Sin
To understand the good news of how the relationship
between God and man must be restored, one must first
understand how the relationship fell into
ruin.
The Word of God teaches us:
For all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. Romans 3:23
We were dead in sins . . .
Ephesians
2:5 God is
holy (spiritually clean) and man is sinful (spiritually
unclean). Just as a person who was physically clean
could not tolerate being next to a dead, decaying, stinking
animal, so a perfect and holy God cannot allow a sinful and
imperfect man into His presence. Man is dead in his
sins!
Physically Clean Man
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Dead, Decaying Animal
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Separation From God
The result of sin is clear:
Your sins have made a barrier between you and
your God. Isaiah
59:2
Sin Creates a Barrier That
Separates Man
From God
HOLY
GOD (Spiritually
Clean)
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SINFUL MAN (Spiritually
Unclean) |
God is both holy (spiritually clean) and
infinite. Therefore, He is infinitely holy!
Consequently, even the smallest sin is infinitely offensive to
Him. Thus, the Bible teaches that even the smallest sin
is enough to eternally separate man from God. God cannot
allow sin in His presence.
Man's Efforts Are Useless!
Man has always sought a way to cross the barrier that
separates him from God. He has tried to break through it
by baptism, good works, loving his neighbor, sacraments,
joining some particular church or denomination, etc. But
the Bible teaches that no work of sinful man can ever tear
down the barrier of sin that separates Holy God from sinful
man.
The Bible says:
But we are all like an unclean thing, and all
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isaiah
64:6 To
attempt to wash away your sins through your own works is as
hopeless as trying to wash a dirty face using a dirty greasy
rag! There is absolutely nothing that man can do to
erase his sins and cross the barrier that separates him from
God. (Also see Haggai 2:12-14; Luke 18:10-14; Romans
3:20; 3:27-28; 4:5; Galatians 3:10-11,
21).
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