Christians tend to talk about being “saved”. You might well ask – “saved from what?” Why do I need “saved”?
It all starts in the Garden of Eden…God tells us that he created human beings to live in relationship with him. And, originally – we did. Adam and Eve talked with God and visited with him “in the cool of the evening”. But then the deceiver, Satan, entered the picture. He tempted Adam and Eve, telling them that God was holding out on them. He told them that if they disobeyed God, they would know good and evil and be like God. They bought it – and the rest is history.
After the apple…
Unfortunately, they found out that even though they did learn about evil, they did not become like God. They actually became more like Satan, who had also rebelled against God. And learning about evil did not equip them to become wiser, it made them slaves to evil. From that point on, they were hooked – they were unable to resist evil. If someone told them not to do something, what do you think they did? That very thing! And we’ve been wired that way ever since. If you have children, you know this for a fact – whatever is forbidden becomes irresistible. This constant desire to do things our way, to rebel against God’s authority, is called “sin”. Now, when Adam & Eve rebelled against God, it ruined their relationship with God – and consequently, ours as well. We have rebelled against God, and justice demands our punishment. But God has a plan to reverse that…
God’s Plan
Picture yourself visiting a state prison. The heavy metal door clangs shut behind you as you enter Death Row. The man you are going to visit has committed a heinous crime. On top of that, he is surly and rude. He has no remorse – he doesn’t even act like he thinks he did anything wrong. Yet, as you visit him, you are filled with love and compassion for him. You decide you don’t want him to die; you want to give him the chance to live a better life. But what can you do? He is guilty – a crime has been committed and someone has to pay. You decide in order to satisfy the law, you will pay the price for him. So, you accept his sentence and he is set free.
Who would set a murderer free and die in his place? What kind of love is this that would sacrifice everything for someone so totally unworthy? Yet that is exactly what Jesus did for us. Just as that Death Row inmate was guilty of a terrible crime, so are we guilty. We may not think we have done anything so “bad”, but our sin (rebellion) has separated us from God just as much. And the wonder is…Jesus did not hesitate to die in our place. Such is the love of God. He took our punishment so that we could be set free (saved) from the power that sin has over us, and we could live in relationship with God again.
That’s not just good news, that’s amazing, wonderful news!