In beautiful San Antonio, Texas, my Great-Auntie and her husband, while out hunting for a new residence, strolled along a busy thoroughfare lined with charming walkways. My great-uncle, who had recently retired, was looking forward to spending his retirement years with his lovely bride of many years. They were looking to downsize and thus, were on the hunt for an enchanting townhome. However, in a blink of an eye, a motor vehicle lost a tire while whizzing down the highway and it struck my great-uncle and auntie. She recovered but he did not; the wounds he sustained that day took his life. He could not be saved!

What do we need saving from?

• A tire?

• Disease?

• Eternal damnation?

The Bible says, “as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12, KJV)!

Sin is the ultimate death sentence that we need saving from!

The first man, Adam, sinned. And sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, and death spread to everyone. And we do sin, and sometimes daily. For the Bible says no one is righteous, no one does good (Romans 3:10-12). And we have ALL sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). We all miss the mark.

God as Creator has every right to set the standard. He is Holy and Just. Our sin creates a separation from a holy God and is the ultimate death sentence that we need saving from. Man, who missed the mark and cannot approach God on his own merit, needs a Savior to bridge the huge chasm that separates sinful man from a righteous and holy God.

Thank God for sending His Son to bridge the gap!

 “. . . there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in [eternal] triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:15-21, NLT

Eternal life in heaven, life that never ends, is the free gift that Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave accomplished.

Have you been saved?

Picture a luxury liner cruising in the Pacific Ocean. It begins taking on water and lifeboats become a necessity. Three passengers find themselves in different situations. The first has no knowledge that lifeboats save and therefore never steps into one. The second understands that lifeboats save but for some reason refuses to step into one. The third passenger not only understands the ability of a lifeboat to save, but accepts as being true that the lifeboat has the ability to save . . . and steps into the lifeboat to be saved! Which of the three is saved?

A person is saved when he or she understands the ability Christ has to save and acts on that knowledge by trusting Christ. That is saving faith. One is not saved by simply understanding that Christ died and arose or even mentally assenting to that being a fact of history while depending on one’s good life for salvation. One is saved when as a sinner deserving of hell, one has trusted Christ alone for salvation.

-Free and Clear, R. Larry Moyer