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Simply put, without Jesus鈥� death on the cross for our sins, no one would have eternal life. Jesus Himself said, 鈥�I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me鈥� (John 14:6). In this statement, Jesus declares the reason for His birth, death, and resurrection—to provide the way to heaven for sinful mankind, who could never get there on their own.

When God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect in every way and lived in a virtual paradise, the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). God created man in His image, meaning they also had the freedom to make decisions and choices of their own free will. Genesis 3 goes on to describe how Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan鈥檚 temptations and lies. In doing so, they disobeyed the will of God by eating of the tree of knowledge from which they were forbidden: 鈥淎nd the LORD God commanded the man, 鈥榊ou are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die鈥欌�� (Genesis 2:16-17). This was the first sin committed by man, and, as a result, all mankind is subject to both physical and eternal death by virtue of our sinful nature inherited from Adam.

God declared that all who sin will die, both physically and spiritually. This is the fate of all mankind. But God, in His grace and mercy, provided a way out of this dilemma, the shed blood of His perfect Son on the cross. God declared that 鈥渨ithout the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness鈥� (Hebrews 9:22), but through the shedding of blood, redemption is provided. The Law of Moses provided a way for the people to be considered 鈥渟inless鈥� or 鈥渞ight鈥� in God鈥檚 eyes—the offering of animals sacrificed for every sin they committed. These sacrifices were only temporary, though, and were really a foreshadowing of the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross (Hebrews 10:10).

This is why Jesus came and why He died, to become the ultimate and final sacrifice, the perfect (without blemish) sacrifice for our sins (Colossians 1:22; 1 Peter 1:19). Through Him, the promise of life eternal with God becomes effective through faith to those who believe in Jesus. 鈥淪o that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe鈥� (Galatians 3:22). These two words, faith and believing, are critical to our salvation. It is through our believing in the shed blood of Christ for our sins that we receive eternal life. 鈥淔or it is by grace you have been saved, through faith鈥攁nd this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God鈥攏ot by works, so that no one can boast鈥� (Ephesians 2:8–9).