Lighting Up the Problem: Sin

By Danny Saavedra  

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“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”—Romans 3:22–24 (NLT)

Every year, we celebrate Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? We decorate a tree, string up lights, sing fun Christmas songs, and get gifts we asked for. And as Christians, we like to say, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But have you ever stopped and wondered why? Why is Jesus the reason for the season? Why is there a Christmas season at all? Why did Jesus have to come? The answer is sin.

Romans 3:23 (ICB) says, “All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory.” And Romans 6:23 (ICB) explains why sin is such a problem: “The payment for sin is death.” But what is sin? Sin is when we do things our way instead of God’s way; it’s saying, thinking, or doing anything that disobeys what God tells us in His Word, the Bible.

So, how did sin come into the world? Well, let’s go back to the beginning . . . In Genesis 1, we read how God made the universe, and the last thing He made was people. The Bible tells us we were made special and unique from the rest of the creation. Why? Genesis 1:27 (ICB) says, “So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.” That means we’re all created in the image of God! Every single one of us, no matter who we are, where we’re from, what we look like, or what we’ve done, our lives matter because we were made in the image of God. What does that mean? Basically, like God, we have a body, mind, soul, and spirit! We have a will, which means we can make choices and create things.

The first two people God made were Adam and Eve! But do you know why God made them? Do you know why God made you? The Bible gives us the answer! You were created so you and God can enjoy knowing each other forever! God wants you to be a part of His family and to spend eternity with Him. Adam and Eve were the first people ever to know God and enjoy a relationship with Him. They got to walk and talk with God and be with Him in the garden He made for them.

But then something happened. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and decided to do things their way by eating a piece of fruit from the forbidden tree. They brought sin into the world when they did that, making us all sinners. And sin ruined everything. Because of sin, there is disease, crime, disasters, hurt, and death. But God didn’t stop loving or caring for them, or us, just because they turned away from Him.

This is why Jesus came! Because sin separates us from God, Jesus came to Earth to take away our sins and forgive us so we can be saved and live with Him forever in heaven. And guess what? Jesus came for everyone because He loves us all so much! Today, because of Jesus, everyone who believes in Him can know God in their hearts and become part of His family!

LET THE LIGHT IN

Ask God if there’s anyone you need to ask forgiveness from or need to forgive. If so, do it today!