For God So Loved The World

Am I an Enemy of God?


In the beginning, God created the universe and everything in it, and His creation was perfect (Genesis 1). Adam and Eve were the first humans that God created, and they were made to live forever and have a personal relationship with Him (Genesis 2). Unfortunately, through Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world, and mankind was cursed to die (Genesis 3). Another terrible consequence of Adam's sin was that each and every human being, including yourself, has inherited a 'sinful nature' from him, causing us all to sin. Because of this, none of us are 'good' or righteous in God's eyes, no matter how many good deeds we have committed (Romans 3:10, Isaiah 64:6). This makes us enemies of God.

What is sin, and how can I know if I am guilty?
The Bible defines sin as an act of breaking God's law (1 John 3:4). If you have ever broken one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20, you are a sinner and guilty of breaking the law of God. And yet God's standard of righteousness is higher than those Commandments! Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:27-28:
'You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.'
Jesus also said:
'You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.' (Matthew 5:21-22)
Here Jesus tells us that even one sin is enough to condemn us to hell. Jesus spoke about hell as a literal place in which sinners will be tormented day and night forever as a punishment for breaking God's law (Matthew 13:41, 25:46). Just as a murderer who has just been proven guilty cannot ask the judge to be let off on the basis of his life-long commitment to charity, we cannot escape God's eternal wrath over these sins on the basis of our own good deeds. God cannot tolerate any sin at any level. There are no second chances either, for we die once, and then God judges us (Hebrews 9:27).
In short, if you have broken even just one of God's Commandments, you are on your way to hell.

I am a sinner! What must I do to be saved from God's righteous anger?
You cannot do anything to save yourself, but God can. Because he loves us all, even the worst sinner you can think of, he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross and be resurrected three days later. This was necessary because only Jesus is truly righteousness and free from sin, so God accepted his death in place of our own, as the penalty of sin is death (Hebrews 9:22). In order to be saved, you must...

  • Admit to God that you are a sinner and that you need Jesus to save you (Rom. 6:23, Acts 4:12)

  • Believe that Jesus died for your sins and paid the price for you (John 3:16). If you find it hard to believe, ask God to show you, because he rewards those who look for him (Hebrews 11:6).

God promises that those who truly put their faith in Jesus will not only have their sins forgiven but will become His children! This means that we will never be condemned to hell but will enjoy eternal life with Him.
If you have put your trust in Jesus today, or you want to know more about this message, please go to our 'Got Questions' page and feel free to submit your questions to us.

Please don't put off God's free gift of salvation at this instant. No one knows the time of their death, and if you die as an enemy of God, it will be too late for you.