The story of Christianity starts with God. The Bible tells us that God made the world, and that He is in charge of it. He is the king of everything, the supreme ruler over the universe – but He is the kind of king that always does what is best for his subjects. He also made us, and put us in charge of the earth. We were to care for it and enjoy it under his loving authority.

But from the start, every man and woman has rejected God’s authority in favor of their own.

This situation sounds perfect: men and women ruling the world under God’s direction, enjoying God’s love and living well on earth. But from the start, every man and woman has rejected God’s authority in favor of their own. We all dislike God telling us what to do, and so we rebel against him. Whether we rebel by disobeying him, challenging his authority, or just ignoring him, we all try to run things our own way: without him. When you hear Christians talk about “sin,” they’re talking about this attitude of rebellion.

We took what was a perfect world and made it a complete mess. Everyone trying to be their own king has made selfishness and suffering the norm on earth. And we’ve cut ourselves off from the one being who could make everything right: the God who made us.

Our rebellion against him is a crime that comes with a punishment: death and hell.

God doesn’t take this rebellion lightly. Not only are we hurting ourselves, others, and the world with our sin, we’re rejecting a perfect God. Our rebellion against him is a crime that comes with a punishment: death and hell. Since everyone is guilty, everyone is facing that sentence.

But God loves the world he made, sinners included, and so he did something amazing to alleviate the consequences we all deserve: he sent his own son into the world as a man. Jesus’ life had no hint of rebellion against God. He didn’t deserve punishment or death, but he walked willingly to his own execution on a cross.

The Bible tells us that the one man who didn’t deserve punishment, Jesus, died as a substitute for rebels like us.

The Bible tells us that the one man who didn’t deserve punishment, Jesus, died as a substitute for rebels like us. The consequences for our rebellion, God put on Jesus, so that now we can be forgiven and accepted into a good relationship with God. Three days after Jesus died for our sins, God raised him from the dead to prove that Jesus had truly conquered sin and death for us all. Now, Jesus is what we were always meant to be: the ruler of the world, under his Father’s authority.

One day, Jesus will come back to judge this world. But until then, Jesus offers every rebel a new life. Through his death and resurrection for our sins, we can have a fresh start with God as happy children, not selfish rebels. God promises that his Spirit will come live in us, and we will enjoy a new relationship with God. When Jesus does return, we will live forever with him – not because we’ve earned it, but because he died in our place.

Now, every man and woman has a choice: continue to rebel and run our own lives, or recognize that we have no hope on our own and turn to Jesus.

Now, every man and woman has a choice: continue to rebel and run our own lives, or recognize that we have no hope on our own and turn to Jesus. If we choose rebellion, we face eternal consequences. But if we recognize our need for God and trust in Jesus death and resurrection in our place, we are changed from hurting rebels to adopted sons and daughters in God’s family.

Cornerstone is full of all different kinds of rebels who have trusted in Jesus and found forgiveness, hope, and new life.

Cornerstone is full of all different kinds of rebels who have trusted in Jesus and found forgiveness, hope, and new life. Our new lease on life, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, has changed everything for us. Best of all, every day we can wake up and not have to make it on our own. Jesus has brought us back under the loving authority of God. We hope you will join us.