• Jesus is God’s Son. • Everyone has sinned. • I can be a Christian because Jesus died for me. Why do we need salvation? We need salvation because of sin. When God created the world, it was perfect. He gave Adam and Eve just one rule: Do not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Satan lied and convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God. They ate the fruit. That poor choice was a sin. That single sin brought sadness, sickness and death into the world. Sin also broke their close relationship with God, just like it does for us. Salvation is God’s answer to the problems that sin creates. It gives us a right relationship with God. Everyone needs salva- tion from sin because everyone has sinned. (See Romans 3:23.) Where does our salvation come from? Our salvation comes from Jesus. God’s Son, Jesus, is the only person who ever lived a sinless life. Because of that, His death on the cross paid for the sins of all people. He paid for all the bad things we’ve done, and He did it because He loves us. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the grave. Because Jesus defeated sin and death, we can be saved. How do we get salvation? Jesus’ forgiveness is a gift. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn salvation. What we can do is realize that we’ve all sinned — we know it, and God knows it. Then, we must be sorry for our sins and ask Jesus to forgive us. If we believe that Jesus can forgive us because He’s God’s Son, we will be saved. Jesus will come to live in our hearts and lives. Every- one who has asked Jesus into their life like this is a Christian. God wants everyone to choose the gift of salvation and live with Him forever. From Faith Case (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 2009). Used with permission. E-mail your comments to [email protected]. FaithFocus Salvation FaithFacts God loves us and wants us to live forever with Him. Salvation makes that possible. Imagine following an un- marked trail through the woods without a map, compass or GPS device. Could you find your way using only your sense of smell? What if the scent trail were two days old, rain- washed and mixed with hundreds of other aromas? Impossible? Not for a bloodhound. These hardworking dogs have some of the best noses in the animal kingdom. That’s why detectives and police officers use them to sniff out crime scenes and look for missing people. A bloodhound can pick up the scent of one person in a crowd of hundreds and follow the smell for miles. These dogs have helped police officers find criminals. They have also tracked down lost kids and injured people. Several years ago in Colorado, a hiker tumbled over a cliff and was hurt. Officers used a bloodhound to search for him. The dog followed the man’s scent from his car to the very place where he fell. The man was rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, thanks to the efforts of a nosy canine. The Bible tells the story of a man who went searching for someone to rescue him. Though he was a religious leader, Nicodemus knew he needed a Savior. He came to Jesus at night seeking the way to eternal life. Jesus told Nicodemus He came to rescue all people from their sins. Jesus said those who accept Him as Savior will live with Him forever. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who- ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Bible teaches that without Jesus, we are lost in sin. Jesus wants to save those who are lost. You can be saved by asking Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). — Christina Quick T r u t h V e r s e pe.ag.org may • 16 • 10 evangel 7 F o l l o w Y o u r Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 6 evangel may • 16 • 10 pe.ag.org