Next Steps

God created all of the universe and everything in it. He created people with a purpose (Gen. 1:28 & 2:15) and in perfect fellowship with Himself and each other (Gen. 1:31 & 2:25). They had nothing to hide and they knew no shame.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they experienced guilt, inadequacy, and a desire to hide from the Lord (Gen. 3:8). The consequence was separation from God (Gen. 3:24), pain and toil (Gen. 3:16-17), and physical and spiritual death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23). Every war, famine, and tragedy can be traced to people rejecting God and living in their own strength.

From Cain’s vegetable offering (Gen. 4:5) to Israel’s failure to keep God’s commandments, human righteousness pales in comparison to the Lord’s absolute holiness. The Old Testament sacrificial system revealed the depravity of sin (Isaiah 64:6) , the power of God to save (Psalm 51:7), and a glimpse of the final sacrifice – Jesus – who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Jesus is God. He loves sinners and came as the fulfillment of the law and the ultimate sacrifice (Matt. 5:7; Luke 24:47). As a perfect human he could die for humankind, but as the true and living God, His payment for sin was infinite. After he was crucified, Jesus rose again and was seen by over 500 witnesses on at least 12 separate occasions over 40 days (1 Cor. 15:6; Acts 1:3). His miracles and resurrection testify that He was who He claimed to be – God in the flesh (John 10:25; Rom. 1:4).

How can you experience new life? By trusting Christ alone and not your good deeds (Eph. 2:8-9). The scripture makes it clear: all who call on the Jesus will be saved (Rom. 10:9). When you believe Jesus died for your sins and you trust Him as Lord, you cross over from death to life — receiving forgiveness, joy, and victory over the grave (John 5:24).

When you trust in Jesus, you enter a personal, permanent relationship with God called eternal life. Jesus lives in you through the Holy Spirit and empowers you to live as He did (Rom. 8:9). Eternal life starts today and continues forever! Jesus promises to restore all things by punishing evil, restoring creation, and inviting us to face-to-face communion that never ends (Rev. 21:1-3).