In our "Good Question" devotional series exploring the basics of Christianity, we now turn to the crucial question - why did Jesus have to die? The pastor underscores that this aspect of the Christian faith, while immensely important, is often misunderstood.
The core issue, he explains, is that human beings have a fundamental problem - we are sinners, broken and falling short of God's perfect moral standard. While the word "sinner" may sound harsh, the Bible does not mince words - it states that the wages or punishment of sin is spiritual death, separation from God.
Crucially, the pastor emphasizes that this sin problem is not something we can simply fix ourselves. It goes deeper than just making mistakes - we sin because of our inherent sinful nature as fallen beings. Yet the Bible is not saying we are as evil as we could possibly be - even sinners do good things.
However, when compared against God's pure holiness and moral perfection, our own efforts fall dismayingly short, like an amateur tennis player facing a professional. We may seem okay compared to others around us, but measured by God's standards, our brokenness becomes glaringly apparent.
This sobering revelation that we have a sin problem that we cannot solve on our own is paramount. Only by acknowledging our need for a Savior can we then properly understand why Jesus, the perfect Son of God, had to suffer and die to provide atonement for our sins.
Join us next time as we continue unpacking this central doctrine of Christian theology in our "Good Question" series.
