[Truth 4 of 12; 4 minute read]
In the Bible sin is defined as breaking God’s law, an act of disobedience or rebellion against God. It is also described as “missing the mark” of God’s holy standard of righteousness, His absolute and perfect measure of moral and ethical behavior, reflecting His own nature and character.
In fact, all unrighteousness is sin, and the wrath of God is revealed against it and it is deserving of the penalty of death, but all sin does not lead to death because you can repent of your sin and it can be forgiven.
“A warning against despair, whether about ourselves or about others. Not all sin is mortal: you can be forgiven.” (adapted from: 1 John 5:17)
At its core, sin reveals that humanity considers sin more desirable than God. In the midst of sin, our selfish desires take precedence over His goodness. In our feeble minds, sin becomes our top priority no matter what God thinks about it.
But simply put, sin means doing anything that does not please God… not saying and doing things you should say and do, but instead, saying and doing the things you should not say and do; un-Godly things, sinful things things that are evil in His sight. They either please God or they don’t; they are either Christ-like or they’re not.
Just think of the many things you do that if you just asked yourself, “Does this please God? Is what I’m saying and doing right now pleasing to God in any way?” And if the answer is “no” and you do it anyway, then you must understand His wrath. Sinful man has a heart problem and what’s missing from his heart is Jesus.
We all know when something we say and do is not pleasing to God. He has put within the hearts of both believers and non-believers, a conscience, an inner sense of what is right and wrong. Your conscience reacts when your thoughts, attitudes and actions conform to or are contrary to God’s standard of right and wrong. The conscience works both ways, you know in your heart when you do right and also when you do wrong, so there are no excuses.
“There is however, only one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is the sin of rejecting God and refusing His offer of forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ. This alone is the unforgivable, unpardonable sin, because it means we are saying that the Holy Spirit’s witness about Jesus is a lie” (and that is blasphemy). (Reverend Billy Graham; emphasis added)
“And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him (through repentance); but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:10 NKJV; emphasis added)
Our sin provokes God’s wrath, a powerful and just anger. When we sin it not only angers God, but it also places us under His rightful judgment. And sin has a penalty which must be paid for by the sinner and the “wages” that sin pays, what you earn by committing sin, is death and eternal punishment. This is God’s justice for sin, “just” what sinners “deserve.”.
“But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5 AMP)
“Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 AMP)
In a world that was created “perfect and good,” it is the curse of sin that causes everything that is less than perfect… sickness, disease, injury, physical (and spiritual for many) death, the eternal punishment, trials, tribulations, struggles, troubles, tragedies, crimes, decay and evil of all kinds, etc… things that won’t exist in God’s perfect world in Heaven and just so you’ll know, Hell is not a place where sinners gather to continue their sin and evil for eternity. It is a place where sinners go only to pay the penalty for their sin and evil forever. Justice.
God judges sin, whether by an invading army, by fire and brimstone, or by a catastrophic worldwide flood. The flood occurred just because mankind was so evil. “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5).
Human life had existed in the world for approximately 1656 years before God completely destroyed every living thing on it, except those on the ark. There were only 8 survivors; Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. Not long after the flood waters dried up, sin made its reappearance and it continues to wreak havoc in all corners of this sinful world in the present day.
God’s rightful judgment for sin does not imply in any way that He is spiteful, ill-tempered or unjust. To the contrary, God Himself, through Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin almost 2000 years ago. You can be forgiven. You do not have to face His wrath. His judgment simply signifies His hatred for sin and evil, His refusal to compromise with it and His unwillingness to tolerate it.
And in the end, when Jesus returns for judgment, even Satan will receive his rightful punishment.
“And the devil who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and burning brimstone (sulfur), where the beast (Antichrist) and false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10 AMP)
The Final Judgment of Mankind
“And I saw a great white throne and Him (Jesus) who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away]. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds. Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God] (and never-ending punishment). And if anyone’s name (all those who reject Jesus Christ) was not found written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15; emphasis added) – the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone (sulfur), which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8 AMP)
The condemnation for sin is God’s wrath and rightful judgment, which is physical and spiritual death, separation from God and eternal punishment for all who do not accept and thereby, reject the saving name of Jesus Christ.
That punishment is generally described as an “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons, as both physical and spiritual never-ending suffering where the worm that does not die” and the “unquenchable fire” mentioned in Mark 9:48.
“Then they will go forth and look upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men who have transgressed (overstepped the law) against Me; For their worm (maggot) will not die and their fire will not go out; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Prophesy of Isaiah 66:24)
The suffering in the lake of fire is characterized by darkness, anguish, hopelessness, “weeping and gnashing (grinding) of teeth,” of skeletons, nameless and faceless, truly alone against a sea of tormented souls with no purpose, no identity and completely forgotten. It is an unspeakable fiery torment that never ceases, with no rest, forever and ever. It is permanent and irreversible and there is no way to escape it.
Why would man choose this punishment when God offered redemption for all men when Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price with His death on the cross?
It is sin that separates us from God.
Mankind sinned and yet God offered redemption even before the beginning of time. Not one other person in the world could do that for you and would not do it for you if they could.
That’s how much God loves you.
Here’s the Good News for the believer who accepts God’s gift of grace… Jesus dealt with the punishment of sin once, for all, on the cross. When you accept God’s free gift of grace through faith in Christ, your sins are forgiven and forgotten, just as if they never happened, “as far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
Sin is selfishness. Sin is all about you and not about God.
“Get saved and follow Jesus until that ‘great’ day comes.”
theattituderules.com 