Man is sinful
and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

Man is Sinful

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken.

This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man Is Separated

"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God](Romans 6:23).

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf seperates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion- but he inevitably fails.

The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

Principles #1,#3