Substitution
Religion is based on the fact that people are aware of their guilt. He therefore tries to satisfy a deity through «good works».
Christians in the biblical sense have recognised and admitted that they cannot help themselves.
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who never committed a sin, became man and died in our place on the cross for our guilt. He died in our place and thus cleared the way to God.
Christians in the biblical sense have accepted this work of redemption in faith and thus obtained God’s forgiveness.
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:3-9;
Damnation
We humans are sinners. We do not do God’s will. That is why the righteous God must declare us guilty. And condemn us. Condemnation includes both the judgement and its execution.
Condemnation can be cancelled through faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. In this work of redemption, the righteous God shows us his love for us humans.
People who do not accept redemption will spend eternity in terrible torment, far from God.
Bible passages: Revelation 20.15; Matthew 13:42
Sins
Sins are actions and thoughts that are not done or thought out of dependence on God. They do not correspond to his will.
Both the Hebrew word «chattath» in the Old Testament and the Greek word «hamartia» are translated as missing the mark.
God has a good plan for our lives. When we act wilfully, we sin. We miss the mark.
The definition in Romans 14.23 reads:
‚But whatever is not done through faith is sin.
Examples of sins can be found in Galatians 5.19-21
Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day.
He is alive. He conquered death and many people met him after his resurrection. There is biblical and extra-biblical evidence of this. See Luke 24, or extra-biblically Flavius Josephus in «Jewish Antiquities XVIII.3.3»
He then returned to his Father in heaven. Luke 24:51, Hebrews 10:12
Divine love – agape
This refers to unconditional, one-sided love. A love that is not dependent on the other person.
But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The cross
Crucifixion was such a horrific form of execution that the Romans did not expect it of their own people. Nailed to a wooden cross, hanging between heaven and earth, the crucified man was helplessly exposed to the mockery of passers-by. In order to breathe, he had to repeatedly support himself on the nail driven through his feet and pull himself up by his pierced hands. This agony could last several days.
Even in the Old Testament, when this method of execution did not yet exist, we read predictions that the Saviour would die in this way. Psalm 22:15-17
What love Jesus Christ showed us that he did not shy away from going through this death to redeem us humans. But even worse for the pure sinless one was that God forsook him in this judgement. Jesus Christ was burdened with our sins. God had to turn away from him until the work of redemption was completed.
The 10 commandments
God gave the people of Israel 10 commandments in the desert. Good commandments. Unfortunately, no one was able to keep them.
But they show people their guilt and need for redemption. See Galatians 2:16.
Only one has done God’s will in everything. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
Here you can find the wording of the 10 commandments: Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21
New life
When we consciously turn to God, when we confess our sins and accept salvation by grace, God gives us forgiveness and a new life. Life from God. This is the so-called «rebirth». When we are born again, we also receive the Holy Spirit. The new life can and wants to do God’s will. Through this new life, born-again Christians can one day go to God in heaven.
Jesus explained this in detail to the scribe Nicodemus. John 3:1-21, 2 Timothy 1:7