Man is sinful and is separated from God.
What is sin? Sin means missing the mark, falling short of God's standard. It is not only doing wrong and failing to do what God wants (lying, gossip, losing our temper, lustful thoughts, etc.), it is also an attitude of ignoring or rejecting God, which is a result of our sinful nature.
The Bible says, "Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." - Psalm 51:5
Who has sinned? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23
What are the results of sin?
Separation from God. | "But your iniquities [sins] have separated you from your God..." - Isaiah 59:2a |
Death. | "For the wages of sin is death..." - Romans 6:23 |
Judgment. | "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..." - Hebrews 9:27 |
God is holy and we are sinful and separated from Him. Man continually tries to reach God through his own efforts (being good, religious activities, philosophy, etc.) but, while these can be good things, they all fall short of God's standard.
"...all our righteous acts [good works] are like filthy rags." - Isaiah 64:6b
There is only one way to bridge this gap between God and man. We need...