Sin broke all relationship with God-and still does each time we sin. We must realize the seriousness and gravity of sin. It cost the shedding of blood. Man was created for the pleasure of God, but both his fellowship with God and his ability to serve God were lost through sin. God’s purpose for man can only be realized by man’s reconciliation to God, which involves restoration in spirit, soul, and body. This restoration-often called “salvation”-brings life. 

“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? “(Ezek. 18:23). 

The Greek word soterion means “salvation or deliverance.” For this reason, the theological study of salvation by means of God’s intervention is called “soteriology.” This study deals with what God did and does to restore man to Himself; it is a much larger study than repentance, but it begins here. 

 God is perfect in holiness and cannot tolerate the presence of sin.

Man in his sinful condition cannot approach God directly and be accepted. Before God can look upon man, the sin question must be solved. God has done this by means of substitutionary and vicarious sacrifice. During the Old Testament times, the blood of sacrificial animals was accepted as a covering for sin. But this had only a temporary effectiveness. Not until Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God to die in our place was sin completely removed and sent away. His blood was perfect; His sacrifice of Himself was accepted by God as full payment for all sin forever. 

“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity . . . “(Hab. 1:13). 

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him “(II Cor. 5:21). 

 Sin has totally ruined man’s capacity to please God.

The Bible describes man’s ruin as corruption and spiritual death. Theologians sometimes speak of the destruction of man’s capacity for God through sin as “total depravity.” By this they mean that man is not only lost, but unable to help himself. God must take the initiative in saving him. 

“What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? “(Job 15:14-16). 

“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:11, 12).