• Be not Deceived; God is NOT Mocked – All sin carries with it the punishment of eternal death, as we see from Jam 1:14–15: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”. The child of God fully comprehends the ominous warning of Gal 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Everything in the Scriptures shows us that God is not to be trifled with or lightly esteemed, as we understand from a passage like Mat 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him [God] which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. The Judgement of God against Sin is Second Death, Eternal Damnation in Hell. Remember, Heb 10:31 admonishes, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. By nature none of us have this fear of God as we have previously learned from other verses, such as Isa 29:13: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men”. This is a similar statement to what we find in Mat 15:9 where the Lord Jesus declares, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”. Genuine fear of God – like genuine worship of God – must be done according to God’s Word “in spirit and in truth”. The Bible is replete with examples that warn of us of this fact. Consider the testimony of Him, Who as the Judge of all the earth, is soon to appear to both try and condemn all who have not been clothed with His glorious righteousness. Deu 10:17 declares God as the supremely righteous Ruler and highlights God’s perfect holiness in meting out His justice and righteousness: “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward”. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and the “rod of iron” in Rev 19:15–16 indicates His judgment upon the unsaved of the world.

Rev 19:11–17 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he [Lord Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

• How shall we Escape, if we Neglect so Great Salvation – In Rom 8:13 we find these words, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. From even a casual reading of the Bible, we are brought face to face with not only our innate weaknesses and inadequacies but, more importantly, with our sins that are sending us pell-mell to eternal damnation. This is the accurately painful description that Eph 2:3 paints: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. The word “conversation” means “lifestyle”. What is the lifestyle of someone who has not been saved? Gal 5:19–21 itemizes the works of the flesh and warns: “… that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. Even if a person were to refrain from committing these particular sins outwardly, they would still remain guilty for having committed these in their minds. Thus, we are introduced to the principle of sowing and reaping. This principle is inherently active in the life of any person. They will either be sowing and reaping “to the flesh”, or they will be doing the same “to the spirit”. The outcome is also spelled out in Gal 6:8, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Rom 7:5 explains, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”. To be “in the flesh” signifies that we are not saved; however, to be “in the spirit” is language that refers to somebody that has become a child of God. In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. Wonderfully, today is still the day of salvation: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured [helped] thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). Isa 55:6–7 admonishes “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”. The Bible is crystal-clear: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”, as we are reminded of in Rom 6:23. In other words, the payment for our sin is eternal damnation under the white-hot anger of a Holy and Righteous God that demands absolute perfection from each of His rebellious subjects. That is why the Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness, and by the same token, much to say about God’s love – “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” – the only solution to our sin problem. In Heb 2:3 we find this awesome question: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?”. This verse is even more frightening when we compare it with other statements regarding the holiness and justice of God, Who is under divine mandate to punish all sin to the full extent of the law. The Bible informs us that we cannot serve two masters. Rom 6:16 says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”. Luke 21:36 exhorts the follower of Christ to watch and pray, watch for judgement day and pray for mercy.

Gal 5:19–21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Rom 1:32 “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Gen 7:4, 24 “4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. 24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;”

2 Pet 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

• When they shall say, Peace and Safety; then sudden Destruction cometh upon them – Because mankind hates God and His clear teachings in the Bible about salvation by His sovereign choice and work, man vainly invents numerous “man-centered gospels” or “works gospels” that are more acceptable to his proud nature, pleasing to his puny mind and gives control to man. 2 Tim 3:8 reminds us: “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these [unsaved men] also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith”. In Pro 30:12 one discovers, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness”. People who are trusting in their own works are “pure in their own eyes”, but are “filthy” in God’s eyes. Psa 106:39 explains that our so-called “good works” serve to defile us: “Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions”. Sadly, we are currently living in the “Great Tribulation” period, which is a time of unparalleled spiritual deception (Mat 24:21, 24). Unfortunately, in this deadly spiritual environment, a false sense of security or “peace” is fostered by many in the religious media and within all churches and denominations worldwide. Consider the fearful warning in the following passages: 1 The 5:2–3 states, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape”. Jer 23:17 warns, “They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you”. In the book of Jeremiah, God uses language to indicate or typify that the judgment in view is against the end-time, apostate institutional churches and congregations, who have put themselves over the authority of the Bible and not only allowing the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, but teaching sin is no more sin. Zep 1:14–18 warns of that soon-coming judgement day and is particularly directed to those within the institutional churches and congregations of the world. 1 Pet 4:17 affirms, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”. For many – who do not possess the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior will hear the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge – that will be a day of unspeakable terror and eternal foreboding as they hear with resounding clarity and trembling anticipation the solemn pronouncement from the Judge of all the earth as stated in Mat 7:23: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Jer 23:11–14 “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. 12Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein 13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel [typifying the elect] to err. 14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.”

Zep 1:14–18 “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. 17And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.