A – ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER

It is hard to admit that we are wrong. Even before God, we feel we are basically ok and good, and we would like to think we are never as bad as some… The truth is we are all sinners and can never be good enough to earn our way to heaven. God’s Word, the Bible, clearly states that all have sinned (done things that are wrong and against God -Romans 3:23). God is Holy and just. We are told in the Bible that the wages (or payment) for sin is death—eternal death in hell -Romans 6:23.

However, God who is loving and merciful has provided a rescue plan!

Both John the Baptist and Jesus himself began their preaching with the word, ‘Repent’. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” –Matthew 4:17 NKJV To repent means to ‘change one’s mind’ or to turn – to go in another direction. How can we be led to repentance? The first step toward repentance is true sorrow for what we’ve done wrong. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV. Worldly sorrow is more like the regret of a criminal who’s just been caught whereas Godly sorrow is the deep remorse or conviction that produces a change in direction. Have you ever felt convicted after doing something wrong? The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts us of our sin. (John 16:7-8) This Godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out.

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one.”

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that’s the bad news. But here’s the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.