Our Problem

None is righteous, no, not one; no

one understands; no one seeks for
God. (Romans 3:10-11)
Our world is a troubled place. Turn on
cable news and youll see videos of
war, riots, and natural disasters.
Open the newspaper and youll read
about brutal murders, or brazen
robberies,
or
child
abuse,
or
government corruption.
Its not just something in the news,
either.
Arguments
with
family
members. Jealousy of your friends
new car or house or promotion. Fear
that makes you lock the doors at
night. The world is a troubled place,
and it affects you personally. Indeed,
your life is troubled, in big ways and
in small ways.
Even worse, were part of the
problem. Just like any of us, youre
not perfect. You lose your temper. You
fail to tell the truth sometimes. You
talk behind a friends back. You resent
others for their possessions and
opportunities.
Why does everyone do bad things?
Youve probably heard the word sin
before. A sin is a bad deed,
something done that breaks Gods
rules. We all sin. Every one of us.
Heres the problem. We arent sinners
because we sin. In other words, the
bad things we do dont make us
sinners. We sin because we are sinful
that is, theres something broken,
rotten, inside every person, and
thats why we all sin.

The Bible explains the problem, in

Genesis chapter three. The very first
man who ever lived, Adam, was given
one simple rule, and he broke it. Told
to stay away from the fruit of one
tree, he decided to try it anyway.
Adam thought he knew better than
God. He didnt like being told what to
do and what not to do. And so he
rebelled. When he did, he led all
humanityevery
one
of
his
descendants, including us, including
youinto sin. Now, we are all born
with a sinful nature. Now, as a
result of sin, we all die; the wages of
sin is death. We all rebel against God
by sinning, by resisting his authority,
by trying to make our own rules and
live how we please.
God is good. God is just. God is
righteous.
These
truths
sound
encouraging, until we realize that his
very goodness and justice and
righteousness
demand
that
he
destroy sin and evil, and punish those
who do them.
God is the judge of sinners, and that
makes him the enemy of sinners.
When we rebel against him and make
war on him by trying to live life our
own way, were guilty of treason. We
are made in Gods image and are
supposed to represent and resemble
him, but when we sin we make a
mockery of him. Our sins are grave
crimesinfinite crimes, calling for
infinite punishment. We are guilty
and God has promised to punish sin.
Every human being is guilty and
deserves eternal punishment.

God's Solution
But he was pierced for our
transgressions; he was crushed for
our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5a)
Were all guilty. Left on our own, were
all bound for hell. Sure, we can do
good things, but they wont change
what weve already doneor deal
with the real problem, which is our
own sinful nature.
We cant save ourselves. But how can
God help? Hes pure and perfect and
cant tolerate sin. If he were to close
a blind eye to what weve done, he
would be unjustwhat would we
think of a judge who let criminals
walk?
But God chose to show both his
justice and his mercy, his goodness
and his love, by paying the price
himself. God became a man, Jesus
Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life we
were supposed to live, a life that
pleased God his Father. Jesus never
sinned. Like Adam, the first man,
Jesus was tempted. But unlike Adam,
Jesus passed the test.
God must punish sin. So Jesus took
the
punishment
for
us.
Jesus
submitted to a kangaroo court and
was sentenced to death, though he
did nothing wrong. On the Cross the
Father poured out his wrath against
sin on his own Son. Being a human
being, Jesus could be punished in the
place of sinners. Being God, Jesus
could pay the infinite price required.
And when it was done, on the third
day afterward, Jesus rose from the
deadshowing that sin and death

were defeated and that God had

accepted his sacrifice. One day, Jesus
will return to set everything right.
Jesus paid the penalty for sin. And
God is pleased to forgive the sins of
people just like us, just like you,
counting those sins as nailed to the
cross, as punished in Christ.
Everyone joined to Adam, descended
from Adam, is a sinner and deserves
death, but everyone joined to Jesus
Christ by faith is counted as righteous
and perfect. God now looks at those
who belong to Jesus, counting Jesus
perfect life as if it was done by and
belongs to them. We stand before
God justified, declared righteous
even though were not, because God
accepts Jesus life and death in place
of our own. And even moreGod
adopts us as his own children, gives
us an inheritance with Jesus Christ,
and grants us everlasting lifeif, and
only if, we belong to him.
That is the life-and-eternal-death
question. Do you belong to him?

Our Response
[I]f you confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. (Romans
10:9)
Every religion on earth has its own
formula for fixing the human
problem. Do these good deeds.
Perform these rituals. Avoid this food.
Avoid that food. Empty yourself of all
passion. But none of these address
the problem: we need a new nature.

You must be born again, born from

above. God has to change your
heart. Thats something you cant do,
or cause in any way. It comes only by
Gods Holy Spirit, working through
Gods Wordthe Bible and its
message of salvationas it is told to
sinners. Through that preachinglike
in churches on Sunday mornings, or
even through words of truth like the
ones youre reading right nowthe
Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin,
showing sinners like you that you are
guilty and need a Saviour.
Do you realize that you are guilty,
and destined for hell? Please, if you
are reading this and havent yet
reckoned with this fact, dont wait.
Dont put this off. If you dont belong
to Jesus, what you need to do is
simple. Repentrealize youre a
sinner, and turn from your old ways.
Believebelieve that Jesus paid the
price for sin, and trust in him, lean on
him and what he did, to save you
from Gods judgment.
Faith alone saves. Remember that
Adam tried to do it his own way
trying to save yourself wont do it.
You cant earn points or buy off God
with good deeds, because God
intends to have all the glory and
honour, all the credit, for saving you.
Stop trying to be good enough,
because it wont work. Only an
empty-handed faith and trust, that
abandons ones own efforts to be
good enough, and trusts instead in
the Only One, Jesus, who actually was
Good Enough, will save you.
And if you believe, God commands
you to serve him as one of his people.

You need to be baptizedimmersed

in water as a declaration and
confession of your new faith. You
need to join a family of Christian
believersa local church, such as our
own at Calvary Grace Church, where
you can regularly hear the Bible,
Gods Word, preached and taught and
so grow in your faith in and
understanding of God.
Look to this Christ. Turn from your sin.
Believe in Jesusfaith alone saves.
Thats it.
Do you have questions about God,
sin, Christ, or salvation? Do you
believe and need baptism? Need a
local church family in which to serve?
Dont hesitate to contact us!
Website:
www.calvarygrace.ca
Email:
info@calvarygrace.ca
Twitter:
@Calvary_Grace

Good News!

www.calvarygrace.ca