Every one of us have messed life up over and over and over again. It may take different forms, last for different amounts of time, or have different consequences, but we all deal with the same things and make the same mistakes. We find ourselves in the same boat with a big irreparable hole in the bottom. All of it stems from an attitude of pride that thinks we know best and that we should each get our own way.

God calls that sin and not a single one of us has avoided it completely. In fact, it is in our very nature when we are born. What sets Christianity apart from other religions is that we understand there is no way any of us can be good enough to earn a spot with God. In fact, the punishment for our sin is eternal death, complete separation from our Creator God. It is sad, but it is just, and there is no amount of good work we can do to outweigh it. That's bad news...

God loves us at a level we aren't capable of comprehending and it breaks God's heart to be separated from us by sin. In a stunning act of grace, He sent His one and only son to take on human form a little more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ, both God and man at the same time, walked the earth demonstrating for us the life that God intends for us to live. He served the hurting, spoke the truth, and embodied true humility. Jesus taught and modeled an approach to life that puts ourselves at the bottom and puts God and others at the top.

Beyond the example Christ set, the true purpose of His coming was to do for us what we are incapable of doing for ourselves. As Jesus Christ allowed himself to be tortured and executed on a cross, the pain he experienced went far deeper than his body. In addition to the excruciating pain he felt physically, he also took on the punishment for all mankind spiritually. It was, hands down, the greatest act of personal sacrifice ever offered. Jesus in our place. All of the just wrath of God towards sin was poured on Jesus Christ instead of being poured out on us. Under the weight of our sin, our Savior Jesus Christ, gave his life.

They took the lifeless body of Jesus off the cross, prepared it in customary Jewish fashion, and placed it in a tomb with a heavy stone and Roman guard. However, on the third day Jesus' disciples came to continue their mourning and found the tomb empty! Jesus Christ had done what none of us could do, defeat death. He paid for sin and came out the other side alive! There is no other person in history that can say the same. It was not by human power that this was accomplished, but by the power of God.

We can't earn salvation and we don't have to. If you are looking at God and feeling completely incapable of earning His forgiveness, you are actually in the right place. Jesus Christ has already done the work for us because He knows we can't. There is no level of good work that is required for salvation. We do not have to tip the scales in our favor. The only thing required is faith in Jesus Christ. That is all. We must believe that Christ died for our sins, that he was raised, and that we need him. When we look to him in faith we can have confidence to know our sins are forgiven. Everyone will stand in judgement before God, but those who have put their faith in Jesus have nothing to fear. God will not look at our sin, but will see the blood of Jesus covering our sin. When we make that decision we not only receive salvation but also become a "Child of God". That is simply the greatest news we could possibly receive. Forgiveness of sin is an act of mercy, adoption as sons and daughters is an act of grace.

You can accept this good news and be forgiven right in this very moment. All you need to do is turn to Christ in faith. Admit your sin, believe in the good news, and accept salvation. Romans 10 says that it is good to confess with our mouth, so take a moment to pray and tell God about the decision you have made. Once you have prayed, your next step is to let someone know!

If you tell us about your decision, CFC would love to opportunity to talk with you about what your next steps are as a Christian. You can talk to someone during the weekend service or use the contact form below.