How to Understand the Message of the Bible

So what does God want us to understand today?

1.     We Need Help – Sin Separates Us from God (last week's post)

2.     God Loves Us, but is also Holy (Set Apart from Sin)

God promised He would provide a means for the separation to end.   But we need to understand how serious this separation is and how we’re unable to rectify that separation apart from the love and grace of God.   Because as sinners, we’re unable to present ourselves to God as perfect, holy and sinless.   To gain an appreciation of how serious our situation is, see the Letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus at Ephesus.  Begin reading Ephesians at verse 1 of chapter 2 and read through verse 3.  You’ll see Paul reminding that all of us born into this world are “dead because of our sins.”  Now skip down to verses 11-13 and read this for a sobering indication of our condition.  Without Jesus, we have no hope and are without God.  We remain separated because of our sin.  If you need more proof, go back to the book of Romans, but this time chapter 3 and begin reading at verse 9 through verse 20.  When the Apostle Paul writes, “As the Scriptures say,” he is quoting from the Old Testament to show us that this is not a new problem for us – it’s always been the case, and he ends with the statement in verse 20 that  God gave the Law to Moses to “simply show us how sinful we are.”