This six-week series, Fundamentals: The Basics of the Bible, outlines the basics of Christian theology, helping congregation members understand the main points of salvation history as shown in the Bible. From the fall of humankind to now, God had a design to bring humanity back to himself so we might know him for eternity.
Every living thing requires fuel to survive. Even the most unusual organisms—like jellyfish, which have no nervous or circulatory systems—constantly seek out food so they can continue living. Cut off from a source of fuel, plants, animals, people, and anything capable of growing and surviving will begin to die. In the same way, only fellowship with God prevents spiritual death, and salvation is the medium by which we can obtain that fellowship. We have a perpetual need to be in fellowship with God through salvation, lest we experience total spiritual death. We cannot fix this on our own. Just as Adam and Eve needed God to set them on the path to correction, so we still need God’s intervention.
Sin and death were introduced to the earth through the actions of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. This shows us the essence of humanity’s free will and our frequent departure from God’s instructions. This is the reality of sin. It’s not only a very real separation from God, but it’s also a perceived separation from God that is far less real. Because of sin, we often tell ourselves we are no longer worthy of God’s love and companionship, though that worth was never ours to assign to ourselves. This concept carries deep implications, but the primary truth is that sin drove humanity from God’s presence and continues to do so.