Given two minutes to explain the Gospel, what would you say? (To an inquisitive adult)
First, let’s acknowledge there is a God Who has expectations. One proof of this is your inherent sense of right and wrong, which is there as an anchor to His expectations. You, and everyone else ever born will face Him and answer for our actions of our lives. He has spoken His expectations to mankind and recorded them in the Bible. The Bible is how we can know Who God is and what He intends for us to understand.
Second, let’s acknowledge that He is perfect, and that none of us are. And so, each of us have defied His expectations. This means that He, as God, has the right and obligation to hold each of us accountable for the right and wrong things we have done. Being perfect and righteous, He cannot allow sin to remain unpunished, and so, all who are guilty and unforgiven of any sin whatsoever will one day be removed from His presence. This will be Hell. This is important to understand – every soul ever created will be presented before God in resurrected bodies that will never again die. Each of us will spend eternity either in peace with God, or in torment without Him.
Third, His goal is to surround Himself with people who recognize His value and worship Him. Those who will be allowed to remain must be relieved of their debt of sin to Him. That means we must be forgiven by paying a debt we ourselves are unqualified to pay. We have nothing to offer Him. Before Creation was ever made, He decided He would use Jesus to legally satisfy the personal, individual debts of those He would Save. He offers us the only way that our debts can be paid, but it will only be through His gift, not through our own efforts. Only God can save us from our sin and our debt.
Fourth, Jesus, offering Himself as a sinless Sacrifice, as both a man like us and as God, earned the right to release those who would ask Him for forgiveness. To receive this from Him, He expects you to recognize that He is God Who alone can save you; that you are a sinner who cannot save himself; to admit your sins and commit to a lifetime of turning away from them; and then asking Him for that Forgiveness. Jesus has promised that no one can be Saved except through Him. He also promised that anyone who asks Him for Forgiveness will not be turned away. The repentant sinner who believes Who Jesus is and the Promises He offers will immediately find relief of his guilt before God. As a follower of Jesus, you will begin your journey of peace and assurance as you learn to follow your Lord.