God created people to be in a perfect relationship between both Himself and the created universe. One of the truly astounding statements that God makes about people is that they are made in His image. What this means is that although people will never be God, they can be like God. Since we are made in the image of God, we belong to God, are inherently valuable to Him and each other, and will only experience true and full humanity in a relationship with God.

The basis for any relationship with God is faith. This is even apparent in Adam and Eve's relationship with God before they sinned. God presented an opportunity for them to show their trust in Him through obedience to Him. But Adam and Eve craved not only to be like God, but to be God. That disobedience led to a world stained with sin.

So, what is sin? Sin is an inward inclination to rebelliousness and disobedience towards God and His standards that results in separation from God and brokenness in people. In our sin, we become enemies of God.

Any type of salvation from our sinfulness must change our enemy status, must offer forgiveness for our personal sins, and must provide us with the ability to once again live in a faith relationship with God.

Right from the very beginning of sin in our world, God promised that He would make a way back into relationship with Him. He wanted us to know what that salvation would look like, and so He began working in the lives of people to give us pictures of what His salvation would look like.

One of the primary pictures of God's salvation is seen in a man named Abraham and his descendants, the Jewish people. In the stories of thes people, we see God's explanation of salvation unfolding - faith-based, grace-filled, God-provided salvation. A salvation that would require there to be a bridge between a sinful people (us) and a loving, perfectly holy God.

There are many other pictures of salvation that have been provided in the Old Testament. The pictures are there and if brought together present the most compelling story of love and grace that has ever been told. But the Old Testament closes with the realization that the salvation that God has promised to send has not yet come. Though there are hints of it in a thousand different places, there is no one succinct fulfillment of God's promise to rescue us from our brokenness...

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