Dear Partner,

We read in the book of Genesis that God warned Adam not to sin by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned him that the very day he ate of that tree, he would surely die:

Gen 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam eventually did eat of that tree. He sinned by acting in direct disobedience to the words God had spoken to him. Did Adam die that day? He didn't die physically that same day. Adam lived to the age of 930 years old:

Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

So what did God mean when he said "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die?" Adam died spiritually that day. There was no death in God's perfect world before the day that Adam sinned by disobeying God's word. Adam's spirit went from life to death that very day. By that one sin committed by that one man, spiritual death came upon all mankind.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

By one man … sin entered into the world … and death by sin. The root problem with mankind is not sin … it is spiritual death. Sin is the natural fruit of spiritual death in the same way that a peach is the natural fruit of a peach tree. That's why the law of Moses could not save man. It could deal with the "fruit" of sin, but it could not deal with spiritual death. The law could not bring the spirit of man from death back to life:

Gal 3:21-22 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

What is the "promise by faith of Jesus Christ" mentioned in those verses? If you are a believer, you already know the answer:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Through our faith in Jesus Christ, our spirit has been quickened from death back to life … real life … everlasting life … life without end! How is that possible?

1Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

That word "quickening" means … "life giving." After the fall of man Adam and Eve could produce children, eternal creatures who would live forever in a state of spiritual death. There was nothing Adam could do to bring those children's spirit from death to life. Only the last Adam, Jesus Christ, has the power to take a dead human spirit and quicken it from death to life again. That is why Jesus said,

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Buddha cannot quicken to new life. Neither can the Hindu gods, Allah, nor good works, nor anything else. That's why all of the religions of the world are false. None of them can solve the root problem of spiritual death. Unless your spirit has been quickened by Jesus Christ from death to life … you will never enter into the presence of the Father in heaven.

We live in an age where many voices are using words like "tolerance" and "inclusion" to get Christians to acknowledge there are valid paths to salvation other than faith in Jesus Christ. The truth is … there is no other path. There is no other salvation. There is no other quickening spirit There is no other Savior than Jesus Christ!. Let us not bow to the pressures of this wicked age. Let us boldly hold fast to the profession of our faith!

Sue and I love you and appreciate you.   We thank God for your generous and giving heart.   God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

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