The “bad news/good news” approach to sharing the gospel is a method of evangelism that first presents the bad news of humanity’s sinful condition and separation from God, before transitioning to the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This method follows the pattern laid out in the Bible, which first shows our need for salvation before revealing God’s gracious provision in Christ.
The Bad News
The starting point for understanding the gospel is recognizing the bad news about the human condition. The Bible teaches that all people are sinners and fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). Ever since Adam and Eve’s first rebellion against God, sin has infected the human race and separated us from our Creator (Genesis 3; Isaiah 59:2). We are all under the power of sin, slaves to our own desires and thoughts (John 8:34; Ephesians 2:3). Left in this condition, we are spiritually dead and face eternal condemnation (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 6:23).
This sin affects every part of our lives – how we think, speak, and act. Our minds are darkened, our hearts are deceitful, and our behavior betrays our rebellion against God (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 1:28-32). Even when we try our best to do good, our motives and efforts are tainted by self-interest and fail to meet God’s perfect standards (Isaiah 64:6). We are lost, hopeless, and utterly incapable of saving ourselves or earning salvation through good works.
That is the bad news about the human condition. We are sinners, alienated from God, under His righteous condemnation, and helpless to save ourselves. Coming to terms with this truth is an essential first step in understanding and receiving the gospel. The good news only makes sense when we first grasp how bad the news really is.
The Good News
The good news is that God, in His great mercy and love, did not leave humanity in our hopeless condition. Though we were sinners and did not deserve salvation, God showed His grace by sending His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). He rose again, conquering sin and death, so that all who believe in Him can be forgiven and have eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
We receive this salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we repent of our sins and put our trust in Jesus and His finished work on the cross, God credits Christ’s righteousness to us and our sins are washed away. We are reconciled with God and adopted as His children (Acts 3:19; Romans 8:15-17).
Those who are saved by God’s grace are transformed by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, beginning the process of being conformed to the image of Christ (Titus 3:5; Romans 8:29). Believers experience forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and eternal spiritual life both now and forevermore (Romans 5:1; John 3:36). They are equipped by the Spirit to live godly lives devoted to good works for the glory of God (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:10).
In short, the good news is that salvation is a free gift offered to all who will repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. His sinless life and substitutionary death provide the only way of reconciliation with God. This good news provides undeserved hope, joy, purpose, and eternal life to those who will trust in Jesus.
The Pattern in Scripture
This “bad news then good news” sequence reflects the pattern found throughout Scripture. For example, in Romans the apostle Paul systematically builds the case for humanity’s universal sinfulness and guilt before God (Romans 1:18-3:20). This bad news sets up the revelation of God’s gracious plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). The same pattern emerges in books like Galatians, Ephesians, and 1 Peter.
Even Jesus Himself employed this approach. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus begins His public ministry proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). People must first understand their need to repent before they can believe the good news.
In Luke 5, when Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to follow Him, He is criticized for eating with sinners. Jesus responds, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). He points out the bad news of the sickness of sin to emphasize the good news of forgiveness and salvation for sinners who repent.
On multiple occasions when interacting with self-righteous religious leaders, Jesus highlighted their dire spiritual condition in order to communicate their need for salvation (e.g. Matthew 23:13-36; Luke 18:9-14). Over and over, establishing the bad news was the precursor to introducing the good news.
Why This Approach Works
Starting with the bad news is effective in evangelism because it confronts people directly with the problem of sin before offering the solution in Christ. If we gloss over or ignore the sin problem, unbelievers will fail to see their need for a Savior. As Tim Keller explains, “Unless people grasp how desperate their condition is without Christ, they will not recognize how necessary he is.” The gravity of their spiritual condition must be established in order to appreciate and embrace God’s grace.
Of course, some may initially bristle at being told they are sinners. But if they are approached graciously and shown this truth comes from Scripture, many will eventually be convicted in their consciences (Titus 1:9). People must come to terms with their spiritual bankruptcy in order to cry out, like the tax collector, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
Starting with sin and condemnation also allows the evangelist to share the gospel without coming across as condescending. We are not preaching at people from a position of superiority, but identifying with them as fellow sinners who equally require God’s grace. “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23). But by God’s mercy, even the worst of sinners can be “justified by his grace as a gift” through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:24).
When people understand their guilt before God and see His offer of undeserved salvation, they are humbled to gratitude. They can wholeheartedly sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Starting with the bad news enhances the beauty of the good news.
How to Employ This Approach
When using the bad news/good news approach, begin by asking probing questions to awaken the unbeliever’s conscience to their sin and need for salvation. Ask them to assess their lives honestly against God’s perfect moral law (the Ten Commandments are a good place to start). But be gracious – the goal is not to bash them with the truth, but to lead them gently to an awareness of their spiritual condition.
You can then transition to the hope of the gospel. Explain that though we are helpless sinners, Jesus came on a rescue mission to save people just like us. The cross bridges the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness. Stress that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace we simply receive through trusting in Christ. Avoid giving the impression works are required to earn God’s favor.
Paint a compelling picture of the salvation and new life offered in Jesus. Highlight the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life granted to all who believe. Focus on God’s amazing grace, love, and mercy displayed in the gospel. Be prepared to answer objections and concerns graciously and biblically.
Finally, call for a response. Make it clear that people must repent of sins and place their faith in Jesus to receive God’s gift of salvation. Avoid pressuring, but lovingly challenge them to count the cost and surrender their lives to following Christ. Offer to pray with them to seal their commitment to Jesus.
Above all, bathe your evangelistic efforts in prayer. Any hearts that are receptive to the gospel are prepared by the Holy Spirit. Pray He awakens people’s conscience to their need for salvation, so they embrace Jesus as the only remedy for their sin.
Conclusion
The “bad news/good news” approach follows the biblical pattern of highlighting people’s spiritual condition in order to emphasize their need for a Savior. Skillfully confronting people with the gravity of sin prepares the way for the beauty of the gospel to be appreciated and embraced. This method awakens unbelievers’ awareness of their guilt before God and grants insight into what makes His offer of salvation so incredibly remarkable – that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Understanding the disease leads to rejoicing in the cure found in Jesus.
