If the gospel is not advice then what is it?

1. The Gospel is Not Advice for Self-Improvement
The gospel is not advice for self-improvement or how to be good but rather a
declaration that Jesus is King of the universe, that you are in rebellion against God and
that there is nothing you can do to restore your relationship to God on your own.
What makes the gospel “good news” is that though you deserve to be cast into hell for
all of eternity for your rebellion against God, Jesus has made it possible for you to be
reconciled to God through His sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross and
resurrection. What is even more amazing is that not only can you be reconciled to God
but you can be made a part of His family and live with Him forever in the new heavens
and earth for all eternity!
Realize that the purpose of the gospel is not just to get you out of hell but to reconcile
and restore you to God whom you were created by and for. If you don’t want God on His
terms that means you would rather be your own god and He will honor your desire as
He will not force Himself upon you. But realize if you don’t want God after you die you
will not only not have God but you will not have anything that He created. You will have
desires but nothing to fulfill them.
What you have to do to be reconciled and restored to God is first recognize and confess
that you are in rebellion against Him. That you, in your unbelief, have turned from Him
to be your own god and that you seek to find happiness, fulfillment, and purpose on
your own terms in created things rather than in your Creator. You are spiritually dead
and the proof of this is that you continually sin by breaking God’s laws. You lie, you
steal, you cheat, you manipulate, you gossip, you covet, you lust, you fornicate, you
love pleasure rather than God just to name a few.
You try to convince yourself that you are a good person by comparing yourself to others
but deep down in your heart you know the truth because you sense the darkness and
emptiness that is there. Don’t try to make excuses in order to justify your sins but rather
admit them and take responsibility for all the choices you have made in your life and the
things you have done.
After you confess your rebellion and sin then you need to surrender and turn back to
God in your heart and put your trust in Jesus and all that He did for you in order for you
to be restored to God. When you do this Jesus takes your sin and you get His
righteousness then the Holy Spirit comes inside you to empower you to live the life God
wants you to.
From this point on your life is not your own since you were bought with the price of
Jesus’ life. You life is now His to do whatever He pleases to do with it. But don’t be
afraid, Jesus loves you! He is King of kings and Lord of lords. So follow Him, obey Him,
serve Him and worship Him. If you do, you will experience life to the full as God
intended. Not an easy life but a life that brings God glory and you joy and blessing both
now and in the life to come.