Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Romans 3:10-26
The Creator placed two people with clean souls in the Garden of Eden, but when Adam and Eve chose to disobey, their hearts became sinful. God had told them that the penalty for their sin was death (Gen. 2: 17).
Mankind’s first parents bequeathed their sin nature to the entire human race. So we are all born with hearts rebelling against God. Like a toddler who defies his parents by touching a forbidden item, we disobey our heavenly Father because we prefer to follow our own desires.
It is not our wrong conduct that condemns us, but rather the fact that our nature is corrupt. Whether good or bad, our deeds don’t determine where we will spend eternity. Apart from the Lord, no one is righteous—not a single person has done enough good to earn a place in heaven. But the Father loves us and wants us to live with Him eternally. So, before the creation of the world, He planned a solution.
The rescue plan was simple—a perfect sacrifice had to be made for mankind’s sin so that everyone could be blameless before a holy God. By accepting this sacrifice on his or her own behalf, any individual would receive a new nature to replace the corrupted one. In addition, the Holy Spirit would indwell that person to provide truth and guidance.
The sacrifice was Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, bearing all our sin. When we trust Him as Savior, our “flesh” nature dies with Him. The Holy Spirit comes to make our hearts new so we can find joy in obeying God. We are rescued and set free!
