The gospel offers a sweet, comforting truth: our salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8). Yet, it also presents a more challenging truth, the bitter one: that no one who has sacrificed anything for Christ's sake will fail to be richly rewarded in this life and the next (Mark 10:29-30).

This is the promise behind Christ's words: "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ... You believe in God; believe also in me" (John 14:2, 1).

This pattern constantly repeat over and over again. So to grasp the gospel, we must read all of scripture through the lens of Christ's character—agape love and steadfast faithfulness.