Man has a problem: he is separated from God's goodness by sin.
Sin is rebellion: All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has
turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to
fall on Him (Isaiah 53:6) for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
Everyone who practices
sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)
Because of his sin, man is destined to be separated from God by death,
For the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23a) and ultimately,
God's judgment and rejection, And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to
die once and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27)
God is goodness, The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy;
I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. John
10:10. But there is a separation between man and God like a vast chasm.
Man want's to cross this gulf. But how can he?
Man can try his own methods, but they just don't work! Many feel that they
deserve salvation because of good works they have done, or by being
baptised, but these human methods are insufficient. For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Ephesians
2:8-9 These attempts just don't make it all the way across.
God has a solution to the problem! He gave His Son, Jesus. But God
demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) He chose do die in our place
and accept our punishment for us. For Christ also died for sins once for
all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having
been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter
3:18) being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:24). God's solution is the
only way to escape eternal consequences of sin. And there is salvation in
no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among
men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Man must follow God's path by having faith, And they said, "Believe in the
Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." (Acts
16:31) and believing in Him For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but
have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God will honor man's faith with His goodness. He will give man eternal life.
But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23b) Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal
life. (John 6:47) The believer will also become one of God's
family. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe His name, John 1:12