In the story of the Bible, our world wasn’t made to be the way it is now. Everything was originally created to be completely good.

There was no pain, unhappiness, or even death. In fact, God and humans had such a close relationship that they actually walked together in the Garden of Eden.

Obviously, none of that is the case anymore.

That’s a big question, and the answer—human sin—can be uncomfortable. “Sin” can feel like a loaded term, especially if you’ve had bad experiences with church or religion in the past. But put most simply, sin is selfishness.

When God created the first humans, he gave them just one instruction. Because people were created with free will, they had a choice in how to respond. Unfortunately, they chose to disobey.

They acted out of self-interest, and this betrayal broke their relationship with God. The nature of humans’ relationship with God changed, and it impacted everything. No longer do God and people walk together as was intended.

But that’s not the end of the story. Because God cares so deeply about his creation, God came to earth himself in the person of Jesus.

That means God understands what it’s like to be human. Jesus laughed; he cried; he got angry; he felt pain; he experienced loss. From this perspective, God not only sees your pain; he understands it.

Yet, because he was also God, Jesus lived a life with no selfishness or sin—something we could never pull off. When he was killed on the cross, he took on the burden of all the sins of humanity and acted as a perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins.

Then Jesus was resurrected, overcoming the power of sin and death. Through this act, he restored the pathway for us to be forgiven our sins and have a personal relationship with God.

Now, by putting our faith in Jesus, we can be saved from sin and discover God’s eternal love and grace.

Jesus’s sacrificial death paid the penalty for sin for all people. His resurrection broke the bonds of sin for all people. And because of this, the restoration of our relationship with God is a gift offered to all people.

No matter your age, education level, gender, political leanings, or race, God freely offers you his love. And he does so with a full knowledge of who you are—including everything you’ve ever done.

Like any relationship, your relationship with God will be a deeply personal, ongoing process. Your journey to know God is your own, and you don’t have to have all the answers right now.

But today can be the day when you take your first step in knowing God personally. Ultimately, the choice to accept this offer of relationship is yours. You were created with the ability to think for yourself, and this isn’t a decision anyone else can make for you.

Are you ready to start your relationship with God?