The fact is that contrary to contemporary thought, we humans – we are not inherently good. We are flawed and we are naturally sinful, every single last one of us.
From the first humans who made a poor choice – to distrust God and rely instead on the subject of lies of another entity – to every soul that has ever come into being, we are all fallen, tainted with the sinfulness that is now characteristic of human nature.
We are all as, a result, under a sentence of death. Believe it.
Regardless of how successful, powerful, sympathetic or generous a life we may be living, we have ALL sinned, and we fall far short of God‘s perfect standards. The inescapable result is that you and l are thus – without saving Grace – in the judgment line, edging towards an awful and endless death.
You might recall the saying “To err is human, to forgive, divine”. In other words, why shouldn’t the same God who allegedly created us, who must surely be aware of our imperfections and failings, forgive and overlook our shortcomings?
It is a valid question, but it cannot be.
To permit sin to go unpunished may be merciful, but it is not just. A perfect God MUST be both merciful and just. Mercy pleads that humankind – the creations after God’s heart – should be spared the harsh penalty of an ultimate eternal death. The wages of sin are death. Justice however demands that the due penalty of our sinful nature – certain death – must be paid. In short, someone’s got to pay. Someone MUST ultimately be held accountable for the incalculable weight of our corporate sinfulness.
We thus see two of God’s many characteristics: compassionate Creator, and stern Judge at work.