Just to add some further thoughts to Skip's very good answer to you: as shared from Romans 6:23, the committing of sin, even the smallest sin, will only reap the punishment of death (both physical & spiritual death). As people, we like to grade our sins & misdemeanours, believing that a white lie or evil thought is certainly not as severe as actually offending or hurting someone else. But God sees our behaviour differently, simply because He is Holy, without sin, never knowing sin. So He expected that His perfect creation would behave likewise, as He is. But you know the story: that didn't happen, so the sin nature was passed down the line, & we all do wrong & sin against God.
God had every right to turn His Face from his creation, to either allow us to wallow in wickedness & ultimately be consigned to Hell, or maybe, instantly destroy all mankind, so you & I wouldn't even be here today. But God had a third option: an option not from unrestrained anger seeking our destruction, but of great unfathomable Love from within Him & undeserved Mercy for a wretched people, that would seek our welfare & give us a new life & hope.
Since the only way to pay for our sin is by death (as a heinous sinful nature could only bring the death penalty), we would still have ended up in Hell. But what if someone came before the Great Judge & offered to take on our punishment & make full payment for our sin, so that we wouldn't have Hell as our destination but would be forgiven, anticipating Heaven. Who could fit the bill as the one offering Himself had to be perfect, as God is Perfect? No man could - only God Himself could. For that reason, He sent His Son, His Own precious Word made like us in the flesh, so that a full payment could be made, through His dying on the Cross in our place. But death couldn't hold Him. He arose from the grave so God could now 'justify' us (i.e. He could look at us forgiven sinners 'just as if' we had never sinned). WHY? His LOVE compelled Him to do this.
I think that most people desire that things be fair, for the bag guys to get what they deserve. But we have it a bit lopsided when it comes to us personally. There, we tend to be somewhat forgiving.
Let's look at an example. Suppose I got angry and slapped my neighbor in the face. What punishment might I receive? How about if I slapped a cop? Same act. Do you think the punishment would be the same? Suppose it was the leader of some country like Saudi Arabia? What would I get then? Probably much more severe. What if I slapped God? Well God is a spirit, I know, but isn't that, in effect, what we do when we do our own thing, denigrate other creatures created in His image. In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said if you are angry with someone, it's equivalent to murder and if you lust after a woman, you're just like an adulterer and ends that portion of His discourse with "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Mat 5:48 (KJVA)
I'm far from perfect, how about you? We are all sinning every day of our lives, falling short of the glory of The Father's perfection. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom 3:23 (KJVA) Eze 18:20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Because we are hopelessly broken sinners and deserve death, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 6:23 (KJVA) Jesus took our punishment. This event is often referred to as The Great Exchange. Jesus takes our sin enduring the wrath of The Father and we get Jesus' Righteousness.
When Adam sinned, he died. He lost daily fellowship with God. His spirit was dead. Adam and Eve tried to clothe themselves in leaves. God caused an animal to die to give them a covering. This was a picture of Jesus dying for for our sin in order to cover us with His Righteousness. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as The Lamb of God: The Perfect Passover Lamb.
Hi Gary Jesus died for our sins because he love us with an everlasting love. This is the only way we can obtain eternal life. When Adam and Eve disobey Gods commandment death was our sentence but Jesus redeemed us with His Love. I am presently reading this book "The Story of Redemption" and it as and is a blessing. I recommend you either purchase or download it. I know it will be a blessing to you.
God had every right to turn His Face from his creation, to either allow us to wallow in wickedness & ultimately be consigned to Hell, or maybe, instantly destroy all mankind, so you & I wouldn't even be here today. But God had a third option: an option not from unrestrained anger seeking our destruction, but of great unfathomable Love from within Him & undeserved Mercy for a wretched people, that would seek our welfare & give us a new life & hope.
Since the only way to pay for our sin is by death (as a heinous sinful nature could only bring the death penalty), we would still have ended up in Hell. But what if someone came before the Great Judge & offered to take on our punishment & make full payment for our sin, so that we wouldn't have Hell as our destination but would be forgiven, anticipating Heaven. Who could fit the bill as the one offering Himself had to be perfect, as God is Perfect? No man could - only God Himself could. For that reason, He sent His Son, His Own precious Word made like us in the flesh, so that a full payment could be made, through His dying on the Cross in our place. But death couldn't hold Him. He arose from the grave so God could now 'justify' us (i.e. He could look at us forgiven sinners 'just as if' we had never sinned). WHY? His LOVE compelled Him to do this.
I think that most people desire that things be fair, for the bag guys to get what they deserve. But we have it a bit lopsided when it comes to us personally. There, we tend to be somewhat forgiving.
Let's look at an example. Suppose I got angry and slapped my neighbor in the face. What punishment might I receive? How about if I slapped a cop? Same act. Do you think the punishment would be the same? Suppose it was the leader of some country like Saudi Arabia? What would I get then? Probably much more severe. What if I slapped God? Well God is a spirit, I know, but isn't that, in effect, what we do when we do our own thing, denigrate other creatures created in His image. In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said if you are angry with someone, it's equivalent to murder and if you lust after a woman, you're just like an adulterer and ends that portion of His discourse with "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Mat 5:48 (KJVA)
I'm far from perfect, how about you? We are all sinning every day of our lives, falling short of the glory of The Father's perfection. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom 3:23 (KJVA) Eze 18:20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Because we are hopelessly broken sinners and deserve death, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 6:23 (KJVA) Jesus took our punishment. This event is often referred to as The Great Exchange. Jesus takes our sin enduring the wrath of The Father and we get Jesus' Righteousness.
When Adam sinned, he died. He lost daily fellowship with God. His spirit was dead. Adam and Eve tried to clothe themselves in leaves. God caused an animal to die to give them a covering. This was a picture of Jesus dying for for our sin in order to cover us with His Righteousness. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as The Lamb of God: The Perfect Passover Lamb.
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