Yes, bad news can be good news
if it wakes us up to see
what’s wrong, and that we’re needing
to listen carefully.

Like if we have a warning
of danger imminent –
a coming great tsunami
that we cannot prevent.

We’d gladly go to shelter,
not carry on with play:
the bad news makes us heed and,
escape-route rules obey.

So, Jesus firstly taught us
the bad news of our sin
against the righteous Lord who
judgement must one day bring.

But He had come to earn, win
a pardon for us, peace,
to pay the price, be punished
to purchase our release.

So that is why its called now
the ‘gospel’ – God’s ‘good news’.
The Saviour suffered agonies –
gift purchased don’t refuse.

But some ignore this good news
because they don’t accept just neglect
the bad news, see no danger,
salvation free reject.

Can be sung ro Tune: 76 76 76 76 + eg Wir Pflügen by J Schultz, tune of ‘We plough the fields and scatter’
if the first verse repeated at tne end, and the chorus: below used

Bad news shows our need so
the good news don’t neglect,
embrace good news, oh don’t refuse –
salvation don’t reject