DISCOVER JESUS

 

 

The Story of Humanity

 

The Bible teaches that humans were created in the image of God as the pinnacle of God’s creation. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created to rule as God’s representatives on earth, to glorify God, and to live in fellowship with Him.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28
 

The Problem: Sin

 

The Bible teaches that those first humans rebelled against their Creator’s command and plunged themselves and the rest of humanity into sin. Adam’s sin-corrupted nature has been transmitted to all people of all ages, such that all humans (aside from Jesus) have sinned.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Romans 5:12 
 

The Results of sin

 

The Bible teaches that sin ruins human life and flourishing. Sin ruins our relationships with each other and with God. Sin is man’s ultimate problem. The final consequence of a life of sin is eternal separation from God in a place of torment. We are all sinners by nature and by choice, and we have been justly condemned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire because of our sin against our holy Creator.

“but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
 
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
 

The Solution: Jesus

 
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
 

The Bible teaches that through Jesus, God has provided a way for us as fallen humans to be rescued from sin and its consequences. Jesus is God who became a human. Jesus came to earth to save us from our sin by purchasing our forgiveness with His blood. Jesus lived a sinless life, and He died on a cross as our substitute, taking on Himself the sins of all humanity.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Jesus’ death paid the debt of sin that we owed, so we could be released from the sentence of condemnation and restored to a right relationship with our Creator.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

 

Jesus then rose from the dead, proving His victory over sin and death and providing a guarantee of a future resurrection for all His followers.

“…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
 

How You Can Be Forgiven: Faith and Repentance

 
“…I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:20-21
 
 

The Bible teaches that because Jesus’ death on the cross paid for our sins, God offers freedom from sin and its consequences to all who will trust in Christ and repent of sin.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7

 

There is no salvation apart from Christ, and any attempts to earn forgiveness from God by works will be entirely insufficient.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6

“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…” Titus 3:5

 

We must believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, place our faith in Him alone as our hope for eternal life, and turn from sin to serve and follow Christ as our Savior and Master. Faith is depending completely on the death of Christ to purchase your forgiveness. Repentance is turning from sin to obey God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:14
 

Salvation

 

The Bible teaches that when a sinner believes on Christ and repents, their sins are immediately forgiven by God. They are restored to a right relationship with God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They are freed from the bondage of sin and are no longer the objects of God’s just wrath. 

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Romans 5:8-9 
 
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19 

 

But this is just the beginning. When someone becomes a Christian by faith and repentance, they are transformed over time as God begins to work in them to free them from the power of sin in their day-to-day life. When a Christian’s life on earth ends and they enter Heaven, their sin nature will be completely eradicated and they will be freed from all sinning to enjoy a fully restored relationship with God.

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Romans 6:22
 
 
 
 

Would you like to learn more about how you can start a relationship with Jesus? Please contact us at pastor@lbcmiller.com. We would love to talk with you.

 

Discover God’s Word

 

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17
 

Truth brings freedom like nothing else. What a privilege it is to grow in God’s Word and to discover His truth. We invite you to learn, discuss, and follow clear truths from the Bible together with us at Lakeshore Baptist Church.

 

Discover Friends

 

“so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:5

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” 1 Corinthians 1:2
 

A church is a family of friends following Jesus. We would love for you to join us as we seek to follow Jesus together. Visit Lakeshore Baptist Church and you’ll find a group of people that love God and His Word. In the meantime, listen to our sermons.

 

Be Our Guest

 

The best time for your first visit is in one of our Sunday 11 AM services. We look forward to seeing you soon!

400 S. Lake Street, Gary, IN  46403  |  219.292.4592  |  pastor@lbcmiller.com