Dear Confirming Your Faith Parents,
Last Sunday we had a fun discussion about many things that lead to a conversation about salvation. We talked about heaven, eternity, hell, sin, forgiveness, and grace. To understand our need for salvation and a savior we must first recognize that we are sinful individuals who don’t live up to God’s expectations as communicated through the Ten Commandments. Sin is an old archery term that means to miss the mark or target. When we sin we miss the mark that God has designed for us. Paul tells us in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” The natural consequence of sin is physical death and spiritual death (eternal separation from God). All people will live on in eternity after physical death, but what is in question is where we will spend eternity? Is it in heaven with God, or in hell? In the gospels, Jesus spoke more about hell than any other place.
The good news is that Romans 6:23 goes on to say, “But the gift of God is eternal life.” This gift is God’s grace, and His grace has been made possible through Jesus Christ. Jesus, in the ultimate act of love and unselfishness, allowed Himself to be tortured and die an innocent death taking on himself the debt we all owe for our personal sins. By His resurrection, He made possible new life that we all can experience by our willful act of confession and faith in the risen Lord.
Questions to invite discussion:
1. When Paul says, “The wages of sin is death.” What does the word wages mean in this context?
2. How long does eternity last? Does it have a beginning or an end?
3. Why did Jesus Christ have to die for our sins?
4. With the salvation God gives through faith in Jesus Christ, what are we being saved from?
Please share you personal salvation experience with your child and explain your thoughts and feelings that lead to your decision for Christ. This coming Sunday our lesson is all about baptism and why it is an important step in our spiritual journey.
Regards,
Perry Lundquist
Dan Beck
Doug Ashley