Everyone is in need of salvation. The Bible, in Romans 5, tells us that all sin and fall short of God’s glory and that this sin deserves death. How many sin? All. And since all of us sin, all of us face death. Our sin is what separates us from God, and it only takes one sin. Our good deeds cannot change that. Imagine someone was guilty of murder and was pleading his case in court: “But I fed the homeless, Your Honor! I also gave away money to charity and was nice to my mom!” His few good acts wouldn’t erase the murder he had committed. He would still have to pay the penalty for his sin. It is the same with us. Stuck in our sin and moving towards death, all of us are in a hopeless situation.

"But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." Acts 15:11

The Good News

But here’s the good news: God, in His mercy, sent His Son to die in our place. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Christ paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place as a totally innocent man.

"So that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:21

Grace by Faith

Like a bridge, connecting two separated people, God made a way through Christ to connect us to Himself. God did that because He wanted to—not because He had to—because of His great love for us. This is the grace of God, and it is given to us by faith in His Son Jesus, not by working hard to be good. Isn’t that a relief? Take a moment and thank God for saving you while you were still a sinner. Thank Him that you don’t have to earn His love or salvation.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:7

Day 5: Created for a Purpose