THE CURSE

Whether you like it or not, you are a literal descendant of the first man and woman: Adam and Eve. They had a paradise full of wonderful things to eat. But God said, '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.' (Genesis chapter 2, verse 17). Adam's wife, Eve, allowed herself to be deceived into eating of the fruit of the very tree which was 'out of bounds'. Then, Adam allowed himself to be persuaded by his wife to eat of it. Both of them had disobeyed God. They were expelled from the garden, and the whole creation felt the consequences of their rebellion.

The Bible, which was written by men under the direct influence of God, tells us that 'by one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death by sin' (Romans 5: 12). That means that sin didn't exist before this act of rebellion. But notice, it says that death came into the world because of sin. So there was no death up to this point! No millions of years of evolution, with its death and suffering, that's for sure.

You might be wondering what any of this has to do with you. Well, the Bible also says that 'ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Romans 3: 23). YOU, like us, have sinned, and so have shown you're on Adam's side. Now because God is perfectly holy (pure), he cannot allow sin in his prescence. Not only that, but because he is also perfectly just (fair) he cannot even overlook sin. So that means two things: (1) Our sin bars us from heaven, and (2) Our sin must be punished. Now remember: God is absolutely holy. It's therefore only right that if we commit a crime (sin) against an infinitely holy God, then our punishment must also be infinite, and it is. God's word tells us that sinners will be punished in a lake of fire FOREVER (Revelation 20: 15). It looks like you face a fate far more horrifying than you could possibly imagine. A state of torment that has no end. If only this punishment was for a few million years, then there would still be hope, no matter how distant, and this hope would keep you from going mad. But there is no end. Ever.

THE CURE

'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD'. (Romans 6: 23)

Had God left man in his lost state, then every member of the human race would suffer in outer darkness forever. Now we've mentioned two of God's characteristics, and know that he is holy and just. But God is also a God of mercy. In his great plan, he gave a gift to mankind--his own son, Jesus Christ. He sent him into the world to save sinners from their sin. Christ is the cure!

Let's back up a bit. Although there's no room here to go through the entire history of God's dealings with his people down the centuries, we can say this: the coming of the Saviour was foretold in dozens of places throughout the Old Testament of the Bible. There are symbols, types and shadows, all speaking of the one who would come to heal people from their sin. Innocent animals were killed by the Israel people in rituals for the sins of the people, as instructed by God. This wasn't mindless slaughter. These people knew that one day someone would come who could take their place--someone who could be punished once and for all for all their iniquities.

We've all seen images of Christ on the cross. Yes, he suffered mentally and physically at the hands of the religious leaders and others. But, most importantly, he suffered in an invisible way while he hung on the cross. You see, his Father in heaven poured out his fury on his own son's head. What was this furious punishment in aid of? Simply this: Jesus bore the eternal punishment of all his people. He suffered instead of them. Miraculously, in the space of just a few hours in time, Christ suffered the eternal punishment of millions of people! He is called by John the Baptist 'The Lamb of God' for a reason. Instead of sacrificing animals, here was the ultimate Lamb--the ultimate sacrifice--Christ Jesus. By accepting him as Lord and Saviour, people could have their sins wiped away forever.

Note the verse at the top of this page. It says this eternal life is a gift. It cannot be earned. So if you're tempted to 'be a good person', go to church regularly or do some charity work as a way to get saved from your sin, FORGET IT! Christ has done everything necessary to secure the salvation of those people who will come to him. The Bible says, 'By GRACE [undeserved kindness] are ye saved, through FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is a GIFT of God.' God didn't save anyone because he thought they were good. Far from it! Not one person deserves to be saved. God simply chose to save some for his own good pleasure. The rememberance of this keeps Christians humble.

But having sins forgiven is only half the story. That would prevent the saved person from having to be punished in that awful Lake of Fire. But how are you going to be good enough to live with God forever? This is how: if you accept Christ as your Saviour, you not only have your sins forgiven, but his righteousness (perfect goodness and holiness) is credited to you! So when you stand at the Judgement Seat of Christ, you will be viewed as being perfect, and will enter into eternal bliss. It's like if you were in debt with the bank. You ask for someone's help, and they not only clear your debt, but put money in the bank for you as well! It's a crude analogy, but it makes the whole 'transaction' of salvation easier to understand.

NOW. What will you do about this? The Bible commands you to REPENT of your sins (be genuinely sorry for them AND be prepared to turn from them) and believe the gospel. You must BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he came into the world to save sinners like you and me, and that he rose from the dead and lives as our advocate, or representative, at God's right hand. If you cry to God for mercy, he WILL have mercy on you. Let God's word, the Bible, speak for itself:

What will this message be to you? Foolishness? Or will it be the means by which God saves you? The day is fast approaching when you will no longer hear preaching, but you will instead face God at the Judgement. There will only be two categories: sheep or goats; saved or lost; born again or dead in sin. If you ignore this type of warning you've received today, you will hear those dreadful words, 'DEPART FROM ME, YE ACCURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE' (Matthew 25: 41).

If, however, you cry out to God to save you, and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Saviour, you will be saved. You will pass from death to life. You will be 'born again', because it's a new beginning. You will have your sins washed away and receive the promise of eternal life. If this happens, you will naturally want to spend your life in serving the God who saved you. And you will hear something quite different at the Judgement: 'WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD.'