One of the best-known passages of Scripture tells us of God's love. It is John 3:16; have you heard it before? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This verse tells us not only that God loves us, but also how much He loves us. God's love goes infinitely deeper than any human love, and He demonstrated this fact by sending His Son Jesus Christ to earth.
 

But why? Why did Jesus need to come to this earth and die? The answer to that question is, because of our sin. God is loving, yes; but He is also holy. That holiness of God means that He is separate from sin and can not tolerate sin in His presence (Psalm 5:4). We read in Isaiah 64:6 that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." God is so pure that even the good things we do (like going to church or donating our cars to charity) are like filthy rags.

Am I really a sinner? Sadly, we are all sinners, every single one of us. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Have you ever stopped to think about how many times you do something wrong? Let's take the Ten Commandments; for example, here are a few of the most well-known: "Thou shalt not steal"; "Thou shalt not covet [lust for what is not yours]"; and "Thou shalt not bear false witness [lie]." How many times have you felt the guilt of breaking these?

Why is my sin such a problem? Our sin separates us from God! God created and cares for us, but we turn in defiance. Our sin is very serious because of who we have sinned against--the all-powerful God. Our sin is so detestable that the punishment for our sin is eternal separation from God in Hell. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Is there any hope? Yes! Despite our sin, God still loves us. That is why Jesus Christ came to this earth as the promised Savior of Scripture. He came as God in human flesh, leaving Heaven's glory to provide the answer to our sin problem. He faced all the trials and temptations of life that we face, but He never gave in to them. He lived a perfect and sinless life because He is God. The death He died on the cross and the suffering He endured was not to pay the penalty for His own sin, but for ours and for the whole world's. He took upon Himself the punishment we deserve so we could arrive in eternity before God with His righteousness. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then, He rose from the dead, proving that He has power over death and Hell forever (Romans 4:25).

Jesus loves me that much? What's more, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners! "But God commendeth [showed] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). In our dirty, helpless condition, while we were unable to save ourselves, Jesus Christ did for us what our good works can never do. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5).

If you truly believe what God's Word says about your sin and Jesus' loving sacrifice for you, your sins can be forgiven today, and you can be confident that you will spend eternity in Heaven. Will you pray and tell God you understand you are a sinner and accept His payment for your sin on the cross? If you do, He will give you eternal life. " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
 

How do I pray like that? Just tell God, "I understand that I am a sinner and my sin is separating me from You. I understand Jesus died for my sins, and I accept Him as my Savior today." You will have renewed life on earth and have Heaven as your eternal home. You will begin an eternal relationship with the One Who loves you more than anyone else loves you.