Hebrews116
03-18-2003, 05:06 PM
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
In our nation today, there are many schools of thought, many different beliefs, as to who we are as human beings, to who God is, and our responsibility to Him. It is said that 80% of Americans believe in God, or a higher power.
Because of the many differing beliefs out there, there's are an overwhelming number of people who will not set foot inside of a church because they feel like it's an "organized religion" made by men with man made laws, man made rules, and man made interpretations of the Bible.
As a result, there is a belief in our nation today that says, "If I am a good person, and if I don't do anything to hurt anybody, then I'm going to go to Heaven." You hear things like this after a loved one has died, "Well, they're in a better place now."
My question today is simply this: How do we know they're in a better place now? How do we know IF we're good enough that we're going to go to Heaven? What is it that we base our belief on?
The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:12 says, "(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
We read in Genesis 2:16-17, "(16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'"
In Genesis chapter 3, we read how man disobeyed the command of God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a CURSE came upon all men and women as a result of their disobedience.
Man fell into a life of constant sin terminated by death.
The Old English word SIN simply means "to miss the mark."
There are three words used in the Bible in reference to not doing what is right. The first is SIN.
If we imagine for a moment that there are two properties side by side, and that we own one, and our neighbor owns the other. Let's say that our neighbor says to us, "This is the boundary between your property and my property, DO NOT CROSS IT into my property." And this becomes the law or the rule.
Now if we go about our day and ACCIDENTLY cross the boundary into our neighbor's property, have we broken the law or the rule? Yes we did. Accidently, but we still did. This is SIN. We missed the mark of expectation for us.
Now, if after our neighbor leaves, we INTENTIONALLY cross over into his property, have we broken the law or rule? Yes we have. And on purpose, no less. This is what is spoken of in the Bible as TRANSGRESSION. We broke the law, and we INTENTED to do it too.
Let's say after our neighbor leaves, we get so mad at him for implying on us such a law and rule, that we go about our business and just brew over it and brew over it until it obsesses us. So, in our mind, in our heart, we IMAGINE ourselves just walking over when he gets backs, and crossing that boundary in front of him because, "We'll show him just who's boss!" Now, whether we ever carry through with our INTERNAL threat or not, have we crossed the boundary and broken the law or rule? Yes we have, believe it or not. IN OUR HEART!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, "(28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
According to Jesus, committing the act in the heart is the same or equivalent to actually doing it. This is what's refered to as INIQUITY.
Isaiah 53:5 says, "(5) But he (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities..."
A wound is something external. It's broken for all to see and behold. Sin and transgression are both external breakings of the Law of God.
A bruise is something internal. You may (or may not) see it, but it's there. You feel a bruise. Iniquity is the internal sin of the heart, whether you externally commit it or not, it was there in the heart to commit.
SIN, TRANSGRESSION, and INIQUITY are what we are all guilty of.
Romans 6:23 says, "(23) For the wages of sin is death..."
We are condemned to death. We are all going to die. The death rate is 1 to 1 for everyone conceived; 100%.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "(28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
It is possible to have both our soul and body destroyed in hell. That is our eternal destination just by being born into this world. Because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death, we are doomed to a devil's hell for all eternity.
Romans 5:8 says, "(8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16-17, "(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."
God, through His Son Jesus Christ, made a way for us to be reconcilled back to Him, that we MIGHT BE SAVED.
Romans 6:23, "(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
What does MIGHT BE SAVED mean or imply?
It means or implies that there is a responsibility on our part, as human beings. We have an obligation to perform.
Jesus, in John chapter 3, tells Nicodemus that we must be "born again" to enter, or to even see, the Kingdom of God.
We will continue this under the title, "What must I do to be saved?"
God Bless!
In our nation today, there are many schools of thought, many different beliefs, as to who we are as human beings, to who God is, and our responsibility to Him. It is said that 80% of Americans believe in God, or a higher power.
Because of the many differing beliefs out there, there's are an overwhelming number of people who will not set foot inside of a church because they feel like it's an "organized religion" made by men with man made laws, man made rules, and man made interpretations of the Bible.
As a result, there is a belief in our nation today that says, "If I am a good person, and if I don't do anything to hurt anybody, then I'm going to go to Heaven." You hear things like this after a loved one has died, "Well, they're in a better place now."
My question today is simply this: How do we know they're in a better place now? How do we know IF we're good enough that we're going to go to Heaven? What is it that we base our belief on?
The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:12 says, "(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
We read in Genesis 2:16-17, "(16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'"
In Genesis chapter 3, we read how man disobeyed the command of God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a CURSE came upon all men and women as a result of their disobedience.
Man fell into a life of constant sin terminated by death.
The Old English word SIN simply means "to miss the mark."
There are three words used in the Bible in reference to not doing what is right. The first is SIN.
If we imagine for a moment that there are two properties side by side, and that we own one, and our neighbor owns the other. Let's say that our neighbor says to us, "This is the boundary between your property and my property, DO NOT CROSS IT into my property." And this becomes the law or the rule.
Now if we go about our day and ACCIDENTLY cross the boundary into our neighbor's property, have we broken the law or the rule? Yes we did. Accidently, but we still did. This is SIN. We missed the mark of expectation for us.
Now, if after our neighbor leaves, we INTENTIONALLY cross over into his property, have we broken the law or rule? Yes we have. And on purpose, no less. This is what is spoken of in the Bible as TRANSGRESSION. We broke the law, and we INTENTED to do it too.
Let's say after our neighbor leaves, we get so mad at him for implying on us such a law and rule, that we go about our business and just brew over it and brew over it until it obsesses us. So, in our mind, in our heart, we IMAGINE ourselves just walking over when he gets backs, and crossing that boundary in front of him because, "We'll show him just who's boss!" Now, whether we ever carry through with our INTERNAL threat or not, have we crossed the boundary and broken the law or rule? Yes we have, believe it or not. IN OUR HEART!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, "(28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
According to Jesus, committing the act in the heart is the same or equivalent to actually doing it. This is what's refered to as INIQUITY.
Isaiah 53:5 says, "(5) But he (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities..."
A wound is something external. It's broken for all to see and behold. Sin and transgression are both external breakings of the Law of God.
A bruise is something internal. You may (or may not) see it, but it's there. You feel a bruise. Iniquity is the internal sin of the heart, whether you externally commit it or not, it was there in the heart to commit.
SIN, TRANSGRESSION, and INIQUITY are what we are all guilty of.
Romans 6:23 says, "(23) For the wages of sin is death..."
We are condemned to death. We are all going to die. The death rate is 1 to 1 for everyone conceived; 100%.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "(28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
It is possible to have both our soul and body destroyed in hell. That is our eternal destination just by being born into this world. Because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death, we are doomed to a devil's hell for all eternity.
Romans 5:8 says, "(8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16-17, "(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."
God, through His Son Jesus Christ, made a way for us to be reconcilled back to Him, that we MIGHT BE SAVED.
Romans 6:23, "(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
What does MIGHT BE SAVED mean or imply?
It means or implies that there is a responsibility on our part, as human beings. We have an obligation to perform.
Jesus, in John chapter 3, tells Nicodemus that we must be "born again" to enter, or to even see, the Kingdom of God.
We will continue this under the title, "What must I do to be saved?"
God Bless!