OUR NEED FOR SALVATION

PURPOSE

In this study, we will discover why we are in need of salvation.

OPENER

Why do some people fail to realize their need for salvation?

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LESSON

WE ARE IN NEED OF SALVATION BECAUSE MANKIND SINNED AND GOT THEMSELVES 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. How did Adam and Eve respond to God's command (Genesis 3:5-6)?

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• Adam and Eve disobeyed God's instruction. They sinned and ate from the tree that God told them not to eat from. This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Adam and Even committed the first sin on earth.

What is sin?

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• 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.

Why are we attracted to do what God has forbidden us to do?

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• First, it is within our nature to want to sin (Genesis 8:21; Romans 7:18-20). Second, some sins are pleasurable to the eye (Genesis 3:6; 2 Peter 2:18) and enticing to commit.

2. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN? HOW CAN SIN AFFECT OUR LIVES?

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a. SIN RESULTS IN ALIENATION FROM GOD.

Sometime after Adam committed sin, God banished him from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23). Why do you think God did this?

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• In the beginning, Adam enjoyed wonderful fellowship with God. But once he committed sin, his relationship with God was damaged. You see sin offends our holy God and separates us from Him. Because God is holy, He cannot ignore, excuse, or tolerate sin as though it didn’t matter. Sin cuts us off from Him, forming a wall to isolate God from the people He loves. People who die with their life of sin unforgiven separate themselves eternally from God. God wants us to live with Him forever, but He cannot take us into His holy presence unless our sins are removed. The Lord can save us if we turn to Him.

In what ways do we suffer when God is alienated from our lives?

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• Without God in our lives, we have no salvation (Psalm 119:155), no peace (Isaiah 48:22), no comfort (Job 15:20), and no hope (Ephesians 2:12).

b. SIN RESULTS IN PERSONAL CALAMITIES.

Do you believe that God disciplines or punishes us because of our sins?

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• In the Bible, we read of many people that God disciplined because of sin.

• 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.

Why does God discipline us (Hebrews 12:5-11)?

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• God disciplines us because He loves us. God disciplines us hoping that we will respond to His discipline by turning away from our sins and start living more righteous lives.

Describe a time when you felt that God's discipline prompted you to make changes in your life.

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c. SIN RESULTS IN ETERNAL DAMNATION.

If we die physically without having our sins taken care of or atoned for, the Bible teaches that we will die spiritually (Romans 6:23). 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. How does the Bible describe Hell?

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• The Bible describes hell in many ways.

(1) Hell is described as a place of fire (Matthew 25:41).

What does "fire" signify in the Bible?

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• The Greek root word for “fire” par {poor} (appears 72 times in the Greek New Testament). Fire appears mostly as a means used by God to execute punishment -- in the case of Sodom (Gen. 19:24); and in the case of hell (Mt. 25:41)." Fire signifies pain, suffering, and punishment.

• 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 darkness, and weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:10-12; 25:28-30).

What does "darkness" signify in the Bible?

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• The Greek root word for “darkness” skotos {skot’-os} (appears 31 times in the Greek New Testament) means “darkness, or gloom." In the Bible, darkness signifies the ‘realm of sin, and evil.

What does "weeping" and "gnashing of teeth" mean?

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• “Weeping” suggests sorrow and grief (emotional agony of the lost in hell), and grinding of one’s teeth speaks of pain (physical agony in hell).

(3) Hell is described as eternal (Matthew 25:46).

How do you describe "eternity"?

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• The Greek root word for “eternal” aionios {ahee-o’-nee-os} (appears 71 times in the Greek New Testament) means “eternal, without end, an unlimited duration of time."

§ How do you describe eternity? I don't really know. It's longer than a lifetime. It's longer than a millennium. It's longer than the entire history of man. It is forever!

§ If the punishment in hades or hell lasted only a week, perhaps one could endure it without crying out for mercy. If it went on for a year, at least he could dream of the time when it would be over. But to imagine a punishment that never ends, that is a desperate situation.

After studying the descriptions of hell, do you believe that God would send someone to hell?

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

CONCLUSION:

1. In this study, we have seen that mankind sinned and got themselves into an awful mess.

2. Sin results in (a) alienation from God, (b) personal calamities, and (c) eternal damnation.

3. 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.

4. However, there is some good news. In the next lesson, we will observe that God sent His Son to rescue us from our sins. 

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