In the summer of 2010, after living a veiled life of 42 years, the light of Jesus Christ pierced through the darkness, as a knife slashing the flesh and His Truth became known to Richard. Richard’s heart was crushed by the weight of his own sin and the mercy and blessing of forgiveness by Jesus Christ. After years of not truly knowing or understanding what it meant to be a Christian, it became clear that faithful summer. Richard had proclaimed Christ since his teens but had never truly walked the narrow path that Christ demands. He lived like the world, talked like the world and sought after the things of the world. Christ convicted him of his sins and made his heart ready for the gift of salvation. The following passages from the Bible’s Book of John became real to him and the true meaning, of why Christ came and died to set mankind free, to be able to be given the gift of salvation, both to Jews and those that were not born Jews:

John 3:36 whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

3:31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

3:17-21 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The gospel is not confined to one book, chapter or verse in the Bible but is the progressive revelation of Christ that begins in Genesis 1:1 and ends with Revelation 22:21. This is the gospel in its entirety since it tells the historical account of creation, the fall of man, redemption and the return of Christ. To truly know the gospel is to truly know the Bible which is, the Living Word of God the Father.

Other than salvation and being adopted by Jesus Christ and set free from the bondage of sin, Richard’s greatest joy is his family. Richard has a wife, three grown children, and two grandchildren.