Topic: Salvation

Are you looking for God? If you are, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can find God. But there is a problem. And, according to the Bible, the problem is the sin in your life.

What Does God Say?

"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God's paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6, NLT).

"As the Scriptures say,

"'No one is righteous--
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one" (Romans 3:10-12, NLT).

1. Why do you think the prophet Isaiah uses the image of a sheep in Isaiah 53:6?

2. Who do you believe is the "him" that the Lord laid our sins on?

3. According to the apostle Paul in Romans 3:10-12 who is righteous or wise?

4. Who of us does "good" according to Scripture?

The Bible tells us that all have sinned in Romans 3:23:

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23, NLT).

And the Bible speaks clearly that if you sin, you have a problem, here and now and for eternity.

"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23, NLT)

Now, if all of us are sinners--and clearly that what God's Word teaches--then that means all of us are going to get the just penalty for sinning which is death. This means not only physical death but spiritual death which is eternal separation from God.

My Thoughts

Can you argue with that death sentence?

Does that seem to be just and fair?

Do you have any doubt about your guilt before God?

While we are sinners and rebellious against God and His ways, He still loves us and does not want to punish us. So, He provided the answer for our sin problem. What kind of answer could be sufficient for everyone who has ever sinned?

It's beyond amazing; it is incredible. But here is what God did.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 5:8-11, NLT).

It is just that simple. Too good to be true? Too good, but it is as true as the Word of God and the faithfulness of His promise. Here it is in a nutshell.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NLT).

My Part

Have you ever been so sick you thought you might not live? And your doctor was not sure either! But then the doctor says, "You can be well if you take this medicine--just two pills, and you'll live."

But, it's not enough to know how sick you are. It's not enough to know the medicine can cure you. You have to accept the pills, take them, swallow them and then you are cured. Wouldn't it be foolish to refuse the cure? Not nearly as foolhardy as never trusting Jesus to be your Savior and accepting with gratitude God's great sin solution.

How soon should you become a Christian? Well, how quickly would you take the medicine if you knew it would keep you from dying?