The story begins in Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God created in six literal 24 hour days and on the 6th day, He created man from the dust of the earth and the woman from man’s side.
They were given two clear commands– Have dominion over the garden, and don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For if they did, God told them they would surely die- physically and immediately in spiritual death.
They disobeyed and died spiritually, unable to fellowship with God because they were dead in their sins and all of mankind after the first Adam, are born sinners by nature and by choice.
God is holy and man is unholy.
The Scripture says– Romans 3:10; 3:23; 6:23; 5:12
Want did God do? God in his mercy and grace reached out to man and initiated a way we could come to Him.
Initially God provided two temporary sacrifices-
Gen. 1:26, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
God shed the blood of an animal and used the skins to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, which was the promise of the blood redemption to come.
God also told His people Israel to offer blood sacrifices in the temple that also covered their sin temporarily.
Both these temporary sacrifices looked forward to Jesus the Lamb of God who would come and shed his blood for the salvation of all who would understand they are sinners and believe in Christ.
God became man in human flesh, born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, and lived a life of perfect holiness and obedience.
Sin offends God’s holiness and the sinner has to die and sin has to be punished. God could not comprise His holiness and justice. So what did He do? Jesus died in our place…John 3:16.
That’s where we pick up the story in the NT in 1 Cor. 15:1-5, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (5) And that he was seen.”
Explain the Gospel… Christ died in our place- Romans 6:23b; Romans 5:8. You can have your sins forgiven, receive the gift of eternal life, and be saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we receive this gift? – Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Salvation is not by human work or human effort, but totally by faith- Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
God has shared His grace; He has done everything needed to provide for salvation- it’s up to you. You must come to Jesus in repentance and faith!
The choice is yours- You can pay the wages of sin with eternal death, or come to Jesus who paid your sin debt and receive eternal life.
