Discover Four Simple Laws ...and solve life's greatest mystery
LAW 1: GOD IS HOLY AND JUST
In civil law, a good judge must punish crime. If he turns a blind eye to injustice, then he is corrupt and he himself should be punished.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne mercy and truth go before your face" (Psalm 89:14).
In one ten year period in the United States, 63,000 murderers were never brought to justice. These were unsolved crimes. If God turns a blind eye to those murderers, then He is corrupt by nature. It makes sense that if He is good and just, He should be angry with those who have taken the lives of others, and He should punish murderers, rapists, etc.
This is the teaching of the Bible—that God will "by no means clear the guilty." He "will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil," "God is angry with the wicked every day."
LAW 2: THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH
"...sin is transgression of the Law" (1 John 3:4)
Let's look briefly at the Ten Commandments, and see if we have kept God's Law:
You shall have no other gods before Me
You shall not make for yourself a graven image
You shall not take God's name in vain
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not lie
You shall not covet
Before we say we have obeyed the Commandments, this is what someone would be like if he kept the Law—he will always love God with "all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength," and love his neighbor as much as he has loved himself. He has never made a god to suit himself (either with his hands or in his mind). He has always given God's name reverence, kept the Sabbath holy, honored his parents implicitly, and never once has he been "angry without cause." He has never hated anyone, had lust in his heart, or had illicit sex. He has never stolen even a paper clip or ball point pen, or told as much as a "white" lie, and not once desired anything that belongs to someone else. He is, and always has been "pure in heart," perfect in thought, word, and deed.
The truth is, we are not like that. We have all "sinned" many times, and therefore we have stored up God's wrath, which will be revealed on Judgment Day. The proof that we have sinned will be our death, and after death we must face God in judgment. Think of it—if He has seen our every thought, word, and deed, and if He is going to bring all our sins out as evidence of our guilt on the Day of Judgment, we will all be found to be guilty. Our conscience has shown us right from wrong we will be without excuse. God will give us justice, and Hell will be the place of our eternal punishment. "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed neither hid, that shall not be known."
LAW 3: GOD IS RICH IN MERCY TO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us..." (Ephesians 2:4).
A youth once borrowed a fast car, and in a drunken stupor, sped through his home town at 120 m.p.h. Since everything was horse-drawn in his country town, there was no laws against speeding. So the council passed a law saying that 60 m.p.h. was the maximum speed, and that any transgressors would be fined $100 for every m.p.h. over the speed limit.
On his way back through the town, the speedster decided to pull the same prank. He was apprehended, tried, and found guilty by his father, who was the town's only judge. He was fined $6,000, and because he had no money and no words of defense, the youth was led off to prison.
As he sat in despair in prison, his father appeared at the door, and told him that he had sold all is own prized possessions and paid the fine for him. The son couldn't believe that he loved him that much. They embraced as they never had before, and walked off in a new-found relationship, bounded together with love.
That's a picture of what God did for us through the Gospel.
We have all broken the Law a multitude of times, but God came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, and paid the fine for us—"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord."
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
Jesus satisfied Eternal Justice, then rose from the dead, so that God can grant us eternal life. But just as we cannot earn a gift, so we cannot earn eternal life by our good works—"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast."
LAW 4: ETERNAL LIFE IS IN JESUS CHRIST
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