share with others.
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