We are all different. Different interests, different dreams, likes, dislikes, and on and on. However, one thing that EVERY person on earth has in common….is sin.

            Have you ever bitten into an apple and found a worm in it? That’s enough to take away your appetite, for sure. I used to imagine that the worm burrowed into the apple, consuming the fruit as it made its way to the core. However, long ago I learned that an insect must first lay an egg in an apple blossom. When the fruit forms, it forms around the egg, supplying the larvae with a ready source of food. Some unsuspecting hungry person takes a bite and, surprise! A worm!

            Sin is the same way. Sin is in us from the moment of conception. Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The fact is, all of us are born into the world with sin. And this sin separates us from God. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Isaiah 59:2 says that a person’s sin separates them from God, hides his face from them, and keeps him from hearing their prayers.

            However, this is the very reason for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The nature of sin is condemnatory; it all leads to death (James 1:15). However, God the Father, out of his love for us, arranged a sacrifice for ALL sin, through the death of his son, Jesus. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace”.

            The Bible indicates that the one prayer of a person without Christ that God DOES hear is the prayer for salvation through Christ. Romans 10:13 says, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

            If you haven’t done this, you can do it today! Right where you are, simply ask Jesus to forgive your sins, and make you his own, and you will be saved! Then, contact me a Bible-believing and teaching church in your area for next steps.

Mark Nickles is a husband, father of three, and a pastor in Northeastern Oklahoma. Copyright, Mark A. Nickles.