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The earth and the universe were created by God.
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Genesis 1:1
In the begining God created the heavens and the earth.
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The crown of God's creation was humankind. A close and loving relationship existed
between God and people.
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Genesis 5:1
When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and
female and blessed them.
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By humankind's disobedience, the relationship between God and people was ruined.
All people became inherently sinful, and sin tainted every part of God's creation.
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Romans 5:12
Sin entered the world through one man and death through sin and in this way death
came to all men because all sinned.
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God's sense of justice required punishment for sin, while his love for people
required a means of salvation.
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Exodus 34:6
The Lord,
the Lord,
the compasionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion
and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.
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God's plan for the salvation of people was to send a substitue to take their
punishment. Essentially, God himself bore the punishment for human sinfulness in the
person of Jesus Christ. Fully human and fully God, Jesus lived a perfect righteous
life and suffered an innocent death to redeem (buy back) humanity.
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2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
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People are incapable of earning salvation for themselves. Works and good deeds
cannot cover their debt of sin.
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Ephesians 2:18
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves -
it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
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All who believe in Christ as their Savior receive the forgiveness he has earned for
them. Those who reject Christ reject God's forgiveness.
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John 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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