Having looked at How God created everything perfect for us - and how sin destroyed and how bad sin is, we will now look at the reward of sin, so here comes point 30-64 of 285.
30.
We have already seen that “death went over all men, insomuch that all men sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
And we see that “the reward of sin is death, but eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
31.
It is abundantly clear that we all have sinned, and (except the Christians living on earth when Jesus returns), all humans will die, as it is written, that
“it is appointed unto men that they shall once die and then comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)
32.
Here we see that life does not end with the death of the body and that eternity is awaiting all of us in another world – either it be heaven or hell.
And that life is not only for our time here on earth – but that there will be a judgment after life on earth.
33.
God has informed us of what the criteria is at the judgment when writing;
“And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it from whose face fled away both the earth and heaven and their place was no more found.
And I saw the dead, both great and small standing before God.
And the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged of those things which were written in the books according to their deeds.
And the sea gave up her dead, which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead, which were in them.
And they were judged, every man according to his deeds.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
34.
We see that there will be different judgments depending on how people have lived their lives – but what really matters is to avoid being cast into the lake of fire.
Therefore, having our names written in the book of life, is the thing that really matters.
35.
Jesus is nice and He has provided us with more information about this other places in the Bible.
The most famous Bible verse is John 3:16 showing that God, does not want us to go to hell, when Jesus is saying;
“God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that none that believes in Him should perish, but should have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
36.
But it doesn’t stop there but Jesus continues;
“He that believes on Him shall not be condemned.
But he that believes not, is condemned already, because he believes not in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)
37.
Further Jesus is telling us;
“Verily, verily, I say unto you;
He that hears My words,
and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into damnation, but is escaped from death unto life.” (John 5:24)
38.
Here we clearly see that the key on the judgment day is to believe in Jesus, and that anyone that believes in Him is not condemned.
And we also see that “he that believes not is condemned already” meaning that he is not in the book of life and will be “cast into the lake of fire.”
39.
This might sound like hard words, but it is not my words, but the Bible.
You might say;
“Does this mean that God wants me to go to hell?”
40.
No, on the contrary!
God says; “As truly as I live says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but much rather that the wicked turn from his way, and live.
Turn, turn from your wicked ways, for why will you die” (Ezekiel 33:11)
41.
And we read that God our Saviour “will have all men saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
This is what God wants.
But you have a free will, and He will not push you.
42.
You might ask me;
“Why is it this way?
Why is the only way to escape hell, to believe in Jesus?”
43.
This cannot be answered in one sentence, but I will try to explain.
Every country has laws to get society to work, right?
Without laws and punishments for they that break them, society would not work.
44.
God also has a law.
He created us, the earth and everything we see, and He has given us instructions on how to live here on earth – God’s law.
His “law is holy and the commandment holy, just and good.” (Romans 7:12) and it is telling us what is right and what is wrong.
45.
Then you might ask me – “What is God’s law?
What are the instructions for us to follow?”
Well, that is why we have the Bible.
46.
You have probably heard about the 10 commandments which are the basis for civilization, so let’s start by looking at them:
“And God spoke all these words and said;
I am the Lord your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.
You shall have none other gods in My sight. You shall make you no graven image, neither any similitude that is in heaven above, either in the earth beneath, or in the water that is beneath the earth. See that you neither bow yourself unto them, neither serve them” (Exodus 20:1-5)
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day that you sanctify it. Six days may you labour and do all that you have to do, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God, in it you shall do no manner of work” (Exodus 20:7-10)
47.
“Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not break marriage.
You shall not steal.
You shall bear no false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, neither shall covet your neighbour’s wife, his manservant, his maid, his ox, his ass or anything that is his.” (Exodus 20:12-17)
48.
As we see here, the first four commandments are about our relation to God, as that is the most important in our lives.
49.
And Jesus shows us that this is the most important in the law when He was asked the following;
“Master, which is the chief commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him;
You shall love your Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and the chief commandment.
And there is another like unto this. You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
In these two commandments, hang all the law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
50.
So we clearly see that the most important is to love God.
And secondly to love others as ourselves.
And Jesus explains that “In these two commandments, hang all the law and the Prophets.”
51.
Yes, if we love God and love each other – we will automatically want to keep the rest of God’s law, as it is written;
“For he that loves another, fulfills the law.
For these commandments: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not desire and so forth if there be any other commandment, they are all comprehended in this saying:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
Love hurts not his neighbour.
Therefore is love the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10)
52.
So clearly, the most important is to love God.
And then to love others as ourselves.
If we all loved God and loved others as ourselves – what a wonderful world this would have been with no hate, no conflicts and no wars.
53.
From what we have seen above, we know that all of us have failed and broken God’s law an uncountable number of times.
But God gives us even more details of His law and lists some sins when saying;
“being full of all unrighteous doing,
of fornication,
wickedness,
covetousness,
maliciousness,
full of envy,
murder,
debate,
deceit,
evil conditioned,
whisperers,
backbiters,
haters of God,
doers of wrong,
proud,
boasters,
bringers up of evil things,
disobedient to their fathers and mothers,
without understanding,
covenant breakers,
unloving,
stubborn
and merciless.”
(Romans 1:29-31)
54.
Clearly we all have failed.
55.
And here He lists some more;
“The deeds of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
wantonness,
idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
zeal,
wrath,
strife,
seditions,
part takings,
envyings,
murders,
drunkenness,
gluttonies
and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which commit such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
56.
So there can be no doubt that all of us have broken God’s holy law an uncountable number of times.
57.
Then you might say;
“This is bad.
I see that we are lawbreakers,
so what is the penalty in God’s law for the different crimes that we have done?”
58.
Well, this is explained in Romans 1 in the following verse;
“Which men, though they knew the righteousness of God, how that they which such things commit are worthy of death, yet not only do the same, but also have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:32)
And as we just read;
“that they which commit such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21)
And again in Romans 6;
“For the reward of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)
59.
“But,” you might say; “Why has not God judged us yet?”
60.
God doesn’t want to judge us.
God says; “As truly as I live says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but much rather that the wicked turn from his way, and live.
Turn, turn from your wicked ways, for why will you die” (Ezekiel 33:11)
And; “God our Saviour, which will have all men saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
61.
So God is long-suffering and often gives us time to repent, and will often postpone the judgment as it is written;
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, patience and long-suffering?
And remember not how that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
And the Lord “is patient towards us and wants to have no man lost, but wants to receive all men to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
62.
However, the postponement of judgment should not be taken as a sign that the judgment isn't coming.
Contrary we should use it to repent,
and we are warned not to harden our hearts and treasure up for ourselves wrath as it is written;
“But you after your hard heart that cannot repent, you heap together the treasure of wrath against the day of vengeance, when shall be opened the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5)
63.
And we see that He “will reward every man according to his deeds,
that is to say, praise, honour and immortality, to them which continue in good doing, and seek eternal life.
But unto them that are rebellious and disobey the truth, yet follow iniquity, shall come indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon the soul of every man that does evil.” (Romans 2:6-9)
64.
So we have now seen from the Bible that it is abundantly clear that we all have sinned, and according to God’s holy law, rightly deserve the death penalty and an eternity in the lake of fire.
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