WEEK FOUR
Learn what salvation means, why sin separates us from a holy God, and how Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice rescues us from spiritual death to new life.
BY B. GIRON JR.
12/230/2025
What Does Salvation Mean and
Why Do I Need I
Welcome to Week Four! So far, we’ve talked about having a relationship with God, who Jesus is, and whether He really rose from the dead. This week we’re asking:
“What does salvation actually mean and why do I personally need it?”
1. What Is “Salvation,” Really?
A general idea of salvation
In everyday life, salvation means someone gets rescued:
A lifeguard pulls a drowning swimmer from the ocean.
Firefighters carry someone out of a burning building.
In every case:
Someone is in danger.
They are helpless to save themselves.
Someone else steps in and rescues them.
That’s the basic picture.
A biblical idea of salvation
In the Bible, salvation is God’s rescue operation.
God is rescuing us from the penalty of sin,
And that penalty is spiritual death being separated from Him.
So when we use the word salvation in this course, we’re not talking about vague spiritual improvement. We’re talking about God saving spiritually dead people from the consequences of sin and giving them spiritual life.
2. What Is Spiritual Death?
This is uncomfortable but we can’t understand salvation if we don’t understand spiritual death.
Spiritual death means:
A condition where God and humanity are separated spiritually and morally.
Picture this:
At the top: “Holy God”
At the bottom: “Sinful people”
In between: a huge gulf labeled “Sin”
We can’t jump this gap. We can’t climb out of it. On our own, we are cut off from God’s holiness, life, and power.
3. God Is Holy. We Are Not.
God’s holiness
God isn’t just “nice” or “good”; He is perfectly holy.
Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty…”
Revelation 21:27 – Nothing impure will ever enter heaven.
Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Heaven is perfect because God lives there. His standard isn’t “better than average.” It’s perfection.
Humanity’s problem
We don’t meet that standard.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We fall short both outwardly and inwardly in thoughts, words, and actions.
4. What Is Sin?
Sin is more than just “doing bad things.”
It’s:
A nature – a built-in bent toward going our own way.
A state – lacking God’s righteousness.
An act – anything we do, say, or think that goes against God’s will.
At its core, sin is against God.
If we’re honest, we know we don’t consistently live up even to our own standards let alone God’s perfect standard.
5. How Did Sin Get Here and Into Me?
The Bible says it goes back to Adam.
Genesis 1:26–27 – God created humans in His image.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – We are body, soul, and spirit.
Before Adam sinned, he was spiritually “alive” whole and rightly related to God.
But God warned him:
Genesis 2:16–17 – If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “you will surely die.”
When Adam disobeyed, he didn’t drop dead physically right away, but his spirit died. His relationship with God was broken.
And that didn’t just affect him.
Romans 5:12 – Through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and “in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
So we inherit:
A sin nature by birth,
And we confirm it by our behavior.
6. How Does God See Us Before Salvation?
From the moment we’re conceived, Scripture says some sobering things about us:
Darkened in understanding
We don’t “get” God on our own.
Ephesians 4:18 – “darkened in their understanding…”
Separated from the life of God
Like a light bulb with no electricity.
Ephesians 4:18 – “separated from the life of God…”
Ignorant of our need
We don’t naturally see how serious our situation is.
Hardened hearts
Spiritually calloused and resistant.
Ephesians 4:18 – “due to the hardening of their hearts.”
Alienated from God; hostile toward Him
Colossians 1:21 – “alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
Romans 8:7 – “The sinful mind is hostile to God.”
Blinded minds
2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan blinds us so we can’t see “the light of the gospel.”
Dead in sins
Ephesians 2:1 – “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”
So we are:
Sinners by birth (Psalm 51:5)
Sinners by behavior (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23)
We don’t become sinners because we sin;
we sin because we are sinners.
7. Our Attempts to Reach God
Because there’s a spiritual vacuum in us, we naturally try to fill it. We try to “build our own bridge” to God.
Common attempts:
Personal morality
“I’m basically a good person.”
“I’m better than many people.”
God says: everyone has fallen short.
Jeremiah 17:9 – our hearts are deceitful.
Romans 3:23 – we all fall short.
Good works
“If my good deeds outweigh my bad, I’ll be okay.”
God says: You can’t earn salvation.
Titus 3:5 – “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
Ephesians 2:8–9 – salvation is by grace… not by works.
Inner self / “spark of divinity”
“If I just get in touch with my inner goodness…”
God says: Your inner self is sinful from the start.
Psalm 51:5 – sinful from conception.
Romans 3:10–11 – “There is no one righteous… no one who seeks God.”
Religion, rituals, philosophies, spirituality
Church attendance, legalism, yoga, meditation, crystals, philosophy, sacrifices, etc.
They may look very different on the surface, but they all share one idea:
“I can reach God by my effort.”
The Bible’s verdict: every arrow falls short. None of these can bridge the gap between sinful people and a holy God.
8. God’s Rescue Operation
Here’s the good news:
Where we cannot reach up to God, God reaches down to us.
Picture the cross of Jesus spanning the gulf between “Holy God” and “Sinful people.”
John 3:16–17 – God loved, God gave His Son, not to condemn, but to save.
God’s nature has two sides we must hold together:
God is love
He wants everyone to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 – He is “not wanting anyone to perish.”
God is holy and just
He must deal with sin.
Romans 6:23 – “the wages of sin is death.”
So we face a problem:
God loves us and wants to save us.
God is holy and just and must punish sin.
The cross is where His love and justice meet.
9. Why Jesus Is the Only Way
For this rescue to work, our Savior had to be:
100% God
John 1:1 – “the Word was God.”
Colossians 1:15; 2:9 – the fullness of Deity in bodily form.
Because He is fully divine, Jesus is:
Qualified to be God’s eternal mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)
Able to offer a once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14)
A permanent High Priest who can “save completely” (Hebrews 7:24–26)
100% Human
John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh…”
Philippians 2:5–8 – He humbled Himself, became a man, and died on a cross.
Because He is fully human, Jesus:
Can stand in our place as a true substitute.
Can bear our sins as one of us.
Fulfills prophecies like Isaiah 53:5–6 –
“the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
So:
As God, His sacrifice is infinite and fully sufficient.
As man, His sacrifice is truly on our behalf.
10. Old Testament Sacrifices vs. Jesus’ Sacrifice
The Bible compares the old system with what Jesus did.
Old Testament sacrifices:
Animal blood
Repeated every year
Offered by human priests
Took place in the earthly Most Holy Place
Temporary – they only “covered” sin; they never fully removed it (Hebrews 10:1–4, 11)
Jesus’ sacrifice:
His own blood
Offered once for all time (Hebrews 9:26; 10:12)
Presented in heaven itself (Hebrews 9:24)
Permanent and effective – sins truly taken away, debt paid in full (John 19:30; Hebrews 9:26)
Opens direct, unlimited access to God (Hebrews 10:19–22)
Just as one man (Adam) brought sin and death to all, one man (Jesus) brings justification and life to all who trust Him (Romans 5:18–19).
11. So Why Do I Need Salvation?
Putting it all together:
God is perfectly holy.
I am a sinner by nature and by choice.
My sin separates me from God and earns spiritual death.
I cannot fix this by good works, religion, or self-effort.
God, in love, has acted sending Jesus to die in my place.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, offered the one perfect sacrifice for my sin.
Salvation is God rescuing me from spiritual death and bringing me into spiritual life through Jesus.
That’s what salvation means, and that’s why every one of us needs it.
12. Where This Is Heading
Week Four is about understanding the problem (sin, separation, spiritual death) and God’s solution (Jesus’ sacrifice).
Next week (Week Five) focuses on the big question:
“If I need salvation, how do I actually receive it?”
We’ll talk about what it means to be “born again,” to “cross over from death to life,” and how to respond to what God has done.
Student guide.
1. What Is “Salvation,” Really
A general idea of salvation
In everyday life, salvation means someone gets rescued:
A lifeguard pulls a drowning swimmer from the ocean.
Firefighters carry someone out of a burning building.
In every case:
Someone is in danger.
They are helpless to save themselves.
Someone else steps in and rescues them.
That’s the basic picture.
A biblical idea of salvation
In the Bible, salvation is God’s rescue operation.
God is rescuing us from the penalty of sin,
And that penalty is spiritual death being separated from Him.
So when we use the word salvation in this course, we’re not talking about vague spiritual improvement. We’re talking about God saving spiritually dead people from the consequences of sin and giving them spiritual life.
2. What Is Spiritual Death?
This is uncomfortable but we can’t understand salvation if we don’t understand spiritual death.
Spiritual death means:
A condition where God and humanity are separated spiritually and morally.
Picture this:
At the top: “Holy God”
At the bottom: “Sinful people”
In between: a huge gulf labeled “Sin”
We can’t jump this gap. We can’t climb out of it. On our own, we are cut off from God’s holiness, life, and power.
3. God Is Holy. We Are Not.
God’s holiness
God isn’t just “nice” or “good”; He is perfectly holy.
Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty…”
Revelation 21:27 – Nothing impure will ever enter heaven.
Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Heaven is perfect because God lives there. His standard isn’t “better than average.” It’s perfection.
Humanity’s problem
We don’t meet that standard.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We fall short both outwardly and inwardly in thoughts, words, and actions.
4. What Is Sin?
Sin is more than just “doing bad things.”
It’s:
A nature – a built-in bent toward going our own way.
A state – lacking God’s righteousness.
An act – anything we do, say, or think that goes against God’s will.
At its core, sin is against God.
If we’re honest, we know we don’t consistently live up even to our own standards—let alone God’s perfect standard.
5. How Did Sin Get Here and Into Me?
The Bible says it goes back to Adam.
Genesis 1:26–27 – God created humans in His image.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – We are body, soul, and spirit.
Before Adam sinned, he was spiritually “alive” whole and rightly related to God.
But God warned him:
Genesis 2:16–17 – If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “you will surely die.”
When Adam disobeyed, he didn’t drop dead physically right away, but his spirit died. His relationship with God was broken.
And that didn’t just affect him.
Romans 5:12 – Through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and “in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
So we inherit:
A sin nature by birth,
And we confirm it by our behavior.
6. How Does God See Us Before Salvation
From the moment we’re conceived, Scripture says some sobering things about us:
Darkened in understanding
We don’t “get” God on our own.
Ephesians 4:18 – “darkened in their understanding…”
Separated from the life of God
Like a light bulb with no electricity.
Ephesians 4:18 – “separated from the life of God…”
Ignorant of our need
We don’t naturally see how serious our situation is.
Hardened hearts
Spiritually calloused and resistant.
Ephesians 4:18 – “due to the hardening of their hearts.”
Alienated from God; hostile toward Him
Colossians 1:21 – “alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
Romans 8:7 – “The sinful mind is hostile to God.”
Blinded minds
2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan blinds us so we can’t see “the light of the gospel.”
Dead in sins
Ephesians 2:1 – “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”
So we are:
Sinners by birth (Psalm 51:5)
Sinners by behavior (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23)
We don’t become sinners because we sin;
we sin because we are sinners.
7. Our Attempts to Reach God
Because there’s a spiritual vacuum in us, we naturally try to fill it. We try to “build our own bridge” to God.
Common attempts:
Personal morality
“I’m basically a good person.”
“I’m better than many people.”
God says: everyone has fallen short.
Jeremiah 17:9 – our hearts are deceitful.
Romans 3:23 – we all fall short.
Good works
“If my good deeds outweigh my bad, I’ll be okay.”
God says: You can’t earn salvation.
Titus 3:5 – “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
Ephesians 2:8–9 – salvation is by grace… not by works.
Inner self / “spark of divinity”
“If I just get in touch with my inner goodness…”
God says: Your inner self is sinful from the start.
Psalm 51:5 – sinful from conception.
Romans 3:10–11 – “There is no one righteous… no one who seeks God.”
Religion, rituals, philosophies, spirituality
Church attendance, legalism, yoga, meditation, crystals, philosophy, sacrifices, etc.
They may look very different on the surface, but they all share one idea:
“I can reach God by my effort.”
The Bible’s verdict: every arrow falls short. None of these can bridge the gap between sinful people and a holy God.
8. God’s Rescue Operation
Here’s the good news:
Where we cannot reach up to God, God reaches down to us.
Picture the cross of Jesus spanning the gulf between “Holy God” and “Sinful people.”
John 3:16–17 – God loved, God gave His Son, not to condemn, but to save.
God’s nature has two sides we must hold together:
God is love
He wants everyone to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 – He is “not wanting anyone to perish.”
God is holy and just
He must deal with sin.
Romans 6:23 – “the wages of sin is death.”
So we face a problem:
God loves us and wants to save us.
God is holy and just and must punish sin.
The cross is where His love and justice meet.
9. Why Jesus Is the Only Way
For this rescue to work, our Savior had to be:
100% God
John 1:1 – “the Word was God.”
Colossians 1:15; 2:9 – the fullness of Deity in bodily form.
Because He is fully divine, Jesus is:
Qualified to be God’s eternal mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)
Able to offer a once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14)
A permanent High Priest who can “save completely” (Hebrews 7:24–26)
100% Human
John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh…”
Philippians 2:5–8 – He humbled Himself, became a man, and died on a cross.
Because He is fully human, Jesus:
Can stand in our place as a true substitute.
Can bear our sins as one of us.
Fulfills prophecies like Isaiah 53:5–6 –
“the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
So:
As God, His sacrifice is infinite and fully sufficient.
As man, His sacrifice is truly on our behalf.
10. Old Testament Sacrifices vs. Jesus’ Sacrifice
The Bible compares the old system with what Jesus did.
Old Testament sacrifices:
Animal blood
Repeated every year
Offered by human priests
Took place in the earthly Most Holy Place
Temporary – they only “covered” sin; they never fully removed it (Hebrews 10:1–4, 11)
Jesus’ sacrifice:
His own blood
Offered once for all time (Hebrews 9:26; 10:12)
Presented in heaven itself (Hebrews 9:24)
Permanent and effective – sins truly taken away, debt paid in full (John 19:30; Hebrews 9:26)
Opens direct, unlimited access to God (Hebrews 10:19–22)
Just as one man (Adam) brought sin and death to all, one man (Jesus) brings justification and life to all who trust Him (Romans 5:18–19).
11. So Why Do I Need Salvation?
Putting it all together:
God is perfectly holy.
I am a sinner by nature and by choice.
My sin separates me from God and earns spiritual death.
I cannot fix this by good works, religion, or self-effort.
God, in love, has acted sending Jesus to die in my place.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, offered the one perfect sacrifice for my sin.
Salvation is God rescuing me from spiritual death and bringing me into spiritual life through Jesus.
That’s what salvation means, and that’s why every one of us needs it.
12. Where This Is Heading
Week Four is about understanding the problem (sin, separation, spiritual death) and God’s solution (Jesus’ sacrifice).
Next week (Week Five) focuses on the big question:
“If I need salvation, how do I actually receive it?”
We’ll talk about what it means to be “born again,” to “cross over from death to life,” and how to respond to what God has done.
Week Four FAQ: What Does Salvation Mean and Why Do I Need IT?
Understanding Salvation
1. What exactly is salvation?
Salvation is God's spiritual rescue operation. It's God saving us from the penalty of sin, which is spiritual death eternal separation from Him. Just like a lifeguard rescues someone drowning, God rescues us from a life-threatening spiritual situation we can't escape on our own.
2. Why do I need to be "saved"? I'm a good person.
The issue isn't whether you're better or worse than others it's that God's standard is perfection. Romans 3:23 says "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Even our best efforts fall short of God's perfect holiness. We need salvation because we're separated from God by sin, not because we're "bad people."
3. What does it mean that we're "spiritually dead"?
Spiritual death means being separated from God cut off from His life, His presence, and His holiness. It doesn't mean we're physically dead or that we can't do good things. It means there's a gulf between us and God that we can't cross on our own.
4. If God is loving, why can't He just overlook my sin?
God is both loving AND just. His justice requires that sin be dealt with it can't just be ignored. That's actually why the cross is so amazing: God's love provided a way (Jesus) for His justice to be satisfied. He didn't overlook sin; He dealt with it through Christ's sacrifice.
5. What is sin, really?
Sin is falling short of God's perfect standard. The word literally means "to miss the mark" like an arrow missing the bullseye. Sin is anything in our thoughts, words, or actions that doesn't measure up to God's holiness. It's also a nature we're born with a propensity toward sinning.
Understanding God's Holiness
6. Why is God's holiness such a big deal?
God's holiness is His very nature He is 100% pure, morally and spiritually perfect. Heaven is perfect because God dwells there, and nothing impure can enter His presence (Revelation 21:27). His holiness is the standard, and it's why we need a Savior.
7. Does God expect me to be perfect? That seems impossible.
You're right it IS impossible for us to be perfect on our own. That's exactly the point! Matthew 5:48 says "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This shows us we need help we need Jesus. His perfection covers our imperfection when we trust in Him.
8. Isn't it unfair that God's standard is so high?
God's standard reflects who He is perfectly holy. The good news is that God doesn't leave us to meet that standard on our own. He provided the way through Jesus. It would be unfair if He demanded perfection without providing a solution, but He did provide one!
Understanding Our Condition
9. Are you saying I'm a sinner even if I've never murdered anyone or done anything "really bad"?
Yes, because sin isn't just about big, obvious wrongs. Romans 3:23 says "ALL have sinned." We've all had selfish thoughts, told lies, harbored resentment, or put ourselves before God. We're all in the same boat we all need God's grace.
10. What about babies or people with mental disabilities? Are they sinners too?
The Bible teaches we're all born with a sin nature (Psalm 51:5), but God is perfectly just and merciful. While Scripture doesn't give us all the details about every situation, we can trust that God, who is loving and fair, will judge each person righteously.
11. Why can't my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds?
Because God's standard is perfection, not a balance scale. Even one sin separates us from a holy God. Plus, our good works can't erase our sin nature. It's like trying to clean a stain with dirty water we need something outside ourselves (Jesus) to make us clean.
Understanding the Solution
12. How does Jesus' death on the cross save me?
Jesus, who was sinless, took the punishment we deserved. His blood His sacrificial death paid the price for our sin. Colossians 1:20 says God made "peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Jesus bridged the gulf between us and God.
13. Why did there have to be blood? Isn't that gruesome?
In the Old Testament, God established that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). Blood represents life, and sin requires a life to be given. Jesus' blood was the final, perfect sacrifice that replaced all the temporary animal sacrifices.
14. What's the connection between the Passover and Jesus?
In Exodus, God told the Israelites to put lamb's blood on their doorframes so the angel of death would "pass over" their homes. This foreshadowed Jesus, "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29), whose blood saves us from spiritual death. Just as the Israelites had to personally apply the blood, we must personally receive Christ.
15. If Jesus died for everyone, does that mean everyone is automatically saved?
No. Jesus' death made salvation available to everyone, but each person must personally receive it. It's like a gift—it's offered to all, but you have to accept it for it to be yours. We'll talk more about how to receive salvation in Week Five.
Common Objections
16. This sounds like God is angry and needs to be appeased. Is that true?
God isn't an angry deity who needs to be calmed down. He's a loving Father who is also perfectly just. The cross shows both His love (He provided the sacrifice) and His justice (sin had to be dealt with). God Himself paid the price through Jesus.
17. Why couldn't God just create us without the ability to sin?
God gave us free will because He wants genuine relationship, not robots. Love requires choice. Unfortunately, humanity chose to sin, but God had a rescue plan in place from the beginning Jesus.
18. What about people who've never heard about Jesus? Is it fair they need salvation?
This is addressed in Attachment 6, but here's the short answer: God is perfectly just and will judge everyone fairly. Romans 2:15 says people have God's law "written on their hearts" through conscience. Everyone has some knowledge of God through creation (Romans 1:19-20), and God promises that those who truly seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
19. I've done some really terrible things. Can I really be forgiven?
Yes! No sin is too big for God's grace. The Bible is full of people who did terrible things and were forgiven like Paul, who persecuted Christians, or David, who committed adultery and murder. 1 John 1:9 promises: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins."
20. What's my next step after understanding I need salvation?
Great question! That's exactly what Week Five is about how to obtain salvation. The short answer: you need to personally receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's not about rituals or programs, but about a personal decision to trust in Christ alone for your salvation.
Ready?
Let's dive into Week five: How Do I Become a Christian?.
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