Sin and salvation

• What is sin

  • A sin is any thought or action that separates humans from God 
  • Sinful thoughts (such as anger) can lead to sinful actions (such as murder) 
  • Some sins, like murder or assault are illegal 
  • Other sins, like adultery are not illegal are against the laws of God

  
• What is original-sin

  • Christians believe that all humans commit sins 
  • Some Christians (particularly Catholics) also believe humans are born with an in-built tendency to sin, called original sin 
  • The idea of original sin comes from Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God, when they ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was forbidden - this was the first sin 
  • The result of their sin was separation from God and the introduction of death into the world

  
• Christian beliefs on free-will

  • Christians believe God gave people free will  , but they should use their freedom to make choices God would be proud of , otherwise they will separate themselves from God 
  • God provides people with the guidance to make good choices in his law - (e.g. the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: 1-19, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, and other Christian teaching)

  
• What is salvation

  • Salvation means to be saved from sin and its consequences, and to be granted eternal life with God 
  • Salvation repairs the damage caused by sin, which has separated people from God

  
• There are 2 main Christian ideas about how salvation can come about

  • Through doing good works - The Old Testament makes it clear that salvation comes through faith in God and obeying God’s law 
  • Through grace - Salvation is given freely by God through faith in Jesus - it is not deserved or earned , but is a free gift of God’s love

  
• Who do Christians believe gives them grace

  Christians believe it is the Holy Spirit who gives grace to Christians and continues to guide them in their daily lives to help them achieve salvation