The truth is, we’re all born with a nature that’s self-centered and sinful. We’ve all lied, deceived, and done wrong to others. We’ve all tried to cover up our wrong-doing, and we’ve all tried to shift blame to others. Every one of us falls very far short of God’s standard in so many ways.
“Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23
But God isn’t trying to shame us. He’s on our side. He’s for us. He knows how much our sinning hurts us. He understands that we can’t save ourselves from our own sin. We need to be rescued. And since He can’t allow anyone to enter Heaven in their sinful state, He had great compassion on us and made a way to be saved forever. He sacrificed His Son to be our substitute.
He’s asking us to receive His free gift of rescuing through Jesus Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection—the perfect One taking our place. When we turn away from our sin, believe in Jesus and receive Him into our hearts, and give our lives to Him, He welcomes us into His family with open arms. Amazing love!