By Christie Karns
Why does every man need a Savior? And why did Christ have to come to earth and die upon the cross to save him? Was there not an easier way?
Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden brought sin into the world forever. By choosing to disobey God, they opened their hearts to a sinful nature and therefore everyone born after them would inherit that sinful nature. A bent to do evil.
Man is a free moral agent (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). That means God gives us the will to choose. He desires that every soul would choose to serve Him. Before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God walked and communed with them. He longs to do that with every soul He created.
As a child matures, there will come a time when they become aware of what sin is. When they reach this understanding and choose to do evil over good, they become sinners (James 4:17).
Before Christ came to earth and died on the cross, man had to sacrifice animals to God to receive forgiveness of sins. This process just rolled their sins ahead to the cross. Christ came as the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. The perfect sacrifice to wash all sins away, past and present. Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” Now, we no longer need to sacrifice animals to be forgiven of our sins!
This story tells of the great love God has for the crown of His creation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16. Speaking of Himself, Christ said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37).
Jesus’ crucifixion provided a way for us to be free from the bondage of sin and be reconciled to our Father in Heaven. II Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…”
Christ did not shed his blood so that we could continue in sin. On the contrary, he says, “Go and sin NO MORE! (John 8:11). We needed a Sacrifice that could do more than roll sins ahead, we needed a Savior that could deliver from the power of darkness and set us free! “If the Son therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
