The Bible teaches that God loves all men and wants them to have a personal relationship with him. But man is separated from God and his love. God is on one side and all the people on the other side. . . . (1 Timothy 2:5)

Why is man separated from
God and his love?

  


Because we have sinned
against God.

Your sins have cut you off from God. . . . (Isaiah 59:2)

Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal. . . . (Romans 3:23)

What is sin? Sin, briefly, is living for oneself
and not living for God.

What can we do about this separation?
People try to bridge this separation by doing good.
They think that this will make them acceptable to God. But however much we try, we cannot overcome the root problem of our own sinfulness.

No one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God's laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners. . . . (Romans 3:20)

So where does this separation lead?
       
This separation leads only to death and certain judgement.

It is destined that men die only once, and after that comes judgement. . . . (Hebrews 9:27)

Those who do not wish to know God, and who refuse to accept his plan to save them ... will be punished in everlasting hell, forever separated from the face of the Lord ... . . . (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

But, there is a solution.
     
Jesus Christ, unlike any other man, committed no sin, and therefore did not deserve death. But he took on himself the death that we deserved so that we could escape the judgement due to us.

He died for all so that all who live - having received eternal life from him - might live no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again.
(2 Corinthians 5:15)

God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Jesus Christ, himself man, is between them to bring them together, by giving his life for all mankind.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Does this include everyone?
 

Yes!
But only those who repent and believe in
Jesus Christ can cross this bridge.

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel. . . . (Mark 1:15)

What does this mean? To repent means to admit to God that you have been living in rebellion to him and to be willing to turn from your sins.

To believe means to trust that Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, died bearing the guilt of your sin.
If you are willing to turn from your sin and to believe that Jesus Christ died to purchase your forgiveness, you are now ready to become a Christian.

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