Whenever we begin a study of Christianity, it is important to first get the ugly truths out of the way. If we want to talk about redemption and salvation, it is important for us to first address the reason we need to be redeemed and saved.
We believe that mankind was created in the image of God (Gen 1:26). Many people have had many different ideas about the inherent state of man’s soul, but every Christian will recognize that man has a soul. This soul within us is naturally pure, but it is tarnished by sin. Sin is anything that is not like God. Since God is good and righteous, anything that is against that goodness and righteousness is sinful.
Consider something like art fraud. An artist paints dozens of paintings and certain characteristics of his painting style become significant in identifying art truly made by him. Some people may try to pass off other paintings as having come from the artist, but if they don’t replicate all of the characteristics then they can be recognized as inauthentic.
The premise is this: if we are going to be a people who belong to God, we ought to exemplify his characteristics. Things that are un-Godly are things that can and will expose us as frauds if they are never rectified.
Sin is really bad. I wanted to say this as simply as possible because I think it is something that is overlooked. One of the best tools that Satan, the adversary, has is to convince people that sin isn’t that big of a deal. In fact, the very first instance of mankind going against what God told us to do came about because Satan convinced man that sin wasn’t that big of a deal (Gen 3).
There are lists of sin in Romans 1:29-31 and Galatians 5:19-21 and in several other places in the New Testament, but the basic understanding of what is a sin doesn’t change. A sin is anything that is ungodly. Anything of God is righteousness, anything against God is sin.
Here’s the kicker- everybody sins. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). So every person’s soul has been tarnished. Since every soul has been tarnished, every soul needs cleansing. Every soul needs redemption, every soul needs salvation.
Thank God that He has provided a way for us to receive that cleansing.
His Son Jesus, who was God and man, came to earth, lived WITHOUT sinning (the only one to do it), and was a willing sacrifice for our sins. We will, of course, be talking a lot more about him, but I thought it is important to begin our study with an understanding of how much we need him.
I pray that whoever reads this is uplifted by the fact that God has esteemed us highly enough to love us and to save us from our sinful state. God bless.
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