Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

Genesis 1:31

Very Good!

God is both the most powerful being in the universe—the creator of everything—and the absolute best. He is wise, just, merciful, kind, and deeply involved in this world of his. He made you and everyone else, specially and specifically. In fact, the Bible states that God is love.

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

Psalm 145:8-9

The Creator

It's a logical conclusion: If God is creator—all powerful and totally good—then he is also the only being with the authority to define what is good and bad—right and wrong—in this world. His moral laws are just like the laws of nature: orderly, helpful, beautiful, and lasting—affecting everyone equally—just like gravity, sunlight, and thermodynamics.

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Genesis 3:9–11

The First Sin

In a tragic act of mistrust, the first humans disobeyed God. Through their disobedience, sin entered the world. In seeking freedom for themselves from God's law, they handed authority to God’s enemy who wreaked havoc on God’s good creation.

With each generation, evil spread throughout the world and the hearts of people through sin.

That's Gross

Imagine a cold glass of pure spring water on a hot day. Nice, right? Okay, take a little drop of toilet water and mix it in. Want some now? No, thanks! Even a tiny bit of poo water spoils the whole glass.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 3:23

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Isaiah 53:6

Our Way

We become tainted, like that gross water, when we reject God's definitions of right and wrong—his commands—his moral laws—and choose for ourselves how to live, calling the shots instead. This is what the Bible calls "sin." Sadly, all of us have, in some way, turned from God to go our own way—following our own sinful desires.

This act of rebellion spoils everything, the "whole glass." You can trace all the evil in our world back to this root of rebellion.

A New Start

A new creation. A fresh start. For all of us who have ever wished we could start over, this is good news. However, before we can really appreciate this good news, we need to understand exactly why we need to start over—why we need to become a “new creation.”

Why do we need to be saved and from what?

But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

Psalm 11:4

It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them.

Isaiah 59:1-2

Far From God

Many of us realize that our sins are dirty and wrong. But whether we feel it or not, all sin has dire consequences. They taint our hearts—like that poo water—turning us away from God and his goodness. And worst of all, sin breaks our relationship with God.

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.

Isaiah 64:6

The Attempt

We can't try hard enough to make up for our sins or "climb" our way back to God. All our good deeds are like filthy rags, trying to cover up our shame and guilt, but just don't work. Yet, to compensate, we often try and stop feeling guilty or far from God by doing good deeds: contributing to society, going to church, working harder, or giving to charity.

There is nothing we can do to make up for our sins.

But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:26–28

The Verdict

We have all sinned against a holy and righteous God. Our sins—the evil we bring into the world—must be corrected. Because God is a good judge, he maintains his goodness by enacting justice against wrongdoing. He takes sin seriously and will punish it. God had determined way back, right after creation, that the penalty for sin is eternal separation from God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

The Judge Steps In

God, this good judge, stepped down from his heavenly throne into our messy world—through Jesus Christ. Although he had determined that sin's punishment was death, God aimed his own hammer of justice at himself. He took his own retribution upon himself, to spare us.

Only God—Only Jesus—has the ability to take this crushing blow and not be totally crushed by it.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:5

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

The Great Exchange

Rather than doing away with humanity, God rescued it. In a breathtaking exchange, God the Son took the punishment for sin upon Himself, and welcomed humanity back into the relationship that was broken. Humanity once again had the opportunity for unity with God and a life of meaning and purpose.

Wow! Who does this? Only God—Only Jesus. He determined that the joy of saving us was well worth this steep cost.

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

Romans 3:24-25

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Romans 10:9-10

A Real Answer

We receive salvation when we stop trusting in ourselves and put our trust in Jesus and what He did to rescue us. Our salvation is a result of God’s grace. It's based on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It has nothing to do with what we do for Him. We cannot save ourselves or earn God’s approval through the good works we do.

We are saved by God’s grace when we realize our need for a Savior, turn from sin, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, putting our trust in Him alone for salvation.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-9

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."

Ephesians 2:13

Our Response

So what is the right response? We say, "yes!" We believe that Jesus' death purifies our sin, making our poo water perfectly clean again, and totally restoring our relationship with God. We trust that by Jesus' resurrection, we can walk in a completely new life, free from sin and ultimately, death! Then, to walk it out, we openly declare our faith in Jesus and publicly trust and obey God's words in the Bible.

The ultimate act of love—dying to pardon another person—was followed by the ultimate act of power—resurrection.

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. [...] This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. [...] For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:15-21

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

A New Life

Jesus died for our sins but didn't stay dead! God raised Jesus from the grave, putting an end to sin's power over our lives, completely and finally. Through Jesus, God began his plan to rescue all of His creation from the effects of sin. That mission is ongoing—now including you—and it will be fully realized when Jesus returns a second time. He will restore the beauty lost in the garden, and the people He made in His image will live and work in this restored creation in perfect harmony with their Creator.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Ephesians 2:4-5

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.

Romans 6:4-5

Walk It Out

It's good to compare our "Christian walk" today to the first Christians' lives—walking with Jesus from town to town, wherever he went. In Jesus' time, following him would have meant giving up everything—your job, house, and family—to literally go wherever he goes. It also meant becoming a disciple—or student—of Jesus. This means letting him teach us his ways and his thoughts, about everything, the rest of our lives—what he says goes.

We follow Jesus now, by faith, just like his first disciples did in person.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

The First Church

The first Christian sermon ever preached—after Jesus died, rose again, and went back to heaven—was made by Peter, one of the men who walked with and followed Jesus. Peter got up in the middle of Jerusalem, the same town where Jesus had just been tried and executed. Pay attention to his boldness, and note what happens...

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, 'Brothers, what should we do?' Peter replied, 'Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.'Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation!' Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer."A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Acts 2:36-47

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, 'Brothers, what should we do?' Peter replied, 'Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.'Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation!' Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer."A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Acts 2:36-47

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

Acts 2:36-41

Lord & Messiah!

To begin, we need to firmly understand who Jesus is and why we should follow Him. As Peter boldly proclaimed—in the very first sermon after Jesus' death and resurrection—Jesus is both the Lord (boss of everything) and Messiah (the chosen one, sent by God, who saves and completes everything)

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Acts 2:37

Pierced & Ready

Willing to follow; Willing to do—We we really understand who Jesus is, we are willing to do whatever he asks of us, because it's worth whatever the cost of the "ask."

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."

Acts 2:38-39

Repent & Turn

We must also realize that our ways—our ideas and thoughts about how to live life—are faulty at best, and really don't work. We must start a lifelong commitment to choosing to trust God by daily practicing His his opinions and his commandments. The way the Bible puts it: we become students of Jesus, choosing to let him show us how he wants us to live in our everyday lives.This includes stopping to do anything the Bible calls "sin"—or put another way—"missing the mark." Sin is basically living any way, or thinking any way, other than how God designed and commands us to. It's a lifelong commitment to allow God the place to tell us to do, or not do, something—because He knows best for us and everything / everyone else.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Romans 10:9-11

Baptism & Salvation

Following Jesus is not a personal, quiet, commitment. It's something we boldly profess with our mouths and our lives. Just like repentance—as we learned above—involves learning how God wants us to live, so does learning to boldly live that way at work, with our families, and among our friends.

Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

Acts 2:36-41

Receive & Promise

God promised Jesus' new life long ago, actually at the very beginning; God only has had good things for us from the very start.

Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

Acts 2:40-41

Save & Add

Salvation is lived out every day—not forgiveness of sins, but choosing to stay in the new life God has provided through Jesus. We don't do this alone, but God has designed you to be with him in a new kind of family, a group of people much like his chosen people of Israel: his New Testament Church.

Christian Church

• Every Nation

Every Nation Church NYC is a small Christian church in midtown, that has a multi-ethnic, welcoming culture for anyone who wants to learn about & follow Jesus. The focus: helping people know God, grow together, discover purpose and make a difference.

Homeless Shelter

• The Bowery Mission

Providing compassionate services and transformative community to those struggling with homelessness.

Pregency Support

• Love Life!

Abortion is not the only way. There are wonderful and life-affirming alternatives to abortion! We are here to help you every step in your pregency journey.

Abuse, Assault, & Trafficking

• Garden of Hope

Through the love of God, Garden of Hope is dedicated to serving, caring and rebuilding the lives of whom have been exposed to domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Prison Ministry

• Prison in the Wild

Facilitating life change through hope in Christ, supporting those currently incarcerated, offering reintroduction services to those recently released, and investing in the lives of correctional officers at the largest jails in NYC.

Ongoing Life Care

• Gifted Hands NYC

Gifted Hands is a nonprofit organization that provides outreach to New York City’s underserved communities through art programs, giving women the opportunity to create something beautiful with their own “gifted hands.”

Asylum Seekers

• Every Nation Church, Para Refugiados

Every Nation New York is actively supporting our refugee neighbors by meeting practical needs and offering ongoing friendship.

By Email

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