TOPICS LIST. http://www.eztech.com/bibletalks/topics.htm EMAIL: bibletalks@eztech.com Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Bible Talks about SIN, DEATH, AND SALVATION. WHAT IS SIN? "Sin" is a condition of body and soul we are born with as the result of Adam and Eve's disobedience in the garden of Eden. We don't become sinners, we ARE born sinners. PSALM 51:5 " Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." AS SINNERS, ANY ACTIVITY OR LACK OF ACTIVITY ON OUR PART THAT IS NOT IN HARMONY WITH GOD;S STANDARDS OR WILL IS AN ACT OF SIN. JOHN 3:19. Our deeds may be sinful in God's sight. MATTHEW 5:28. Our thoughts may "miss the mark," therefore sin. ROMANS 14:23. Whatever is not from faith is sin. EPHESIANS 4:29. Our words may be grievous to God. JAMES 4:17. If we know to do the right thing and don't do it, it is sin. HOW DID SIN COME INTO EXISTENCE? Lucifer, now known as Satan or devil, was an angel of God who wanted to be like God. For this first sin of pride he was expelled from God's presence. Satan now rules the earth. The facts of his fall from God are given in Isaiah 14:11 and Ezekiel 28:11-19. Satan, now an enemy of God, determined to destroy the works of God. He successfully persuaded Eve (Adam followed) to disobey God's command. Her action, tasting the forbidden fruit, and Adam joining her, brought sin into God's creation for all generations to come. The facts are recorded in Genesis 3:6-24. SIN BRINGS DEATH. 1KINGS 8:46 "When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin),..." ROMANS 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." 1 CORINTHIANS 15:22 " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." TWO KINDS OF DEATH ARE MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE: A FIRST DEATH AND A SECOND DEATH. THE WORD "DEATH" NOT ONLY REFERS TO THE END OF EARTHLY LIFE BUT ALSO REFERS TO A SEPARATION, THE SEPARATION OF BODY AND SOUL. THE FIRST DEATH: (Everyone experiences the first death. It is the end of bodily life on earth and the separation of body and soul. Born-again believers, the men and women who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior and believe in Him, experience only this first death and are with God forever). ECCLESIASTIES 7:1 "... and the day of death better than the day of one's birth." REVELATIONS 14:13 " 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' .." THE SECOND DEATH. The worst effect of being born sinners is that everyone is forever separated from God and cannot be with Him in eternity because God cannot tolerate sin. Sinful man is therefore destined to spend eternity in pain and darkness away from God. This eternal separation from God is called the second death. THIS ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD, THE SECOND DEATH, IS ONLY FOR UNBELIEVERS, THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN Jesus. 2 THESSALONIANS 1:9 "These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,..." 2 PETER 2:17 " These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever." REVELATIONS 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." BELIEVERS WILL NEVER BE TOUCHED BY THE SECOND DEATH. REVELATIONS 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." (Believers are "overcomers"). REVELATIONS 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power,..." IF SINNERS HAVE THIS TERRIBLE FUTURE AWAITING THEM, HOW CAN I GET RID OF MY SINFUL CONDITION, HAVE MY SINS FORGIVEN, AND BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD SO THAT I MAY BE WITH GOD IN ETERNITY? YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR SINFUL CONDITION OR SOMEONE ELSE'S. JOB 14:4 "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!" PSALM 49:7 "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him " JEREMIAH 2:22 "For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord God." IF I CANNOT SAVE MYSELF OR OTHERS THEN WE ALL NEED OUTSIDE HELP! YES! A LOVING GOD HAS GIVEN US THAT "OUTSIDE HELP," JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON. JOHN3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." JOHN 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,..." ACTS 16:31 "So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." RECONCILIATION, BEING MADE RIGHT WITH GOD, IS COMPLETE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS. COLOSSIANS 1:22 "He has now reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight." DID CHRIST DIE FOR EVERYONE? 2 CORINTHIANS 5:15 "....and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." 1 JOHN 2:2 "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." THIS IS WONDERFUL! WHAT MUST I DO TO EARN THIS SALVATION? (Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. YOU CANNOT EARN SALVATION. It is a free gift to be accepted by you). ROMANS 6:23. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". EPHESIANS 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." TITUS 3:5. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,...." BUT DON'T I AT LEAST HAVE TO BE A GOOD PERSON TO RECEIVE THE FREE GIFT OF SALVATION? NO! ROMANS 5:6 "For when we were still without strength (Powerless; unable to help ourselves), in due time Christ died for the ungodly." ROMANS 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." CONCLUSION: JESUS CAME TO SAVE SINNERS. ALL WE NEED TO DO TO ACCEPT HIS FREE GIFT OF SALVATION IS TO BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. In order to receive a particular Bible Talks, visit the web page at http://www.eztech.com/bibletalks/topics.htm to select a Bible Talks by topic. Click on the topic you want and print.