The good news is that although sin brought separation and death, God provided salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ!
FEED MY SHEEP MINISTRIES CHURCH INT.
October 18, 2026
Teacher: Pastor Carlton Barnett
Lesson Title: “Born in Sin, In Need of a Savior”
Main Scriptures: Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12
Supporting Scriptures: Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:1–5
Lesson Theme: Every human being is born into a fallen world, affected by Adam’s sin, separated from God by sin, and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Introduction: The Problem Every Human Being Shares
Let’s talk about a condition that affects every human being who has ever walked upon the face of this earth. It is a condition that money cannot cure, education cannot remove, good works cannot erase, and human wisdom cannot overcome. That condition is sin.
The Bible teaches us that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death came as a result of sin. From that moment forward, humanity has lived under the consequences of that Fall.
Romans 3:23 declares:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Notice what the Scripture says: all have sinned. It does not say that some have sinned. It does not say that only the wicked have sinned. It does not say that sin is limited to people who have committed terrible crimes.
The Word of God places every one of us in the same category. Regardless of our family background, financial status, education, position, or accomplishments, we all need the saving grace of God.
Some people believe they are good enough to stand before God because they have never stolen, murdered, or committed certain outward sins. But God's standard is not simply how we compare ourselves with other people. God's standard is His own holiness.
You may be better than somebody else in your own eyes, but being better than another person does not make you righteous before a holy God.
Our greatest problem is not merely what we have done; it is the sinful condition from which we need to be delivered from.
The good news is that although sin brought separation and death, God provided salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ!
Point 1: Sin Entered the World Through Adam
Scripture: Romans 5:12
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
To understand why humanity needs salvation, we must go back to the beginning.
In Genesis 1 and 2, God created the heavens and the earth. He created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. Adam was given responsibility, provision, fellowship with God, and a command to obey.
God told Adam that he could eat from the trees of the garden, but he was forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God had established the instruction. Adam had received the instruction. Adam knew what God required.
Yet in Genesis 3, Adam disobeyed God's command.
That disobedience was more than eating forbidden fruit. It was rebellion against the authority of the One who created him. Adam chose to disobey God's Word, and sin entered the human experience.
The consequences were devastating.
- Fellowship with God was broken.
- Shame and guilt entered the human experience.
- Humanity became subject to death.
- Sin and its consequences spread throughout the human race.
Adam's sin did not remain an isolated incident in a garden. It affected the human family and the world into which we are born.
We do not have to teach a child how to be selfish, angry, or disobedient in order to recognize humanity's struggle with sin. We must teach children how to obey, share, forgive, and do what is right.
Humanity needs more than information. We need spiritual transformation.
The Fall of Adam explains why the human race needs a Redeemer.
But we must understand this carefully: we are not personally guilty of eating the forbidden fruit in Eden. Rather, Adam's disobedience brought sin and death into the human race, and every one of us has our own need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
Supporting Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:21–22
Paul contrasts the death that came through Adam with the life that comes through Christ. Adam's disobedience brought devastating consequences, but Jesus Christ came to provide the way to eternal life.
The first Adam fell, but God sent Jesus Christ, the Savior, to redeem those who believe in Him.
Point 2: Every Human Being Has Sinned
Scripture: Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
The Word of God removes every excuse we might use to justify ourselves.
We often identify sin by looking at outward behavior. We think of lying, stealing, adultery, murder, and other acts of disobedience. These are indeed sins, but Scripture also addresses the condition of the heart.
Pride is sin. Hatred is sin. Unforgiveness is sin. Envy is sin. Covetousness is sin. Deceit is sin.
Jesus taught in Matthew 5 that sin is not merely an outward matter; the condition of the heart matters to God.
A person can look respectable in public while harboring bitterness in private. A person can speak religious words while refusing to obey God's Word. Someone can attend church every Sunday and still need to repent and surrender to God.
We must stop measuring our righteousness by comparing ourselves with other people.
The question is not, “Am I better than my neighbor?”
The question is, “Am I right with God?”
Romans 3:10 says:
“There is none righteous, no, not one.”
This does not mean that every person commits every possible sin or that every person is equally wicked in their actions. It means that no human being can claim perfect righteousness before God on the basis of personal merit.
Our good deeds cannot erase our sins. Our church membership cannot save us. Our family connections cannot save us. Our titles, positions, and accomplishments cannot save us.
We need the righteousness that God provides through Jesus Christ.
Supporting Scripture: Ephesians 2:8–9
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works, so that no one can boast.
Church, this should humble us!
When we recognize that we, too, have needed mercy, we should be less eager to condemn others and more willing to point them toward the Savior.
We should not excuse sin, but neither should we forget that the same grace we preach to others is the grace we need ourselves.
Point 3: Sin Separates Humanity From God
Scripture: Isaiah 59:2
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Sin is not merely a mistake with temporary consequences. Sin damages our relationship with our Creator.
God is holy. He is righteous. He is pure. He does not treat rebellion against His Word as though it were insignificant.
When Adam sinned, he hid from God. Genesis 3:8 describes Adam and Eve hiding among the trees of the garden when they heard the presence of the Lord.
Think about that for a moment.
The God who had provided for Adam was the same God from whom Adam attempted to hide.
Sin had changed the relationship.
Before disobedience, Adam enjoyed fellowship with God. After disobedience, he experienced fear and shame.
And humanity continues to struggle with that same tendency. When people do wrong, they may attempt to hide their actions, make excuses, blame somebody else, or pretend that nothing happened.
But we cannot hide our hearts from God.
Hebrews 4:13 teaches that all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
You may hide your actions from your family. You may hide your intentions from your friends. You may even deceive people in the church. But you cannot deceive the One who knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The answer is not to run away from God. The answer is to repent and turn toward Him.
First John 1:9 declares that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God exposes sin not because He wants us to remain in shame, but because we need to turn from sin and receive His forgiveness.
Do not let pride keep you separated from the very God who is calling you to repentance.
Point 4: The Wages of Sin Is Death
Scripture: Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
A wage is something earned. When a person works for an employer, that person expects to receive payment for the work performed.
Paul uses this picture to explain the consequences of sin.
Sin pays a terrible wage: death.
Death entered the human experience because of sin. Humanity experiences physical death, and Scripture also describes spiritual death as separation from the life of God.
Sin promises pleasure, freedom, and satisfaction, but it often produces bondage, destruction, broken relationships, and regret.
Consider what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, questioned God's command, and acted contrary to His instruction. What appeared to be an opportunity for gain became the beginning of devastating consequences.
The same danger remains today.
The enemy will tempt you to believe that disobedience has no consequences. He will suggest that you can do what you want, when you want, and still escape accountability.
But Galatians 6:7 warns:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
We must take sin seriously.
- Sin can destroy trust.
- Sin can damage families.
- Sin can enslave the heart.
- Sin can harden a person's conscience.
- Sin ultimately places humanity under the judgment of God.
But do not miss the second half of Romans 6:23!
The verse does not end with death. It continues with a glorious promise:
“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Our sin earns judgment, but eternal life is God's gift to those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ.
We cannot purchase this gift. We cannot earn it through religious activity. We must receive it by grace through faith.
Sin has a wage, but salvation is a gift!
Point 5: God Provided a Savior Through Jesus Christ
Scripture: John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Here is the turning point of the message!
If we stopped at Adam's disobedience, humanity's sinful condition, separation from God, and the wages of sin, we would have a message of condemnation without the hope of redemption.
But God did not leave humanity without a way of salvation.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He lived without sin, obeyed the Father, and willingly went to the cross. There He bore the judgment due to sin, and He died and rose again.
The cross was not an accident. It was central to God's plan of redemption.
First Corinthians 15:3–4 teaches that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Where Adam disobeyed, Jesus obeyed.
Where Adam's sin brought condemnation, Christ's righteous act provides the basis for justification and life to those who receive Him.
Romans 5:18–19 explains this contrast between Adam and Christ. Through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; through the obedience of one, Jesus Christ, many can be made righteous.
Jesus came to do what humanity could never accomplish through its own efforts.
He came to reconcile us to God.
He came to break the dominion of sin.
He came to offer forgiveness.
He came to give eternal life.
And He calls us to repent, believe the gospel, and follow Him.
The answer to Adam's fall is not human perfection. The answer is the saving work of Jesus Christ!
No matter how far a person has fallen, the gospel calls that person to turn to Christ. No matter how much shame a person carries, there is forgiveness for the repentant sinner. No matter how broken a person's life has become, God offers new life through His Son.
The grace of God does not give us permission to continue in sin. It brings us into a new relationship with God and teaches us to live in righteousness.
Point 6: We Must Respond to God's Offer of Salvation
Scripture: Acts 3:19
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”
Knowing that humanity is sinful is not enough. We must respond to God's Word.
A person can acknowledge that sin exists and still refuse to repent. A person can believe that Jesus lived and still refuse to surrender to Him.
The gospel calls for a response of repentance and faith.
Repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is a change of heart and direction, not merely feeling sorry because we have been caught or suffered consequences.
Faith means trusting Jesus Christ and His finished work rather than depending on our own goodness to save us.
What should our response be?
- Acknowledge our sin. Stop making excuses and recognize our need for God's mercy.
- Repent before God. Turn away from rebellion and surrender to His authority.
- Believe in Jesus Christ. Trust in His death and resurrection for our salvation.
- Receive God's grace. Understand that salvation is a gift, not a reward earned by good works.
- Walk in newness of life. Allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts, attitudes, decisions, and conduct.
Romans 10:9–13 teaches the importance of confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead, declaring that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Church, we must preach the truth about sin, but we must also preach the hope of salvation.
We must tell people that judgment is real, but we must also tell them that mercy is available.
We must tell people that they need a Savior, and then point them to Jesus Christ!
The church is not called to pretend that sin does not exist. We are called to proclaim the gospel that delivers people from the power and penalty of sin.
Conclusion: One Fall, One Savior, One Hope
Let us bring this message together.
Adam disobeyed God, and sin entered the world.
Sin spread throughout the human race, and all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
Sin brought separation, death, and the need for reconciliation.
But God, in His love and mercy, sent Jesus Christ to provide salvation.
Romans 5:8 declares:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Notice that God did not wait until we became perfect before Christ died for us.
Christ died for us while we were still sinners!
That is the greatness of God's love.
We were in need of salvation, and God provided the Savior. We could not remove our own guilt, so Christ made a way for forgiveness. We could not overcome death by our own strength, so God offers eternal life through His Son.
Therefore, nobody should boast in personal righteousness. Nobody should believe that salvation is unnecessary. Nobody should assume that church attendance alone makes a person right with God.
We all need Jesus!
The preacher needs Jesus.
The church member needs Jesus.
The person who has never entered a church needs Jesus.
The wealthy need Jesus.
The poor need Jesus.
The educated need Jesus.
The uneducated need Jesus.
Every human being needs the Savior because no human being can save himself or herself from sin.
The message of the gospel is not simply that we were born into a fallen world. It is that through Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven, reconciled to God, and given new life.
Do not allow the reality of sin to make you despair. Let it reveal your need for the Savior.
Do not allow guilt to drive you away from God. Let conviction lead you to repentance.
And do not put off the decision to follow Jesus Christ.
The same God who judges sin is the God who offers mercy through His Son.
The same Bible that tells us, “All have sinned,” also tells us that eternal life is God's gift through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our condition is sin, our need is salvation, our hope is Jesus Christ, and our response must be repentance and faith!
Altar Call: Come to the Savior
If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, today is the day to respond to the gospel.
You do not have to pretend that you have never sinned. You do not have to clean yourself up before coming to Christ. Come acknowledging your need for His forgiveness and trusting in His saving work.
If you have wandered away from God, return to Him in repentance.
If you have been trusting in your own goodness, put your faith in Jesus Christ.
If you have been hiding your sin, bring it before God honestly and seek His mercy.
Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again. Through Him, forgiveness and eternal life are offered to all who believe.
Prayer of Repentance and Faith
Heavenly Father,
I come before You acknowledging that I am a sinner and that I need Your salvation. I recognize that I cannot save myself through my own goodness or works.
I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again. I repent of my sins and turn toward You. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and teach me to walk in obedience to Your Word.
I place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Help me to live a life that honors You, to turn away from sin, and to grow in Your grace and truth.
Thank You for Your love, Your mercy, and the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Pastoral note: A prayer is not a magical formula that saves a person by merely repeating words. Salvation rests in God's grace, received through genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Final Scripture for the Congregation
Romans 5:19
“For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Closing declaration: We were lost in sin, but God provided a Savior. We could not redeem ourselves, but Jesus paid the price. Through Him, forgiveness is available, reconciliation is possible, and eternal life is offered to all who believe.
Amen.