The Bible tells the story of God's love for people. God created the world to be a place where people could live. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God created the man and the woman in his image to rule over the earth. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Genesis 1:27-28)
"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11)
Man has a spiritual need for God. Some people recognize that need and are seeking for a spiritual experience. Others have rejected the God who created them. Augustine said, "You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You."
Genesis 3 describes the Fall of man. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man's sin broke the relationship between God and man. As a result we no longer live in a perfect world. We live in a world filled with problems: broken relationships, terrorism, fear, violence, immorality and death.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12)
"As it is written: There is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10)
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
"For the wages of sin is death..."
(Romans 6:23)
Death is the punishment for sin. There are three aspects of death described in the Bible.
Spiritual death separates the sinner from God. "And you, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children deserving of wrath, just as the others" (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Physical death separates a person's soul from his or her body. "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). When a person dies, his soul separates from his body and goes to either heaven or hell.
The second death is the eternal separation of the lost person (body and soul) from God forever in the lake of fire. "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Those who do not trust Jesus as their Savior do not have their names in the Book of Life.
How can a person have eternal life? Throughout history people have tried many ways to gain eternal life, but every attempt has been unsuccessful. People have tried good works, religion, giving money to the needy, and morality. But the Bible tells us that we cannot obtain eternal life by doing good works. The Bible says...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12)
"For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5a)
Jesus Christ, God's sinless Son, was sent by the Father to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross in our place.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"For Christ also suffered once for
sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18)
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6a)
How can a person obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life?
To have a relationship with God you must repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again from the dead and ask him in faith to save you.
"Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31)
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10)
"For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13)
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name" (John 1:12)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23)
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36)
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24)
"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13)
Will you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord today?
1. Admit that you have sinned against God and ask Him to forgive you.
2. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins and rose again and is Lord.
3. Call upon Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior and Lord.
If you made this decision today, please email me at <ggromacki>at<bbc>dot<edu> and let me know of your decision.