WE ARE LOVED - God loves us, and created us to be in a personal relationship with Him.

God loves us: John 3.16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Life is found in knowing God: John 17.3 – Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

WE ARE SEPARATED - People are sinful, and because of this sin, we are separated from God and cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

We’ve all sinned: Romans 3.23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The punishment for sin is death: Romans 6.23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God wants to be in a relationship with us, but our sin, which can be anything from active rebellion against God to passive indifference towards God, makes it impossible for us to have fellowship with God. Our own efforts to reach God, like trying to live a good life or pursuing philosophy/religion, will always fail. Like the diagram to the right, even the best of us can’t bridge the gap between us and God through our own efforts.

What’s more, our sin deserves death; we are guilty of a crime and have been sentenced to eternal punishment.

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