The most important question that man faces is the question of his standing before God. His standing with God determines his eternal destiny. Scripture teaches that all men are born in sin and therefore have a guilty standing before God. "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God" (Romans 3:10-11). Man's sin earns him the physical and spiritual death penalty with God. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). God is by nature holy and man by nature is not. His holy and righteous character demands that He judge sin. Man is only deserving of God's wrath and judgment.
The good news is that God in His mercy and grace made provision for man to be forgiven of his sins. God provided a sacrifice for sin that met His righteous demands as a holy God. God came to earth in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh. His purpose in coming was to save sinners. Jesus lived a sinless life then died on the cross as a sinless substitute for sinners. The innocent died in the place of the guilty-the just for the unjust. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Corinthians 5:21). The death of Christ satisfied God's demand to have sin atoned for. After three days in the grave Jesus Christ rose from the dead forever proving His victory over sin and death. His resurrection proved that He was the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and that God was pleased with His sacrifice (Philippians 2:9). The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates that it is only in the risen Lord that eternal life can be found.
How do we respond to this good news? Jesus did everything that was necessary to atone for sin when He died on the cross so to say that somehow something we can do could in any way atone for our own sins would render His death ineffective and insufficient. No man can be saved by his own "good works." "A man is not justified by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16). Earning salvation is impossible. Salvation is a gift of God's grace and therefore can only be received by faith. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Only the death of Christ (not our works however well intended they are) can reconcile us to God. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
To receive Jesus Christ by faith is to receive eternal life-"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life" (John 3:36a). To reject Jesus Christ is to remain under God"s wrath and face eternal judgment in hell if you die in your sins-"He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36b). If you are reading this and you have never been saved from your sins you will be saved if you repent of your sins, trust in Jesus Christ, and call upon God to save you. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:9-10, 13).