Anyone who has watched the news or read the paper--or lived a normal life for that matter, knows that there is something wrong with the world. People seem to have a problem doing the right thing. Whether it's corporate scandals, political corruption, terrorism or theft, every new day reveals the same fact: that people have a hard time making a good decision. Why is that? Why can't people ever get it right?

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned," declares the Bible in Romans 5:12. Sin is what has caused the world and the people in the world to go wrong. It's why all people everywhere continue to mess up. Sin is any action that breaks God's law--anything from murder to lying to stealing. And big or small, if you break God's law in one part, you break all of it. The Bible says, "For all men have fall short of the glory of God." In other words, nobody's perfect, and unfortunately for all of us, that is what God requires from us to get into heaven.

And it get's even worse. Here, if you break the law, you are sentenced and put in prison. If you are guilty of breaking God's law (and everyone is), we are judged for our crimes and are given what we deserve: hell. The Bible says "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelations 20:15). There will be no negotiating or loopholes here. We are all guilty, and we all deserve that punishment.

But we have a hope, a chance to escape from that firey fate. God is a perfect God with a perfect law, and we do fall short of it in every way, but God loved us enough to make a way to satisfy the law and save us from judgment. He judged His perfect Son instead. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life."

God's son, Jesus Christ, came to Earth for one purpose: to take upon Himself every sin ever committed, from the beginning of the world till its end. He took all the penalty for our sins by letting Himself be crucified on a cross 2,000 years ago. That was how much God loved us.

But there's more to the story. Jesus was put to death and was placed in a tomb. Three days later however, he rose from the dead, appearing to hundreds of people to declare the entire world that even death and sin could not defeat Him. He had conquered our sin and come out victorious!

So what does that mean for you today?

It means this: That God is extending His hand to you, offering this gift, but you must make the decision to accept it. "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). If you truly make this decision, you will be free from the law of sin. You will no longer be judged and you will be saved from your sin. It is that simple!

If you want to make a decision for salvation or you would like more information, please call (330) 674-7511 or email Skyview Ranch. We would love to tell you more about Jesus Christ!