All Guilty Before God

We all have sinned at some point in our life (Romans 3:23). Our sins fall into two categories: we sin against God and people.

We Sin against God. Our first sin in our relationship with God is we do not always give God priority. God is not number one in our life. We give ourselves away to things and people, but not to God. We find time for everything, but not for God. We become our own gods to live as we see fit. Our second sin is we worship everything: angels, Satan, ideas, achievements, wealth, money, positions, pleasures, sports, human governments, men etc. We bow down before what God created instead of God himself. Our third sin is we use God’s name in vain. We joke with God’s name. We ruin God’s reputation through our words and actions. Our fourth sin is we always work. We do not put aside a day of rest to reflect on God and what he does for us. We don’t rest to give our body a break, to spend time with our family, and to go to church to worship God by faith in Jesus Christ. Those sins are primarily against God.

We Sin against People. Our first sin in our relationship with people is we dishonor and disrespect our parents. Second, we murder people in our hearts through hatred, unforgiving and angry attitude and we take human life unlawfully. Third, we have sexual intercourse before marriage. We also have sex with people other than our marriage partners. Fourth, we steal what does not belong to us such as time for the company we work for and people’s possessions. Fifth, we bear false witness against people either through gossiping or hypocritical lifestyles, etc. We also lie about our true identity to impress others. Sixth, we want what other people have. We are unhappy and jealous when people are successful. We hate others because we think they are the reasons we are not prospered. We are “GUILTY” because we commit these and many more sins.

God Loves Us. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”(John 3:16). Since God made us with freedom to choose, he cannot force us to accept his love. We can either accept his love or reject it.

God’s Verdict for Sin. God must judge sins and condemn sinners because he is holy and just. The verdict of God for sin is “Death and Hell.” Death is a spiritual disconnection with God and a separation of the spirit from the body at death (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 8:6; Romans 5:17; Hebrews 9:27). Hell is a terrible place God made for Satan and evil spirits (Matthew 25:41). Hell is a place of eternal pains, torments, fire, sufferings (Matthew 3:12; 25:30,41; 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 11:23; 18:9; 23:15,33; Luke 16:19-31). People who obey Satan to sin against God are his children (John 8:44; 1 John 3:7-10). People who love to sin will go to Hell with Satan after death if they die in their sins (Revelation 21:8).

Have you ever sinned? (1 John 1:8,9). “Yes, I am guilty” you reply. Then you must believe in Jesus Christ in order for God to declare you “NOT GUILTY.”

Why should you believe in Jesus?

Jesus is the only Person who never sinned. No one can prove God or Jesus guilty of sin (Deuteronomy 32:4; John 8:46). Therefore, Jesus is the same like God the Father. Jesus alone did and can do what God the Father does (John 5:17-19; Philippians 2:5-6). Jesus alone is qualified to die for our sins because he knew no sin. He became sin for us when he died on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus suffered for you (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:21-25). Jesus rose from the dead for your justification (Romans 4:25).

What does it means to believe in Jesus? To believe in Jesus is to have a firm belief that he is the Son of God and the Savior of the world (Luke 1:35; John 1:1,14,29; 1 John 4:14). As the Son of God, Jesus is your Lord. He made you (Colossians 1:16). As the Son of Man, Jesus is your Savior. He died for you. He represents you before God in heaven as your High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-11). If you put your faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of your life, you will turn away from the sinful road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing to obey his teachings (Matthew 4:17; 7:21-27; 9:13; Luke 6:46; John 8:51; 14:23; Romans 6:17-18; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Hebrews 5:9). After you put your faith in Jesus, God will forgive you and give you the Holy Spirit to give you a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26,27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:13-14). The Bible calls this experience being “born again” or “born of the Spirit” (John 3:1-16).

—Frantz Lamour