Life is hard. We face disappointments, heartbreaks, and hurts of all kinds. But we also experience joy, love, and peace. Sometimes it feels impossible to make sense of it all.
In the biblical understanding, our world wasn’t made to be the way it is now. Everything in the world was originally created to be completely good.
There was no pain, unhappiness, or even death. In fact, God and humans had such a close relationship that they actually walked together in the Garden of Eden.
Obviously, none of that is the case anymore.
That’s a big question, and the answer—human sin—can be uncomfortable. “Sin” can feel like a loaded term, especially if you’ve had bad experiences with church or religion in the past. But put most simply, sin is selfishness.
When God created the first humans, he gave them just one instruction. Because people were created with free will, they had a choice in how to respond. Unfortunately, they chose to disobey. This moment is often called “original sin.”
They acted out of self-interest, and this betrayal broke their relationship with God. The nature of humans’ relationship with God changed, and it impacted everything. No longer do God and people walk together as was intended. We were separated from God by sin and shame, and we’re still feeling the effects.
From the Christian perspective, God did do something. Christians believe that because God cares so deeply about his creation, God came to earth himself in the person of Jesus.
That means God understands what it’s like to be human. Jesus laughed; he cried; he got angry; he felt pain; he experienced loss. From this perspective, God not only sees your pain; he understands it.
Yet, because he was also God, Jesus lived a life with no selfishness or sin—something we could never pull off. When he was killed on the cross, he took on the burden of all sins of humanity and acted as a perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins.
But the story doesn’t end there. Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected, overcoming the power of sin and death. Through this act, he restored the pathway for us to be forgiven our sins and have a personal relationship with God.
Now, by putting our faith in Jesus, we can be saved from sin and discover God’s love, joy, grace, and peace in our own lives.
Jesus’s sacrificial death paid the penalty for sin for all people. His resurrection broke the bonds of sin for all people. And because of this, the restoration of our relationship with God is a gift offered to all people.
No matter your age, education level, gender, political leanings, or race, God freely offers you his love. And he does so with a full knowledge of who you are—including all the mistakes you’ve made, every regret you have.
