Sin Is A Good Thing - But Don't Tell My Grandkids

“Then Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall…as for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Acts 23:3; Galatians 5:12)

Ouch! Paul had a temper and sometimes it just could not be contained. It was probably this “thorn in the flesh” that he pleaded with God to remove (as opposed to an eye problem that theologians like to speculate). Paul was tormented by his temper...

“…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 KJV)

Humans have to sin in order to need Grace and Mercy. Sooo - is it better to sin and be forgiven, than never to have sinned at all?

"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21)

Remember the Garden of Eden?  It was God who planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Again - IT WAS GOD, not Satan! Note it was the tree of the knowledge of GOOD, as well as EVIL. God knew what He was doing when he created both the tree of knowledge and Satan the tempter.  

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create EVIL: I the LORD do all these things….All have sinned and come short of the glory of God...the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Isaiah 45:7; Romans 3:23; 6:23 KJV)

God knew what Adam and Eve would do - sin. But he also knew they would have to experience the evil of sin in order to have knowledge of and appreciate GOOD...including the Love and Grace of God in redeeming them and forgiving their sin. So it seems to me that God created evil in order for people to learn that good is better than evil. People learn by experience so it was God's plan for people in this "present evil age" to experience both.

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." (Galatians 1:3-4)

So it just might be “better to sin and be forgiven, than to never have sinned at all” - but don't tell my grandkids!

We Are Not Consumed - Yet

"God is a consuming fire...Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, because His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, the LORD is my portion, therefore I will wait for him...it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD!'" (Hebrews 12:29; Lamentations 3:22-26).

Mankind's only hope is in the great love and compassion of the Lord. We have His perfect Law but cannot keep it, bringing condemnation instead of blessing. 

We do have the assurance in Scripture that although flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, God will still save us as a gift of His grace ...

"...I declare unto you...that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God...It is by grace through faith you are saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Just as all descendants of Adam die, all will be "made alive"...

"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Why?  Because we are God's "offspring" and he loves us...

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are his offspring." (Acts 17:26-28)

According to Scripture God's plan is to make His children into a new creation like His Son Christ Jesus. Not with a body of mortal flesh and blood but with a transformed body of pure immortal spirit just like Jesus now has...

"...the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body...So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body...for the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality..." (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 53)

This transformation to a powerful "spiritual" immortal body is so certain that Paul speaks of it as a "new creation" that has already occurred...

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God is a "consuming fire", therefore, our sinful body of flesh and blood will be "consumed" at our death, but in its place a spiritual body will and become "like his glorious body".

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2)

The Truth of the salvation of all does not receive many Amens in this present age, but in an age to come all will shout "Hallelujah"!

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, Hallelujah! for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns." (Revelation 19:6)

Behold I Tell You A Mystery

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34)

This of course is a promise to ISRAEL. Remember them? They are the ones who delivered Jesus their Messiah to the Romans to be crucified. I cannot think of a greater sin than this. However, God says He will "forgive their iniquity" and their sin He will "remember no more".

"Father forgive them, they do not know what they doing" (Luke 23:34)

Jesus said this from the cross and his request included both ISRAEL and the ROMAN empire who conspired together to crucify Jesus. Jesus asked God to forgive them because the cross was God's plan to save sinners. Christians think God is going to put them in hell and torture them forever unless they repented and accepted Jesus as their Savior before they died, because that is what they would do to them. But God delivered Jesus up "for us all"...

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all......this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again" (Romans 8:32; Acts 2:23-24).

All those "godless men" who had part in the crucifixion of Jesus died for their sin, just like Jesus did, and we will all eventually die for our sin. The amazing thing about God, and what separates Him from men, is he is going to save those "godless men". This truth had remained a mystery until revealed to the Apostle Paul...

”...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people...Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

Now that should get a standing ovation for God and Christ Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer of the whole world!

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

What is the Truth?

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him." (John 18:37-38)

That mankind cannot be trusted to deal with this truth is quite obvious. Pilate found no fault with Jesus but had him crucified anyway. 

What truth did Jesus come into the world to testify to?

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins…Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord….” (Matthew 120-21; Luke 2:10-11)

The truth is that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, all of them, including Pilot.

"Trustworthy is the saying and worthy of all welcome, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)

He will either do so, or that saying is not trustworthy.  In my life I have encountered two negative responses to this truth.  One comes from those who consider themselves saved by their free will choice of Christ.  Some of these wish it were true but many are indignant that God would save sinners who have not made the same choice and perceived sacrifices for him.  The others are those like Pilate who are indignant that someone would think they needed to be saved at all.

I suppose it remains to be seen whether the Truth that Jesus testified to actually happens. But if all sinners are not saved, his testimony was false.  He has promised to deliver all sinners from death and I trust and find comfort that He can and will do so. Love motivates me to share my faith and my hope in the Truth, in spite of those who ignore or oppose it.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:3)

The Truth About Freedom

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free....According to the purpose of the One Who is operating ALL in accord with the counsel of His will” (John 8:32; Ephesians 1:11).

God is in control of the universe and all of His creatures are in His care. He is guiding His creation across time from age to age - from the beginning when God was all there was, to the final destination where God is "All in All” of His creation.

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn...then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death...so that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:26-29)

Along the way to this grand destiny, God has subjected all of creation to "futility".  None of us understand why He did so, but built somewhere deep inside is the hope for our eventual glorious "freedom". Only when God becomes "all in all" will we be truly free, and that "truth will set us free". Then, all creation will have been set free from this present "futility".

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free...For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:20-25)  

We see the journey only as "a dim reflection".  But don't give up hope, for it is the blessed assurance of our God, and along with faith and love, it is all that we need along the way to that final destination. 

"Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love." (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)

It's About Jesus Christ's Faith - not yours

"…a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, FOR all, and ON all who are believing, for there is no distinction...
” (Romans 3:21-22, CLNT)

Some versions change "Jesus Christ's faith" to read “through faith in Christ Jesus” thus robbing us of the truth that righteousness, just like eternal life, is freely given sinners by the "GRACE" of God as the result of "JESUS CHRIST'S FAITH". All will acknowledge Jesus at some point in time, and confess that he is Lord.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

For most this comes after they have been resurrected.  Many say it is too late for justification at that time, but there is no Scripture to back that up, only the false opinion of religious men. The Scripture says all "sinned" and the same all will be "justified gratuitously in His grace"...as a "gracious gift".

“…for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God.
 Being justified gratuitously in His GRACE, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus…For the ration of Sin is death, yet the gracious gift of God is life eonian, in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 3:23-24; 6:23 CLNT)

His Burden - Our Sin

"... the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)

Jesus is the only human who will ever live without sin...but he was tempted.

"...for we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need...you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin." (Hebrews 4:15-16; 1 John 3:5)

Jesus is the only human who has died, not for his own sin, but for the sins of the whole world.

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all...He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (Isaiah 53:6; 1 John2:2)

Jesus is the only human who has been raised from the dead, and is now the "only Sovereign" and immortal "King of kings". We mortals all die and our only hope for immortality is the "free gift of God"...

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord...He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality." (Romans 6:26; 1 Timothy 6:15-16)

Jesus, the Lord, will return to resurrect all humanity from its wages for sin to the free gift of eternal life, and from a corruptible mortality to an imperishable immortality.

"...your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise-- let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy-- your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead...in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable." (Isaiah 26:19; 1 Corinthians 15:52)

It was God's plan, even before the creation of the world, to choose all mankind for this great adventure. And since it was His plan, God sees mankind, all of us, as His finished product, holy and blameless.

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight...Now all these things are from God, who...was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them... He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

We only play the roles that His grand play dictates, and that play has a glorious and happy ending...God All in All. 

"..one God and Father of all and through all and in all. Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ...The last enemy to be destroyed is death...so that God may be All in all." (Ephesians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 15:26-28)

That's It!

"...we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation...For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his... ” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 18-19; Romans 6:5

What will happen if I don’t believe the Gospel?   You miss out on the joy of knowing in this life what God has and will do for you in the next.

That’s it!

You are still part of the “all” for whom Christ died. You are part of the "world" that Jesus "saved" and "reconciled" to God and you will still be "united with him in a resurrection like his". You cannot change that by refusing to believe it.  You can believe it and be one of the few who tell others about it.  But the truth is the truth whether you, your pastor, or the Pope believes it or not. Again...

“...we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world…we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (1 John 4:14; Romans 5:10)

The few I know who believe thank Him for this incredible "gift" ...

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)  

and make an effort to live a “good” life to show their appreciation. And I am not talking about joining up and following the rules of any religion…I just mean be thankful to God and use common sense in this mortal life. I think the Old Testament prophet Micah said it the best and simplest… 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

That’s it!

Religious men just cannot believe good things – especially salvation - can happen to a bad person without any effort or repentance. It goes against all man-made ideas of justice, but God is not a "human being"...Hallelujah!  

"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act?  Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19)

The good news has and will happen whether you believe it or how many theological degrees you have - it is God's Gospel! We should be telling people about it, not requiring them to do stuff to get it.  That is a requirement of those other "human" initiated gospels, which are not good news at all. 

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all.” (Galatians 1:6)

I Never Knew You

“Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22-23)

Jesus is talking to the Jewish religious leaders who went to Synagogue every Sabbath and revered the Law of Moses. They did not think much of the "sinners" who Jesus spent most of his time with.

"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11)

The Church should be slow to condemn sinners for whom Jesus ate with and died for. 

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)

The bible speaks of a time in the future where Jesus returns to establish once again the Kingdom of Israel on this earth to last 1,000 years.

"And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection." (Revelation 20:4-5)

When Jesus said "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers" he was referring to the Jewish religious leaders who had rejected him as their Messiah and the Savior of the world.  Those unbelievers will not be among the "first resurrection" who reign with him for 1000 years.  

No one gets to heaven by following those who "drive out demons" and "perform many miracles" in the name of the Lord. Nor do we get there by joining a church, being baptized, tithing, praying or dancing in the spirit. We all get saved the same way - by the Love, Grace and Mercy of God!

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Jesus is the "Savior of the World". The outcast Samaritans recognized this and rejoiced. 

"Jesus said to her, You are correct to say that you have no husband. In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband...Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony...when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And many more believed because of His message. They said to the woman, We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:25-42)

Outside the Synagogue a promiscuous women met Jesus and introduced her Savior to her friends.  Those inside the Synagogue did not believe Jesus was the  "Savior of the World" and got mad at anyone who said he was. 

Some things never change.

Our Transgressions are Officially Removed

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever...

If you are not of this opinion- then you are wrong...

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities...As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:8-12)

It amazes me how many Christians do not believe this teaching of the Scripture. Believe God, not men, and tell others the good news….

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19)

All Miss the Target

“Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ’s faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:21-23 CLNT)

The Greek word for sin means to miss the target. The result of "Jesus Christ’s faith" is the salvation, justification and reconciliation of ALL who miss the mark. Our own faith plays no part in our salvation, reconciliation and justification.  Salvation is our target but shooting at it with our own faith will miss every time.

So what does it mean when he says Jesus Christ's faith is “for all, and on all who are believing”? Glad you asked.

The salvation, justification and reconciliation of all mankind is a done deal because of the love, grace and mercy of God, and "Jesus Christ’s faith". It is “for” all mankind. However, it is believing this truth which enables us to appreciate what God has done and have the peace and joy of our salvation - it is “on all who are believing” in the sense that you now have a realization of it. 

But as long as a person depends on their own faith to save them, they will never be certain. And as long as one believes that the judgment of God is annihilation or eternal conscious torment for those who do not have faith, they can never have true joy and peace.  They need to change their mind - repent!

“…do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:5)

The man who comes to the knowledge that mankind’s salvation is the result of the grace of a loving God and Jesus Christ’s faith are to…

“…gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26)

The devil’s job is not to cause us to sin, but to cause us to deny what God says. Acknowledging that God is the savior of all mankind by His Grace and “Jesus Christ’s faith “ will lead one to meaningful “repentance”. The Greek word for repentance means to change one’s mind. In the context of our opinion of God, it means to change our mind about God being one who would condemn his creatures to annihilation or eternal torment for their unbelief, to the God who sent his Son “to seek and save the lost”.

When we accept and believe this, then we embrace its joy and peace, and...

“Today salvation has come to this home…for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9-10)

God's Plan - Unity Of All Things

"Out of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things" (Romans 11:36)

"...in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE he made known to us the mystery of his will... to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ…according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Ephesians 1:7-11).

The Bible says that everything is out of God and is proceeding just as He wills and "according to the plan". Jesus is the Son of God and "…the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). Through His Son, the living Word, God made everything.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3,14)

Since all things are "out of Him", it was God who allowed Adam and Eve to bring sin and death to all mankind by their disobedience. This was done to demonstrate His "mercy".

"For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." (Romans 11:32)

But “in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE” God had a plan "to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ".

Since God is operating everything “according to the plan” we should trust and believe Him in all things (easier said than done I know). And we are told …

"...supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

God knew from the beginning that mankind would become sinners and that He would send Jesus "as a ransom for all" in order to save them all. We know God planned it that way because “Out of Him…are all things”. 

He will succeed and that is why we are instructed to pray for "ALL men", not just the ones we think deserving. Everyone is a part of God's plan to "bring unity to all things" - and all will be saved by God, reconciled to God and pronounced righteous in Christ "in accordance with the riches of God's GRACE".

Repentance that Matters

"...Christ Jesus... from whom we have received GRACE ...." (Romans 1:1-7)

"...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance" (Romans 2:4)

The repentance of religion comes from the fear of the doctrines of men who tell us to repent or be damned. However, that kind of repentance does not save anyone from the penalty for sin, which is death - and we all die. 

"For all have sinned...the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

The "repentance" referred to in Romans above comes AFTER we realize that God is far better to us than we deserve and is not the angry god worshipped by many Religions.  The real God, the one of the Bible, will save all sinners out of death by his grace.  He sent His Son to die "for the ungodly" 2000 years ago, and will send Jesus again to free us from sin's penalty - death. 

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God...upon this rock I will build my ecclesia, and the gates of hades (death) shall not prevail against it...You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us..." (Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 5:6-8)

We can depend on what God, through Jesus, has DONE and will DO for sinners.  "At just the right time" God will once again send Jesus for all sinners and Jesus will "raise them up at the last day". 

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day...Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive..." (John 6:39; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 15:22)

The result of true repentance is to humbly thank him for the salvation we did not earn, and to humbly wait for our certain death to be "swallowed up victory" at the return of Jesus!

"Behold I show you a mystery...the dead shall be raised...for the corruptible must put on incorruption, and the mortal must put on immortality...then shall be brought to pass the saying, death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

Comfort one another with these words.

Fuel for the Fire

"The soul who sins shall die...." (Ezekiel 18:4)

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23)

"All have sinned..." (Romans 6:230

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12)

Sin has consequences, both in this life and the next, which a wise person will seek to avoid by making good choices now. Excessive drinking, drug use, eating habits and stress result in serious health problems. Refusing to forgive others for wrongs committed results in hate, which is a miserable and depressing way to go through life. Violating the laws of the land have legal consequences.

And death eventually finds us all, for...

"it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

This "judgment" simply means a decision is made as to whether the things we have done in this life were "good or bad".

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

We will be rewarded for the good things done, and the bad things will be burned up. But even if all of our acts, motives, and beliefs were bad and thus no reward is received, we ourselves will "be saved" - as promised in Scripture.

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

Both the Old and New Testaments teach the same thing with regard to the penalty for sin. It is death. Only mythology and manmade religion teach that the penalty for sin is everlasting separation from God and punishment in an underworld for all eternity. That is a shame, and those who insist on such will be ashamed, not rewarded - that teaching will be fuel for the fire in the day men give account to God. But in the end, because of our gracious God - all will receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"...the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)