Christonly 

The Gospel is the solution to a problem; it is the good news that follows the bad news.  The bad news-problem is sin, which according to Scripture is a three-headed monster: First and foremost is Adam’s sin which is imputed to every person (Rom. 5:12, 19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22), second is the sin nature which is the source of the rebellious heart (Rom. 7:14-25), and lastly is the personal sin a person manufactures every time he/she yields to temptation (Jas. 1:14-15).  The imputation of Adam's original sin is the major problem that brings condemnation to all humanity.  The Scripture declares:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned [when Adam sinned].

Romans 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience [Adam’s sin] the many [all mankind] were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One [Jesus’ death on the cross] the many [those who trust in Jesus for salvation] will be made righteous.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by a man [Adam] came death, by a man [Jesus] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all [who believe in Him] will be made alive.

The good news-solution is that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

The biblical reality is that without Christ every person is spiritually dead and powerless to change their situation (Rom. 5:6, 8; Eph. 2:1).  Salvation is completely the work of God, and those saved are the recipients of His grace (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 3:5).  The salvation provided by God saves from the penalty of sin (Jo. 5:24; Rom. 6:23; 8:1), the power of sin (Rom. 6:11; 8:13; 2 Cor. 5:17), and ultimately the presence of sin (Phil. 3:21; 1 Jo. 3:2).

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Salvation is never what we do for God, but rather what God has done for us by sending His Son to die in our place and bear the wrath for sin that was due to us (Isa. 53).  We are helpless to save ourselves because we are damaged by sin (Rom. 5:12; 6:23); therefore, salvation comes to us only as a free gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).  Jesus paid the price for our sin, and we need only to trust Him for salvation (John 3:16, 20:31; Rom. 3:25; 5:8). 

We do not earn or deserve salvation.  The Scripture declares:

Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it [salvation] is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

God's provision of salvation is not because of some beauty or worthiness in us, for the Scripture declares that we are all sinners, and have fallen short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness (Rom. 3:23; 5:8; 5:12, 17-19).  God, by His grace, treats us better than we deserve.  In graciousness God offers us His righteousness as a free gift, and we need only trust Jesus as our savior to receive it (Rom. 10:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:7-9).

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 10:3-4 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God; for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

No one ever deserves salvation.  No one can ever work enough to please God.  Only what Christ did on the cross satisfies God’s righteous demands toward our sin (Rom. 3:25; 1 Jo. 2:2).  Too often people ask “how can a loving God send someone to the lake of fire?”  The real question is “how can a righteous God allow a rotten sinner into heaven?”  The answer is simple: because God accepts as perfect the person who trusts in Jesus alone for salvation (Rom. 10:3-4; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:8-9).