In my prayer and listening this past week I have heard this recurring Question…” Am I waiting on God or is God waiting on my faith to arrive at His plan?”

Here is what I have heard as an answer to that question… “Maybe my faith has not met His plan yet, maybe I have not allowed my faith in Him to fill the gaps I don't have answers to.”

So, what does that have to do with our statement on sin and salvation today? Well, salvation requires faith, right? Faith in the truth that God has a solution to sin, a story of redemption. So what is sin?

Sin represents the departure from God's will, beginning with Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden, and permeating human history till today and tomorrow and so on. Sin is a barrier that separates humanity from a Holy God, leading to physical and spiritual death. Sounds terrible I know.

However, the story doesn't end there. If you have hung around here a little bit you may know that the Bible also unfolds a message of hope and salvation, grounded in God's infinite love and mercy. Through Jesus Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, the bridge between sin and salvation is built, offering believers the promise of eternal life and reconciliation with God.

Today we are going to look at our belief statements in regards to sin and salvation.

Why are we spending time going over these statements you may ask?

What we believe molds us and motivates us and defines us.

These belief statements, while they are specifically put together as a public statement for our 7 Creeks Church- they are the foundation we are building our church upon. These belief statements are our public declaration of faith. They are the foundation of everything we do as a church and everything we teach as a church.

Here we go….

Sin:

We believe, though created in a state of innocence, humanity fell from its sinless state and became subject to physical and spiritual death. Sin is anything contrary to the character of God. Every person is alienated from God because of their depraved nature and personal acts of sin. Therefore, everyone is separated from God and completely incapable of meriting salvation and avoiding the judgment of God. Our sinful nature is never eradicated, even for those who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation. It remains until the end of life on earth. However, we believe God has made provision for forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ and victory over sin through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 3:10, 23, 5:12, 6:23, Gal. 5:16-17, 1 John 1:8-10).

Let’s talk about a few of these concepts…

State of Innocence and the Fall:

This asserts that humanity was originally created without sin, in a state of innocence.

Humanity fell from this state, leading to both physical and spiritual death as consequences. This happened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions in the garden. You can read about this more in Genesis chapters 2 and 3.

Sin:

Sin is described in the Bible as transgression of the law of God and rebellion against God. You could say it this way as well…anything I think say or do that is not in accordance with the will of God. Or to make it even simpler… Sin happens when I place my will above God’s will.

Alienation from God:

This emphasizes that all humans are separated from God due to their inherent sinful nature and individual sinful actions.

Universal Separation and Incapability:

This separation is universal and that no one can earn salvation or escape God's judgment through their own efforts.

Persistence of Sinful Nature:

We believe that the sinful nature exists in believers until their earthly life ends.

Provision for Forgiveness and Victory:

Despite the persistence of sin, this statement expresses our belief in God's provision for forgiveness through Jesus Christ's sacrifice.

We also believe in the empowerment of believers to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit's presence within them.

Now let’s look at the scripture support:

Romans 3:10 - as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

This verse is a direct quotation from the Old Testament, specifically from Psalms 14:1-3 and 53:1-3. Paul's purpose in quoting this verse is to highlight that all people, regardless of their background or status, are inherently sinful and fall short of God's standards of righteousness. It underscores the need for God's grace and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, as no one can achieve righteousness on their own.

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This may sting some of us but here is the truth, every person, regardless of their background, has sinned and therefore does not meet God's standard of righteousness. This verse reminds us that no one is inherently righteous or capable of achieving perfection on their own. Paul's teaching that salvation and justification come through faith in Jesus Christ, not through human effort or adherence to the law.

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned

Paul is explaining that sin entered the world through one man, referring to Adam and because of that, the direct consequence of that is physical and spiritual death.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Oh consequences…we have been through them. The consequence of sin is death. Heck of a pep talk here I know….so let me add…God offers us a gift! He offers us eternal life and that is possible through Jesus Christ. Salvation comes through Him! But we will get to that in just a minute.

Galatians 5:16-17 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Paul is encouraging us to live our lives guided by the Holy Spirit. This means aligning our actions, thoughts, and behaviors with the guidance and influence of the Spirit, rejecting the flesh’s sinful desires. We are reminded that there is a conflict between the desires of the flesh and guidance of the Spirit.

1 John 1:8-10 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Listen, I think we can all acknowledge we have sinned, but if you need reassurance these verses do that for us. Everyone has sinned and that claiming to be without sin is self-deception. We are encouraged to confess our sins and when we do so God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. That sounds good. I'll have that. To cap it off, if we deny our sinfulness we are basically calling God a liar and it contradicts His word and truth.

Ok, so there is a lot of information on sin and now onto the Good News!

Salvation:

We believe that salvation from the penalty and power of sin is available through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This salvation was made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ which He shed on the cross. It is through this act that He became sin for us and died in our place. There is nothing a person can do to earn this salvation (including good works, moral achievement or religious status). The one and only condition for salvation is personal faith in Jesus Christ as one’s own substitute for sin and savior from sin. At the time of salvation, a person is spiritually regenerated, sins are forgiven, God’s righteousness is imputed, and he/she is declared righteous in the sight of God. This salvation is complete and a present possession of all believers which remains his/hers forever. All who have trusted Christ as Savior are kept secure and will never lose their salvation (1 Pet. 1:18-19, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:24, Eph 2:8-9, Tit. 3:5, Rom. 5:1, Rom. 8:38-39).

Salvation Through Faith in Jesus Christ:

Salvation is presented as a means to be freed from both the consequences and the influence of sin.

We believe that salvation is accessible solely through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Crucifixion as the Means of Salvation:

This part highlights the crucifixion of Jesus as the pivotal event enabling salvation.

Jesus' sacrifice took on humanity's sin and he died on our behalf.

Inability to Earn Salvation:

It emphasizes that salvation cannot be earned through human efforts, moral deeds, or religious standing.

Condition for Salvation:

The part of the statement states that personal faith in Jesus as a substitute for sin and savior is the sole requirement for salvation.

Spiritual Regeneration and Forgiveness at Salvation:

Upon salvation, several things occur: spiritual renewal, forgiveness of sins, salvation from the penalty for sin, and a declaration of righteousness before God.

Eternal Security of Salvation:

Salvation is a complete, current reality for believers that is eternal.

Security and Permanence of Salvation:

This affirms the belief that those who have placed their faith in Christ are eternally secure and cannot lose their salvation.

Scripture Support Incoming:

1 Peter 1:18-19 - knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Redemption here refers to being set free from a life of sin and spiritual bondage or set free from an empty way of life lacking purpose and fulfillment. AND, that redemption was not achieved via worldly standards or stuff n things, it was accomplished on something far more valuable, the precious blood of Jesus on the cross, who is our sacrificial lamb without blemish, making Him the perfect sacrifice for humanity.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus is the one "who had no sin." This emphasizes His perfect, sinless nature, which qualified Him to be the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins, being sin for us, taking on the burden and penalty of our sins. He bore the weight of the cross so that we might become the righteousness of God! (no pressure right). This is what happens. If you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus, there has been a transformative exchange where your sins are placed on Jesus and his righteousness is given to you. That sounds nice. I'll take that!

1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

This may sound repetitive but it's important folks...Jesus took on the burden of our sins in His own body when He was crucified. This act of bearing our sins signifies His substitutionary sacrifice, taking the punishment that you and I deserve. Now there is something we are called to here. We are called to die to sins or turn away from our sinful ways and live for righteousness, a life characterized by righteousness and holiness. Here is some more good news. By His wounds you have been healed. Believers experience a spiritual healing and restoration that comes through the suffering and death of Jesus...by the way that is prophecy fulfilled from Isaiah 53:5...

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Straight to the point...salvation is a result of God's grace, not human effort or merit, and that grace is understood as God's unmerited favor, freely given to humanity, through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation cannot be achieved on your own. I know that may be hard to swallow for works-based folks, but it's the truth and why? So that no one can boast. Pretty humbling to reflect on.

Titus 3:5 - he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

The verse makes it clear that salvation is not based on the righteous deeds we have done. Instead, it is solely because of God's mercy and grace that we are saved and because of that we are spiritually cleansed, and new birth is experienced through Jesus Christ and renewal and transformation because of the Holy Spirit enabling us to live in accordance with God's will.

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are a believer, you are justified, or made right with God, through your faith in Jesus Christ. (Whew! Pressure is off a little right?) Because of this justification you are at peace with God and have a restored relationship with Him, free from the separation that is caused by sin. The reason why is...Made possible by Jesus Christ and through his sacrificial death and resurrection you are reconciled with God. (Makes me wonder why anyone would not want to have this gift.)

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This reinforces that nothing can separate believers from the love of God. This love is steadfast, unwavering, and eternal. Look at this list of extremes, or circumstances and forces at play that cannot separate you from God's love...death and life, angels and demons, present and future, height and depth...His love remains constant and unbreakable. Where is that love found? In Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

To pull in last week’s talk on Humanity, God’s most precious creation you and I, remember that God created us to have a relationship with Him, but we sinned, or rebelled against Him, which caused separation from Him. BUT, despite my sin and your sin, God still loves us deeply and desires to restore that relationship with Him. How? That is where Jesus steps in... God sent His only son, Jesus Christ to “fill the gap” caused by sin. (Remember that statement in the beginning today? About allowing faith to fill the gaps?)

Well Jesus lived the perfect life that you and I cannot and took the punishment on the cross for our sins. He paid the price, and we are offered forgiveness because of His sacrifice. He defeated sin and death, rising from the dead, giving the Believer hope and eternal life with God.

To receive God's gift of salvation, we need to have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Through this, we are forgiven and reconciled with God.

Today, for time’s sake, we are not going to address specific questions we came up with, but we have some and they are good… so hang in there for next week and we will address some of these as we wrap up our series on This We Believe.

As we wrap, I have a question… We refer to Salvation as The Gospel around here because Gospel means Good News. When you have good news, don’t you love to share it? How about the good news of Jesus Christ, are we excited to share it? What’s holding you back? Is it fear, or mindset or a misunderstanding of purpose? Whatever it is, my prayer for each of you today is that you allow God to increase your faith and fill in any gaps where questions exist.

For Further Thought and Study

What is the difference between an iniquity and a transgression?
What was the Old Testament process to cover sin?
How would you explain to someone God’s plan of salvation through Jesus?

This We Believe - Week 5

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