Saved from the Death We Deserve

The Doctrine of Salvation from Sin’s Penalty 

Jesus encountered massive crowds and performed spectacular miracles as He walked among sinners. Yet, He sought out individuals. He also willingly revealed Himself to His resistant enemies. The self-righteous, proud, and indignant Pharisees exemplify sinful rebellion. Even so, to fully understand sinful nature, we need only look into our own hearts. Every human is born with a sinful nature inherited from Adam and Eve. Our sin convicts and condemns us, separating us from our perfectly just and holy God. We face the well-deserved punishment of death to pay the penalty that each sin we have committed deserves. 

God sent Jesus to die in the place of sinners to make atonement for the sin of all humankind. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid in full death’s penalty on our behalf. Jesus’s outpouring of amazing love saved us from the righteous wrath of God.1 Through faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice, all believers experience salvation. We are freed from sin’s power in our lives and given eternal life with Him. 

Without faith in Jesus, people walk through life dead in sin.2 Deceived by the allure of temptation to sin, death haunts at every turn. Tragically, those who bear sin’s punishment on their own await not only physical death but also spiritual death, which culminates in eternal condemnation and separation from God. Life is lived without hope. 

When we place our faith in Christ and His redemptive work on the cross, Christ sets us free from sin’s death penalty. The sin for which Jesus died will never rise to accuse or haunt a believer.3 Believers are also set free from sin’s present power over their lives. However, even forgiven Christians continue to sin.4 The Holy Spirit leads the believer to confess specific sins and grow in personal holiness.5 Believers are saved not only from sin’s eternal debt but also from a wasted life. How will you celebrate this wonderful gift?

1. Saved from wrath: Romans 5:9 

2. Sin’s penalty: Romans 6:23 

3. Death of sin: Psalm 103:11-12; Isaiah 38:17; Jeremiah 31:34 

4. Continue to sin: Matthew 6:12; Romans 7:14-25; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8 

5. Confession: Matthew 6:12; John 1:29; Ephesians 2:1-5; Hebrews 9:23-28; 1 John 1:9

Resource: Bible Study Fellowship, People of Promise: Kingdom Divided, Lesson 12, The Gospel of John