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No Escape
The
penalty for sinning against God is certain death. Fortunately, God
incarnate Himself as a man to suffer that death on our behalf. Jesus
took the punishment for sinners at Calvary -- but only those who obey
His call to be born again of the water and of the spirit. Unrepentant
sinners have no escape from that death. The substitutionary suffering
Jesus did is not available for those who are not "in Christ".
Hebrews 2:3 - "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord?"
Bruise Satan's Head
The
infinite omnipotent God could have easily annihilated Lucifer instantly
for his transgressions. Rather, God chose to defeat him by a mortal - a
humiliating defeat, to be sure! God swore to raise a seed of the woman
to bruise Satan's head, saying "I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head,"
(Genesis 3:15).
Hebrews 2:14 - "...(Jesus) also himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is, the devil."
Organic Thought versus Spirit
Science
is increasingly able to identify channels of thought within the human
brain. With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and other procedures,
researchers track human thoughts and emotions with some reliability.
While this might appear that all human thought and behavior is organic,
man is also a living soul. Thoughts and feelings occurring in the
spirit dimension cannot be tracked by research tools. Some things are
truly known only to God.
Hebrews 4:12 - "...piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit..., and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart."
Grace is Better
God's
law defined right and wrong for all mankind. Without God's law, anarchy
and chaos would ensue. Nevertheless, nobody can ever keep the law
perfectly, and failure prescribes the death sentence. Though it EXPOSES
sin, it cannot stop us from doing wrong. The law offers no hope of a
remedy. But God showed grace to us in Jesus Christ. Now we do have
hope, because He is gracious.
Hebrews 7:19 - "...the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."
Death
What
is death? The physical body expires. Then what? About 1.5 billion
people believe that the human spirit migrates to either a plant, animal
or human reincarnation. But over two billion people adhering to various
forms of Christianity reject the reincarnation theory. Martyrs of Islam
expect to awake in paradise surrounded by rushing fountains and buxom
virgins. Jesus said that when the rich man and Lazarus died, the rich
man went straight to hell and Lazarus joined Abraham in paradise.
Hebrews 9:27 - "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
Destiny of Man
If
we are annihilated when we die, we have little reason to restrain
ourselves from uninhibited, indulgent living. If there is no account to
be made for the life we live, we might not be dissuaded from riotous
excesses. But we will give account. Jesus said, "...every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment," (Matthew 12:36). Make no mistake - beyond the grave is
either great reward or frightening punishment.
Hebrews
9:27 - "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment."
Church Attendance
God
gave Moses the Tabernacle plan. "But unto the place which the LORD your
God shall choose... to put his name there, even unto His habitation
shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come," (Deuteronomy 12:5). They
brought tithes and offerings, made vows and prayed. Since then, God has
always required His people to go to church faithfully. TV preachers
won't do.
Hebrews 10:25 - "Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one
another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Backsliding
Peter
warned believers against becoming entangled again with the pollutions
of the world from which they came. The end of such is worse than the
beginning. It would have been better if they had never known the way of
righteousness, than to know and turn from it. He compared it to a dog
returning to his own vomit, or a freshly-washed sow to wallowing in the
mire. Backslider, beware a bitter end!
Hebrews 10:29 - "Of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden under foot the Son of God?"
Commitment
Calvinists
argue that once a man is saved, he cannot be lost - if lost, he was
never saved. Technically, nobody living is yet saved. We are all still
in the fray. Many who said, "Lord, Lord, etc." will be denied. Some,
once sanctified, will be punished. Paul consoled himself in his
commitment: "He will keep that which I have committed..." Will He keep
what is not committed to Him?
Hebrews 10:29 - "Of how much sorer
punishment, ...shall he be thought worthy, who hath... counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing...?"
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Ken Raggio
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