Romans 3 v19-25

Romans 4 v 1-5

Exodus 25 v17-22

Nathan tells us that salvation is God's way of restoring the right relationship we had with him when humankind was created. Adam and Eve had no knowledge, no concept of good and evil, they simply followed God wherever he led them. Then they doubted God's absolute goodness and wanting what was best for them and they believed the lie. This is what civilization after civilization has been doing ever since. But now God has provided a way to restore that right relationship by Jesus becoming the place (the mercy seat) where sin is atoned for.