Sin is real a power we were all born with inside us.

Sin has designs on controlling and destroying our lives.

We, as humans, are not strong enough to totally overcome sin, neither can we
fix this condition of sin being a real part of us.  Thus.. we do not deserve
hell or death merely for "being sinners".  It is those who make a habit of
enjoying sin, and do not quit, not merely those who cannot avoid it, who
shall end up eternally lost.

Trust in God.. Trust in His truth.. Trust in His Word.. has always been the
only way God provided for us to be right with Him.

In the times of The Law (Moses, etc.) God's people were told to bring a
sacrificial lamb to be cleansed of their sins.. to have their inner spiritual
nakedness (as a result of their sin) covered.  This sacrifice was meant to
open their eyes to the truth of the power of sin.. and the damage their sin
brought to the world.. destroying life -- something only God could make.

The problem is, God's chosen people not only strayed to other gods, but the
ones who still claimed to worship Him usually only did so out of rote
religion.. not out of inner-heart trust in the real God.  This inner-heart
trust has been severely lacking in people for all generations.  They may
claim to trust God.. but.. they often balk at the more crucifying parts of
the Gospel -- such as loving their enemies, or church discipline and proper
repentance from all disobedient habits.

When Jesus came on the scene.. the Jews in power were so far strayed from the
truth that they ended up crucifying their own Messiah -- whom God sent.  This
was God's statement of the *ACTUAL* damage that sin causes to life.. to the
source of all life.. God's Word... Jesus.

Jesus.. in a face-to-face confrontation with all that sin is.. let it take
all that He had.. all of His life from Him.  But.. Jesus proved that God in
Him was stronger than all of sin's power.. by coming back to life after being
dead!  In doing this, Jesus shows us how damaging and dangerous sin truly
is.. and yet, in this.. He also shows us that He wants us all to know
deliverance from sin's power.. and just as He was resurrected by God's power,
He offers us that same resurrection.. if we trust Him with our all, and give
Him our everything, leaving behind sin for His lordship over our lives.  This
is what repentance is -- a turning *from* sin, to following Him with all we
are, instead.  It is *this* reliance upon Him.. *this* reclining on Him..
this *believing* upon Him totally.. that God rewards with new, spiritual,
inner birth.. a birth that is our down payment upon His reward of life with
Him eternally.. without any pain or sorrow of any kind any longer.

One difficulty remains -- being willing to continue in that faith.. for
anyone can choose.. at *any* time.. not to listen to God any longer.. or only
to listen to a small part of His voice.  And this is a great form of
rebellion that God will reward with true Hell -- true separation from all the
good He has given us.. or would to give us.. and an embracing of total lack
for all of eternity.. and total pain.  Anyone who refuses to let God be their
true Boss.. or only lets Him be just haphazardly or half-heartedly their
Boss.. is actually confused and under strong delusion from satan.  This
choice.. if continued until death.. warrants Hell.. as it is the rejection of
God's righteous station as deserving to be the High King above all things, as
well as the rejection of faith in Jesus as the one cure for the destruction
in ourselves brought about by sin.

Jesus died.. not to take the punishment due us, but to take the punishment
*from* us.. to show us the results of our sin upon His perfect and righteous
frame.. so that we might realize just how wrong our sin was, and turn from
it -- acknowledging that it is our fault that Jesus suffers.