My good friend and co-teacher Rico put together this great summary of God’s salvation plan for us.
GOD’S GOOD NEWS – THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
1. All of us are sinners, and none of us are righteous because we have not fully submitted ourselves to the will of God.
Romans 3:10
Romans 3:23
2. The consequence of sin is death. This is not only physical death, but this is also spiritual death. Death does not mean that we cease to exist as is commonly believed, but the true meaning of death is separation. Therefore, physical death is separation of the body from the soul and spirit, and spiritual death is separation of the spirit from God. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he spiritually died that day because he became separated from God.
Genesis 2:16-17
As a result, we enter into this world spiritually dead because Adam’s sin was passed down to all of mankind, and we are all separated from God. And the time will come when we will all physically die (at least until Jesus Christ returns) because of sin.
3. However, God has provided a means for us to be saved from spiritual death (which ultimately results in eternal separation from God in hell) by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. For if we place our faith in the Lord, and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and that He rose again from the dead, we will be forever saved.
John 3:16
Romans 10:9
4. When we place our faith in Christ we become “married” to Him and this is why He can justifiably die for our sins. For just as when 2 people get married, they become one and what’s his is hers and what’s hers is his. Therefore, when we become married to Christ, our sins become His sins and because He died on the cross for those sins, we no longer have to die eternally for our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
In addition, His perfect life of righteousness becomes our righteousness and, therefore, we now have a legal right to enter heaven.