In the previous section, we learned that sin separates us from God and makes us guilty before him. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, including the people we think are good in our own eyes.

But I also said that God has made a way for us to be reconciled with him, and enter Heaven. This is for everyone, including the person who thinks they’ve done too much wrong to be included– It’s for you! 

Heaven is a free gift; it can’t be earned or deserved. But it can be had.

Through Jesus Christ and only through him.

You see, the wages of sin is death. We pay for sin, without Jesus Christ, with our lives. That is why our good deeds are not enough to get us to Heaven because no amount of good deeds can make up for how much our souls are worth, especially to God.

2000 years ago, God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, to take the penalty for our sins.
He lived a perfect, sinless life. No deceit was found in his mouth.

We have all needed forgiveness and struggled to forgive others. Have you ever been deeply betrayed? Remember the anguish? That is a small portion of what was laid upon Jesus when he died on the Cross. He was tortured and beaten and did not do a single thing to deserve it. The Cross itself was an excruciating death. He never experienced separation from his Father until then. He was separated from the Father so that we could be reconciled to him. He did it intentionally to save us. It was not something that just happened against his will, but he bore my sins and your sins and everyone else’s sins so that whoever believes in him, will not perish but have eternal life.

God raised him from the dead on the third day to show that this sacrifice was accepted by him, and to validate Jesus’ claims as the Son of God. He wasn’t crazy. He wasn’t a liar. He wasn’t just a good teacher. He is our savior!

What a glorious God we have because instead of doing what most of us do, which is to close our hearts out of self-protection to those who offend and hurt us the most, he instead absorbed all the hurt and cost on the Cross so that he can fully forgive and have a living, eternal relationship with us.

It means that through Jesus, we can be cleansed of all our sin and guilt and become children of God, just as he is the Son of God, and enter into Heaven, receiving eternal life.

Remember the courtroom scenario? So imagine you’re before a good and just judge who must punish you and now you’re facing sentencing. Imagine if someone stepped in and said, “I’ll pay the fine on behalf of (insert your name)!” And now the demand for justice has been satisfied and the judge is now free and able to let you go. Imagine you’re facing execution. And someone who is loving, has lived a perfect, sinless life takes your place. That’s what Jesus has done for all of us. This is a demonstration of God’s great love. Not changing his standards but fulfilling them by paying the price himself.

You see, God didn’t give us the commandments to crush us, but to show us our need for a savior. He didn’t send us the commandments so we could be enslaved to guilt forever. He sent us his Son so we could live forever. While psychology and human solutions merely move the guilt around and shift blame onto our parents, neighbors, ourselves, we have, in the Gospel, someone who bore all that guilt upon himself so we could be with him forever. Guilt and shame can make us run from God, but I challenge you to take it and run toward God to receive complete forgiveness. There is no sin too great that can keep us from receiving salvation.

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(Romans 10:9-10)

Pray to God today.

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I am a sinner who has offended a Holy and just and loving God. I am in need of your forgiveness. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for me. Jesus, Thank you for bearing my punishment on the cross. Please forgive me and come into my life and take the throne of my heart. I need you every day; please teach me and instruct me and show me what it means to be a Christian, not in my own strength but yours. In your name I pray, Amen.

Still thinking about it? I encourage you to keep thinking and seeking; ask God to reveal himself and the truth to you.