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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, Va. 24515

(434) 582-7088 | egomes@liberty.edu

www.LibertyFlames.com

RULES OF THE GAMEIn the same way that rules govern football, God laid out standards and rules for us. God is holy, perfect, blameless, and without sin. Any football player will admit that it’s impossible to run perfect plays without ever incurring a penalty. Similarly, we can’t meet all of God’s standards perfectly. Everyone has sinned against God — sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose. The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), meaning no one is without sin — we’ve all broken the rules of the game.

THERE’S A FLAG ON THE PLAYWhen a football player violates the rules, the penalty flag is thrown. His infraction is announced by the referee, and he and his team endure the consequences of his action.

Our sins against God come with the consequence of separation from Him — on earth and after death in hell. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

UPON FURTHER REVIEWThe good news of salvation is that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, stepped in and took the penalty we deserved. God sent Jesus into the world as fully God and fully human. Jesus lived a perfect life, didn’t sin, and unlike the rest of us, He didn’t deserve any penalties. Jesus gave us eternal life and forgiveness for our sin by making the ultimate sacrifice — dying on a cross.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

THE PENALTY IS OVERTURNEDThe story didn’t end when Jesus died. After three days, He rose from the dead, proving forever that He is victorious over death. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Jesus’ sacrifice was a free gift of grace — no strings attached. God accepts us just as we are. Accepting Christ’s free gift and having fellowship with Him is simple and instantaneous:

BelieveTo believe means we understand and admit that we are sinners who deserve to face the penalty of our sin, and we need a Savior — and that Savior is Jesus Christ! (Acts 16:31)

RepentRepenting means turning away from your previous life and placing your life under God’s control. Romans 10:13 says, “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” This does not mean we instantly become perfect. Repenting of our sins and giving our life to God means we’ve begun a journey to become more like Christ.

LearnAs we grow in our relationship with God, we seek to know Him more through studying His Word (the Bible), spending time with other believers, and seeking the Lord in prayer. We have a new perspective on life because we are new in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

THE ULTIMATE REVIEW

The message of God’s salvation is that we were separated from Him because of our sin, but God still loved us, even in our rebellion. He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin and die in our place — bridging the

gap between Him and ourselves.

In football, rules govern the game and keep players on both sides in check. Without rules, football would cease to exist. Players would do anything to win, coaches couldn’t control

their team, and referees would be unnecessary. Football without rules would be chaos,

and ultimately, no one could win.