The Christian's belief that our spirit lives on in the afterlife is not based on wishful thinking but on compelling evidence that is centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Christian faith is built on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus essentially said: My resurrection will PROVE I am God the Son. It will prove that what I accomplished on the cross will save people from the consequences of their sin.
- We have a sin problem.
Sin is a fatal disease that separates us from God and will ultimately destroy us. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin violates the purpose for which we were created—to know God, glorify Him, and reflect HIS character. Sin at its core is putting trust in something or someone other than God. It’s saying, “I don’t trust you, God. I don’t believe You have my best interest at heart, so I’m going to go my way rather than God’s way.”
Sin blinds us to God’s best for us, deadens our soul, and, if not addressed, will result in separating us from God for all eternity. The cost of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
- Jesus came because wecan’tfix our sin problem.
Many people believe they can appease God by good behavior or good works. Good works are not a remedy for past sins. Our sin still needs to be paid for. The Ten Commandments won’t cleanse us of sin; like a mirror, they can only reveal our sin. A mirror shows us that our face is dirty, but it is incapable of removing the dirt from our face.
- God has made a way thru Christ.
Out of His great love for us, God gave up His precious son Jesus, who willingly came to earth to take our place and to atone for our sin. To ATONE means to satisfy. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross satisfied God's justice and the wrath that was directed at us and our sin.
“God made Him who had no sin (referring to Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). Just before Jesus died on the cross, He cried out, "It is finished!" He paid the price for man's sin—once for all.
- Christ’s gift of grace must be received.
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25). We must exercise faith and ACT on what we believe to be true. God’s safety net will be of no avail unless we take a leap of faith into the arms of Jesus and receive the gift of His grace. To receive it, we must repent. Repentance is humbling ourself, taking ownership for our sin, not downplaying it and not justifying it, but acknowledging it and turning away from it.
When we repent of our sin, God places our sin on Jesus, and when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, God places His righteousness on us. We can't earn it and we don't deserve it. It is a gift we can receive only by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.
And when we do, we are JUSTIFIED, which is a legal term that literally means to declare not guilty!!
Jesus rose again to prove He is all-powerful and totally trustworthy. HE’S ALIVE! Because Jesus conquered death, we know His promises in Scripture are true.