The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Elizabeth D. during the 2008-2009 League.

Mission: Research - Nature of Man

Man is basically evil. It all began with Adam and Eve, way back when they chose to eat the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:22 tells us, 'Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' God had given man rule over every animal and over creation, but when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, man in turn gave that rule over to Satan.

That was the moment sin came into the world. We have all since been born with the sin nature. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, the rule over man was given to Satan. Because of sin man now has to die. In Romans 6:23 we read that the penalty of sin is death. 'For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

When man gave rule over to Satan, we gave him the rule over death. The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 that 'all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.' It seemed as though man had no way to come back into God’s good graces, and we indeed deserved punishment for disobeying God. Because of God’s great love for us, he sent his only son, Jesus, to be our greatest sacrifice, as we know from Hebrews 9:28 'So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.'

Jesus conquered death, so that if we just believe, we can have forgiveness for our every sin! Romans 5:17 says, 'For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ.'

After everything evil man has done, God still loved us! Yes, man is basically evil, but God did not leave us without a way to get to him.