By Charles Stanley

      JOHN 3:15-17

      1. All human beings start life as "lost" people.

      Since he was the first man, Adam served as representative of the human race. When he sinned against God (Genesis 3), his spirit became one of rebellion and sinfulness. (Romans 5:12) That "sin nature," which is passed along to each generation, results in our being "lost." Neither our deeds nor the fact of God's love are the determining factors.

      2. Mankind is dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) When Adam sinned, his intimate relationship with God died. We, his descendants, are born into that state. Although we are physically alive at birth, our spirit--the only part of us that can relate to God--is dead.

      3. We are eternal beings. Because we are made in God's image, our souls are eternal. Yet Scripture tells us that those who reject Christ as Savior will perish. (John 3:16) This does not mean annihilation; it means that the "lost" will live forever but eternally separated from God.

      4. New birth is required. (1 Peter 1:3) To have a relationship with God requires that the part of us which has been dead to God now become alive. When we trust in Jesus, the very life of God is born in us, and we move from being spiritually dead and lost to being alive and saved.

      God, out of love for us, provided just what we needed--a Savior. Start spreading the truth!