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Truth #1
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
We have all sinned and broken God’s law. We have disobeyed Him by lying, hating, gossiping, cheating, stealing, lusting, indulging pride, and envying, to name a few sins. We are all guilty, according to Jesus, who said, “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man” (Mark 7:23).
On our own, we have no power over sin
Truth #2
Romans 8:8 “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
“The flesh” refers to our human, sinful nature. As long as we are still living “in the flesh,” we cannot please God. We are compelled to go on sinning willfully, day after day, and we are unable to keep God’s commands, no matter how hard we try on our own! Does this description resonate with you?
Sin separates us from God
Truth #3
Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”
Our sin separates us from God, not allowing us to enter into His kingdom. No matter how many “good acts” we do, there is nothing we can do to erase the sins that we keep committing. Every crime has a punishment, and crimes against God have the most severe punishment: eternal death.
God is Just
Truth #4
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds… whether good or bad.”
Just as a good judge punishes crimes, God must punish our sins. Romans 6:23 tells us that “The punishment for sin is death…” Until Jesus came, many animal sacrifices were offered for sin because sin is so terrible that blood is the only acceptable payment.
God is Love
Truth #5
Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
We needed a perfect blood sacrifice to pay for our sins. God loved us so much that He Himself came down as a man, Jesus, to be that sacrifice for us. He never sinned. Instead, He suffered for our sins. Think about it: I couldn’t die for your sins because I also need a sacrifice for my sins. You couldn’t die for my sins because you need someone to die for yours. Muhammad, the Buddha, Confucius, Joseph Smith: They all needed a sacrifice for their sins! Jesus was that sinless sacrifice.
Is Jesus Still Dead?
Truth #6
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!”
When it comes to prophets and religious figures, Jesus is the only one of His kind: He lives again! Three days after his crucifixion, when people came looking for His dead body in the grave and couldn’t find it, an angel told them, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6).
How can you be forgiven?
Truth #7
Romans 10:13 “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Jesus is clear: if you believe in Him and repent from your sins to obey Him as Lord, He will make you a new creation. He will forgive you, He will give you a new heart, and He will give you His own Spirit to start living a different life. He has the power to do this because He died for you and rose again!
