Creation
In the beginning, God spoke and everything came into existence. (Genesis 1-2) By His command, the entire universe was created and filled with a dramatic display of galaxies, starts, and planets-including Earth, on which was a perfect garden of paradise called Eden. Of all the beauty he created, the masterpiece was a man and a woman. God made Adam and Eve in his image to reflect Him. They were created with the grand purpose of worshiping Him by loving Him, serving Him, and enjoying relationship with Him. By God’s design all of creation was in harmony and was exactly the way it was suppose to be. During this time there was no pain, suffering, sickness, or death. There was complete love, acceptance, and intimacy between God and man, between Adam and Eve, and throughout creation. But something tragic happened…
The Fall
God lovingly placed Adam and Eve in charge of all He had created. He gave them the freedom to make decisions and govern the earth with one rule; not to eat from a specific tree. One day, God’s enemy, Satan, lied to Adam and Eve. He deceived them into thinking God was not good and did not have their best interest in mind. As a result, they knowingly disobeyed God. In rebellion, Adam and Eve ate the fruit, deciding that they, not God, would determine right from wrong. (Genesis 3) The consequences of their actions were devastating! Like a virus, sin entered into all the creation and into the hearts of Adam and Eve. Sin, suffering, and pain were passed down from generation to generation; all of creation was distorted from its original design. We have all ready or heard the stories of war, poverty, disease, greed, and scandal that plague our world. These are all the result of sin. An honest glance into our own hearts reveals that truth: We are all guilty of sin. Everyone has sinned and the ultimate consequence is eternal separation from a loving God, in terrible misery and unhappiness.
Is there any hope?
The Bible says …
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God …
The Bible says …
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” —Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” —Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
The Conclusion… No bridge reaches God … except one.
The Rescue
God removed Adam and Eve from Eden as a result of their sin but left them with a promise of rescue and hope. Over time, God prepared the way for this person who would become the Savior of the world. Details of His birth, life, and death were recorded in the Bible many centuries before His coming. In fact, the whole Bible ultimately points to this one person as the focal point of all human history. His purpose in coming was “to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10). This person was Jesus to died on a cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day for the forgiveness of our sins.
Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.
The Bible says …
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.”
—1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
—1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.
Restoration: Our Response
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says …
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
—Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
—John 1:12 (NIV)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
—Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe and confess that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
5. Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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