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Become a Christian

Everyone has Sinned

• The consequences of sin have fallen upon each of us, ever since Adam committed the first sin. We inherited it from our father, Adam. This tendency is known as a fallen nature. Our very nature is inclined to sin.
• Since we have an inclination to sin, which is rebellion against God, we find that we are violating the Law of God. The only way we know that something is sin is by the Law. Therefore, the purpose of the Law is to show us sin.
• Have you ever sinned? Asking this is like asking a child if they like candy. Of course we have all sinned! It is because of sin that you are here! I don't think we have to labor the point of establishing that everyone sins. You know that from experience!

• But, did you know that because of your natural inclination to sin, that you will die because of your sins?
• Another natural tendency that we have is to think that we have to work, that is to become a better person, in order to be right with God. Anyone who works is paid wages. The wages of sin - even the attempt to remedy that sin - is death! God will not accept your pitiful attempts to convince Him that you will do better! He says that when we break one law, we have broken them all. Therefore, everyone is under the penalty of death.
• After we look at the rest of this verse, we will see what is meant by death in this verse.

• God's ways are not our ways. Whereas we, by nature, think we have to work to get to Heaven, God has provided the Way to Heaven as a gift. In fact, receiving this gift is the only way that a person can go to Heaven.
• Let's look at this gift. We have discussed the fact that death is the wage of sin. Now, what does this verse mean by death? Obviously, since everyone dies, it cannot just mean physical death. Christians die. Unbelievers die. Everyone has an appointment with death.
• But this verse says that the gift of God is eternal life. What does this all mean?
• This is it in a nutshell: Death is universal. Only two individuals in the entire history of mankind have not died: Enoch and Elijah. These two men were spared the pain of death and everyone else has or will experience death.
• Since physical death is universal, and since this verse makes a distinction between death and eternal life, it must mean something other than physical death. It does. Physical death is visibly symbolic of eternal death. The second part of this verse makes this clear.
• Thus, the wages of sin that is spoken of here is eternal death in Hell. The gift of God spoken of here is eternal life in Heaven.
• Every person of every age ultimately goes to one or the other destination. It is this ultimate destination that is of major concern to us today.

• On the surface, it may seem that God simply created and put it in motion and then allowed it to take its course. Nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, God has been intimately involved with human history from the very beginning.
• In eternity past, God had a plan. That plan was that, even though mankind would sin and become utterly rebellious toward Him, He would provide a way of escape from the pangs of Hell.
• Note that God did this while we were all sinners. In other words, He did it of His own will. It was totally His doing. We had nothing to do with it. There is nothing in us that of any value, making one person above another. We have all sinned. We are all deserving of eternal punishment and death in Hell.
• The Bible declares that blood must be shed - indeed the sacrifice must actually die - in order for Him to be appeased. But, that sacrifice must be absolutely perfect. The only person that has ever lived without sin is the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way He was able to do that was because He is both God and man. He is the God-man.
• Jesus Christ came into the world and lived a sinless life. Then, He died upon the cross. When He died, He became sin for us. Though He had no sin of His own, He took upon Himself all of our sins. He died.
• Not only did He die, but He also was buried. He was in the grave for three days.
• Then, on Easter Sunday morning, He arose from the dead. He truly was resurrected from the dead.
• These three statements, Christ's sinless life, His death, and His resurrection are essential for your salvation. You MUST believe these facts. You must put your faith and trust in them, to be saved.
• As we look more closely at these verses, this will become even clearer.

• In order to be saved, you must believe the essentials I just mentioned. Jesus died for you, and you must receive His death for you as a free gift.
• The way you receive this gift is to receive Him as you LORD and Savior. That's what this phrase in verse 9 means. Confess Jesus as your LORD. We don't readily understand the concept of lordship in our society, but suffice it to say that it means that you accept Him as your Master, and your position is that of a slave.
• Perhaps another way of expressing this would be to understand Him as your Master and you as His disciple. A disciple is one who follows another and attempts to become like him. Jesus' command to us was to "go and make disciples."

• As was stated earlier, it is not enough to just believe that Jesus lived and died. Many people acknowledge that. They say He was a great Prophet or a great Leader or a great Man. But, they stop short of calling Him God.
• Jesus is God. He is the second person of the trinity. God the Father is the only God you will ever know; God the Son is the only God you will ever see; and God the Holy Spirit is the only God you will ever feel.
• It is essential that you believe that He rose again from the dead. This is called the Blessed Hope. Remember when we talked about "hope" at the beginning? Well, this is what that hope is all about. This is a settled hope. It is a sure hope.
• Like Jesus, Christians will rise from the dead again one day. Jesus is coming again, and He will call forth every Christian from the grave. Then, those of us who are alive and remain will also be caught up to be with Him in the air.
• If you truly believe upon Jesus Christ and believe that He arose from the dead, you will be saved.
• Believing upon Jesus involves repentance from sin. Repentance means to turn away from and to be sorry for.

• This is the crux of the matter. The blessed promise given here is that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
• To call upon His name is to repent from your sin. To turn loose of your own techniques for obtaining salvation. To turn loose of all your works and personal efforts.
• You CANNOT be good enough to be saved! Jesus did not come to save good people, He came to save sinners. Do not be deceived into thinking that you must wait until you are a better person to come to Christ. Come today! Come as you are!
• Let us pause right here and pray.