In the eyes of God, all men are created equal—equally guilty. From the moment we came into this world, we were sinners in need of a Savior. The Word of God teaches that we are sinners by our very nature at birth as well as by the deeds of sin we commit. Romans 5:12 states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Because every one of us is born as the offspring of a sinner, Adam, we are all tainted with the evil and wickedness that is an offense to the very nature of God. Therefore, a murderer is just as guilty as a philanthropist. A thief is just as guilty as a schoolteacher. Regardless of our profession or lot in life, we all stand guilty before God and remain under His wrath. All who die in this state will suffer eternal damnation in the lake of fire.
What, then, can be done about this sin problem? How can we escape the everlasting damnation we so judiciously deserve? Can we do anything of our own merit to rid ourselves of this guilt? Absolutely not! God’s Word declares, “For if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many … For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:15b, 19). Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, came to earth 2,000 years ago and paid the price for our sin as our substitute upon Calvary’s cross. God’s Word states, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15a). He was able to die on our behalf because He was perfectly sinless, unlike any of us. Jesus Christ was both God and man. Because He was God, He lived a sinless life, for God cannot sin. But because He was man, He could die a physical death. He shed His blood on our behalf and bore the punishment each of us deserve. Yet because He was God, He demonstrated victory over death by rising from the dead three days following His crucifixion. This reveals that His work on Calvary’s cross was acceptable and completely sufficient in the eyes of God the Father. Jesus Christ “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25)!
The facts have been presented: All are sinners, Christ died as our substitute and He rose again from the dead proving that His work was accepted by the Father. Yet how can we personally apply this finished work to our own lives? How can we enter into a relationship with our very Creator who suffered and died on our behalf, and how can we have the assurance that we will spend eternity in glory with Him? The Bible clearly declares that God’s gift, the death of Jesus Christ, is a free gift of grace. We certainly do not deserve it, but we can obtain it. We do not need to go to church, get baptized, perform good deeds or work for social justice in order to receive this gift. Upon realizing that we are sinners in need of salvation, we receive this free gift only through a genuine change of mind concerning who Christ is and what He has done for us (repentance) and by believing that He died and rose again on our behalf (faith). Through faith alone in the finished work of Christ on Calvary’s cross, we place our trust in Christ alone as our Savior. At the moment we truly believe, we are assured of eternal life and a personal relationship with God! The perfect righteousness of Christ is credited to our account!
God’s Word says: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12); “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9); “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Christ came into the world to save all sinners. Trust Christ as your Savior today. Tomorrow may be too late! –MDC
