The Creation
God created man in His own image to enjoy a relationship with Him. Man was designed to find his satisfaction and joy in God (Psalm 16:11), and rule over His perfect creation called Earth. That happiness in God would display God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7), His infinite greatness and worth, to the ends of the earth as man multiplied, filled and ruled it. (Genesis 1-2; Isaiah 43:7)
The Fall
Instead of being completely satisfied in God’s goodness and counsel, the first man, Adam, was led astray by the subtlety of Satan’s deceit, choosing to trust in his own wisdom. When he disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, his “sin” broke the intimate relationship they shared and all of creation was cursed as well. (Genesis 3)
As the head of the human race, Adam’s fall, became our fall. (Rom 5:12) Every person since is sinful by nature, choosing self-rule over delighting in God. (Rom 3:23) We stand condemned by Him for our sin. (Rom 5:18) We will live without the joy of His presence here on earth, and after death, spend eternity separated from Him in a place of punishment called Hell. (2 Thess 1:9, Rev 20:15)
The Rescue
The good news is that God Himself has decreed a way to satisfy the demands of His justice without condemning the whole human race. Hell is one way to settle accounts with sinners and uphold His justice. But there is another way. The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God.
In the time of His choosing (Gal 4:4), God the Father sent forth His Son Jesus (John 3:16), conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (Luke 1:34-35) He lived without sin, though He faced the same issues and temptations as every human. (Heb 4:15) Jesus suffered voluntarily (John 10:18) to fulfill God’s rescue plan (Acts 2:23), in that He was crucified (Mark 15:25), died (John 19:30), was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead. (1 Cor 15:4) Through living a perfect life and dying in our place, the just for the unjust, Christ absorbed the punishment for us, and appeased the wrath of God against our disobedience. (Rom 5:9)
By His perfect obedience to God and His sacrificial death, Jesus Christ obtained forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28) and the gift of perfect righteousness (Rom 5:17), think “right-ness” before God, for all who would trust in Him. This trust in Christ is called faith. (Phil 3:9) It is not mere intellectual assent to what He did, but a heartfelt conviction of the Holy Spirit in all that His life, death and resurrection accomplished. (James 2:19) It includes repentance (Acts 2:38), which is a change of heart and mind to agree with God about the ugliness and danger of sin. By trusting in Jesus, you are spiritually born into the family of God. (Eph 1:5)
The Restoration
By trusting in Jesus, your relationship with God is restored. You can now display His glory (Rom 9:23) by making Him your all-satisfying Treasure. (Matt 13:44) God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him. (Phil 3:8) And God has promised He will one day restore all His creation to the way it was intended. There will be a new heaven and new earth. Those who were saved by God’s rescue plan will be able to worship Him, serve Him and enjoy a relationship with Him forever in this perfect place. (Rev 21-22)
Your Response
- Admit your need to God
- Ask Him to forgive you of your sin and turn from it
- Trust in Jesus Christ alone to rescue you
- Follow Him from this day forward
