Introduction

One of the greatest questions that a person can ask is "What must I do to be saved."  Out of all the subjects found in the Bible, the subject of salvation is by far the most important.  If you are searching for the answers to salvation, I pray that this study will lead you to the saving power of Jesus Christ.  The lesson below has inspired many people to become Christians and I hope and pray that it will do the same for you.  It is rather lengthy, so I would suggest reading it over the course of several days.  If you would like to study further, please e-mail me Keith Smith and I will be happy to help you.  God bless you and have a wonderful day.

I believe for us to truly appreciate and understand the concept of salvation, we must grasp three important principles

I.  Man sinned and got himself into an awful mess.

II.  God did great things to help man overcome his sin problem.

III.  How can we have our sins forgiven and receive salvation?

Let's begin by looking at the first principle.

I.  First, man sinned and got himself into an awful mess.

1.  The Sin Of Adam And Eve

After God created man, He put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  While in the garden, God told Adam that he was free to eat from any tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

�The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, �You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die� (Genesis 2:15-17).

2.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God�s instruction.

�When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it� (Genesis 3:5-6).

This is one of the saddest verses in the entire Bible.   Adam and Eve committed the first sin on earth.

3.  What is sin?

The Greek root word for "sin" hamartia {ham-ar-tee�-ah} (appears 173 times in the Greek NT) means "to miss the mark or the divine standard that God sets for man." Sin is disobeying God's instructions. When God through His Word tells us not to do something, but we do it anyway, we commit sin. Or if God tells us to do something, but we do not do it, we commit sin.

Some people take sin very lightly. They think that sin is harmless. However, the Bible teaches that sin is a grave offense against God, which leads to serious consequences.

4.  What are the consequences of sin?  How can sin affect our lives?

Sin results in many things but specifically; it results in alienation from God, personal calamities, and eternal damnation.

I must tell you that I do not enjoy speaking or writing on the subject of sin, but I must because it is a biblical subject.  The information that I am about to deliver does not paint a pretty picture.  It is heartbreaking.  But, I am hoping that from this information, we will see the seriousness of sin, so that we will not engage in it and I am hoping that we will better appreciative what God has done for us.

Before I talk about the consequences of sin, it is important for us to understand that we are all sinners.  For the Bible teaches this in (Romans 3:23; 1 John 5:19).  If we are Christians and living faithful godly lives, then the blood of Jesus is covering our sins (1 Jn. 1:7).  On the other hand, if we are not Christians, and are not living godly lives, our sins are creating serious problems.  Here are the consequences of sin.

a.  Sin results in alienation from God.

�So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken� (Genesis 3:23).

In the beginning, Adam enjoyed wonderful fellowship with God.  But once he committed sin, he lost that privilege because God cannot fellowship with sin.  Since God is a holy and sinless God, He cannot fellowship with sin.  He has no choice.

�But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear� (Isaiah 59:2).

Sin is so serious that it separates us from God.

If you have lived your life without God, then over the years you have probably accumulated a lot of sin.  This sin separates you from God (1 Peter 3:12).

When God is alienated from our lives, we suffer immensely Without God, we have: No salvation (Psalm 119:155) No peace (Isaiah 48:22) No comfort (Job 15:20) No hope (Ephesians 2:12)

Sin results in alienation from God.

b.  Sin results in personal calamities.

Have you ever experienced any turmoil in your life?  Do you know that it is possible that some of the turmoil you have experienced came from God?  God may have punished you for your sins.

Because Adam and Eve committed sin, they were banished from the Garden of Eden; Eve experienced pain in childbirth; Adam had to work harder to produce his food; and death entered into the world (Genesis 3:16-19).

Because a woman named Jezebel in the church of Thyatira (Revelation 2:20-23) was leading people into sexual immorality, she suffered divine discipline.

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.  I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.  So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways" (Rev. 2:20-22).  "I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds" (Rev. 2:23b).

Our sins can produce consequences.  I am not saying that every problem we face is from God.  I am saying that at times we may experience turmoil because God is punishing us or disciplining us because our sins.

Why would God punish us?

Because He loves us!

"And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: �My son, do not make light of the Lord�s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.�  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:5-11).

God disciplines us hoping that we will become better not bitter people.  God hopes that we will respond to His discipline by turning away from our sins and start living more righteous lives.  Sin results not only in alienation from God, but it produces personal calamities.

c.  Sin results in eternal damnation.

"For the wages of sin is death�" (Romans 6:23).

Read (Matthew 25:31-46).

If we die physically without having our sins taken care of or atoned for, the Bible teaches that we will die spiritually as well.  This means that we will spend eternity in a place called hell.  Hell is a place where unsaved sinners will live out their eternal existence.

Again, I do not enjoy speaking on the subject of hell; however, I must because it is an important subject that everyone needs to hear--including myself.

How does the Bible describe hell?

(1)  Hell is described as a place of fire.

�Then He will say to those on His left, �Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).  (See also Matthew 3:12; 18:8; 13:41-42)

ILLUSTRATION:

For over 20 years a fire has been burning deep within the earth of Centralia, a small community of 1,200 residents in the heart of Pennsylvania's coal fields.  Fifteen different federal, state, and local agencies have spent more than $3.5 million to extinguish the fire without success. Persons can touch the earth and feel the heat.  Deep holes and crevices vent hot, smoky air and noxious gases.  One citizen said:  "Standing by a hole, you can hear the fires roaring.  It's an eerie sound, like the beating of a thousand wings." Government officials have indicated that they are no longer willing to attempt to put out the fire; it is a futile task.  As flames continue to burn without restraint, townspeople plead for someone to save their community.

In Matthew 25:41, the Bible warns us of an even greater fire that burns forever for those who reject Christ -- "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire�"

If we do not have our spiritual lives in order, then we are headed for a place of unquenchable fire.

(2)  Hell is described as a place of torment.

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

"In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, �Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire" (Luke 16:23, 24).

ILLUSTRATION:

One day, in the early 1970's, a real estate agent while viewing some land was badly burned in a freak gas explosion.  A TV documentary showed the horrible agony the man went through while receiving treatment at The Parkland Hospital Burn Center.   The badly burned man was in such agony and pain, that he wanted to die.  Day and night, he would cry out to his nurses, "I want to die, please let me die.  I am in agony."

The sad truth is that hell will be ten times more painful than the agony that this man endured.  And the pain will never end!

(3)  Hell is described as a place of darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:10-12; 25:28-30).

When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, �I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:10-12).

ILLUSTRATION:

Some years ago, a family visited a cave in the state of Kentucky. The guide led them through many beautiful and winding subterranean passageways.  Suddenly the guide turned off all the lights and said, "I'm the only one who knows how to get back to the entrance.  If I left you here, you'd probably never find your way out.  Anyone lost in this cave would no doubt become insane within a week from the oppressive loneliness.  Be quiet for a moment and feel the darkness!"   After about 30 seconds, someone in the party could endure it no longer and cried out, "Turn on the lights! I'm going crazy now!"

Hell will be a place where the guide turns out all the lights and then says find your own way back home.  However, the tragedy is you will be at home.

(4)  Hell is a place where evil people will be (Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:1-21; Ephesians 5:5)

�Not everyone who says to me, �Lord, Lord,� will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, �Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?�  Then I will tell them plainly, �I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!� (Matthew 7:21-23)

Hell is a separation from the righteous (Matthew 13:47-50), and God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Some people believe that a loving God would never send someone to hell.

God doesn't send people to hell; they send themselves to hell.  God doesn't enjoy punishing anyone (Ezekiel 18:30-32).  However, since God is a just and righteous God, He has no choice but to punish sin.  Just like a judge must punish a lawbreaker, God must punish a sinner.  In reality, God doesn't send anyone to hell, people send themselves to hell by making the choice not to follow God's will.

What Have We Learned From Point # 1

Because of Sin, man got himself into an awful mess.

Sin results in:

Alienation from God.

Personal calamities

Eternal damnation.

Thus, we have seen that we have a sin problem. If we do not get our sins taken care of, then we will suffer immensely. However, there is some good news.  Next, we will observe that God sent His Son to rescue us from our sins.

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