Once a month, you’re going to hear from our authors, from our team, or from a guest on how we study the Bible, what resources we use, and what questions we ask.
In Genesis 1 and 2, we read about God creating the entire universe. Everything He created was good, and He called it that. He created people in His image, and He gave them free will. He had a personal relationship with them, walking with them in the garden of Eden, talking to them, directing them on what to do and what not to do.
In Genesis 3, we read about the first sin, the first lie, the first disobedience, and the first shame that followed it. From there, the world was no longer right and good and perfect. Our personal God, our holy God, was separated from those He made, those who now wore the label of “sinner.” Those people made in the image of God would experience the punishment for their sin: the wrath of God and death. But God has a plan.
While we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23) and deserve the wrath of God and death, God made a way for us to be spared from death. God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He lived a sinless life, perfectly obeying the Law God had given.
He was put to death, not as a consequence of His own actions. He suffered the consequences of sinful humanity. Three days later, God raised Him from the dead. He paid the price for our sins and defeated physical death (Rom. 6:23).
Now, we have the opportunity to once again be in fellowship with our Creator. When we repent of our sin and believe that Jesus can save us from that sin, we can be saved (Rom. 10:9). We are saved from death to life. Our sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven. Instead of wrath, we are shown grace. Our relationship with God is restored.
We are then called to share with others this story of the gospel—”that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3b-4).
We are also called to live a life of ongoing transformation into Christlikeness. This means we become a disciple of Christ—learning what Scripture says about God, putting our faith into action through prayer and service, and living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). We can trust that one day Jesus will return to earth. Those who have trusted in repentant faith in Christ will escape judgment and wrath and death—they will be in God’s presence for all eternity.
When I was younger, I often got discouraged that my testimony was not as “dramatic” as others I heard growing up. But as a friend’s grandfather pointed out long ago, nothing is much more dramatic than bringing the dead back to life. The very word salvation points to it. I was dead in my little six-year-old sin. Flatlined. But through grace, by faith, I have been saved (Eph. 2:8-9). The Holy Spirit lives inside me, and I will one day dwell in the presence of my Creator God for eternity. From death to life.
Elizabeth is an Editorial Project Leader at Lifeway. She managed to find a job where she uses both her English undergraduate and her seminary graduate degrees every day. Elizabeth grew up in Nashville, sips chai lattes every chance she can get, and believes everyone should have a “funny picture” pose at the ready. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram: @edhyndman.
