(Romans 3:23-25) # 2
Verse 23 teaches that, ALL PEOPLE ARE SINNERS: and SIN SEPERATES US FROM GOD, making man wrath-worthy, or deserving of God’s anger, in the lake of fire. What is &Where is this lake of fire? The lake of fire was originally prepared by God for the rebellious devil (Lucifer) & his angels (Matt. 25:41). Because of Satan’s formulation & implementing his plan of evil, (leading the rebellion against God in heaven), God created the lake of fire as the place of torment where Satan and his evil angels would be sentenced for eternity. The Lake of fire, or hell, Is a very real place folks! After the CBOC is raptured, God will resume His dealings with the NOI.
In Rev.20:12-15; we find the revelation of Jesus Christ to apostle John. God sent an angel to John to reveal to the believers, the things which must come to pass shortly: (in the future). In this vision, John saw the Great White Throne of Judgment: And God showed John who would attend the Great White Throne Judgment: READ:
12. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the (66) books (Genesis-Revelation) were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the (66) books, according to their works (that is, everything they had done while on earth) cf. Rom. 2:5-6. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev. 21:8. “But the fearful, and all unbelieving, and the abominable (evil), and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers (fortune tellers), and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
The Bible speaks of 2 judgments: (1) The Great White Throne Judgment” of Revelations, the “everlasting fire,” the lake of fire, hell. The judgment for: the LOST = (ALL UNBELIEVERS), (2) The Judgment Seat of Christ” for (ALL BELIEVERS)in “the death, burial & resurrection of J.C. (Rom. 14:10): “for we (believers) shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:10): “For we (believers) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he had done, whether it be good or bad. The purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ is to reward believers for their faithfulness to Christ.
These TWO judgments have NOT happened yet. But you WON’T miss them both! Your going to be at the Great White Throne Judgment, the lake of everlasting fire, because you rejected Christ as your Savior, OR your going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and be rewarded with eternal life in the heavenly places with God, It’s YOUR CHOICE:
That is why Romans 3:23 says: “For ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God (righteous standard).”
David said in Psalm 51: A man that is born of a woman “is shaped in iniquity (wickedness); and in sin did my mother conceive me. (We were born in sin; we came here sinning). AND WHY IS THAT PREACHER?
Romans 5:12: tells us why? “Wherefore, as by one man (the first man ADAM) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Gen. 2:16-17; We see God gave Adam very CLEAR, & DIRECT instructions, “Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall SURELY DIE.” Satan then beguiled, deceived, tricked Eve, Adam’s wife into eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and EVE gave her husband Adam the fruit to eat, and their eyes became open, and they knew they were naked, & they knew good and evil. And that was the very first sin of disobedience to sound doctrine, and God drove them out of the garden and man began to experience the curse of death. That’s how we got here today folks! That is why WE DIE, that is why BABIES DIE, because of the CURSE OF SIN.
BUT WHAT IS SIN? SIN is every action, attitude, thought, & word that violates or fails to achieve God’s holy standard of righteousness. SIN includes lying, stealing, swearing & taking God’s name in vain. It also includes being unholy, unmerciful, unrighteous, unthankful, not seeking God, no fear of God, not loving God with ALL your HEART, SOUL, and MIND.
- YES, WE ALL HAVE SINNED! *WE ALL have character defects & we sin in our conduct. (Cf. Rom. 3:10-12); “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” *WE ALL demand our own way. (cf. Isa. 53:6); “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way;” *WE ALL have been rebellious, disobedient to God’s will. (SEE. Rom. 1:20-23); “For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that men are without excuse: 21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
B. My friends, Man knows there is a God, because God created man (put His DNA (His very ESSENCE in man’s conscience). “God formed man out of the dust of the ground, & breathed in man’s nostrils the breath of life, & man became a living soul.”(Gen. 2:7) “THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART THERE IS NO GOD.” Vs 20. Man knows from the creation of the world, the things that are clearly seen (moon, stars, sun. every living & creeping thing), that there is eternal power & Godhead; so that man is without excuse.” WE ALL are driven by selfishness to do the wrong thing (unrighteousness). (cf. Rom 1:28-32) “And even as they did not like to retain (keep) God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate (corrupt, depraved, perverted) mind to do those things which are not convenient (proper).”Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, malice, envy, murder, deceit, backbiters, haters of God, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable (hardheaded)…..32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such sins are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (they tolerate & approve the sin, men are complicit, even making laws to tolerate & approve sin. God’s word says: you’re just getting by, but you won’t get away from the judgment of God. It’s coming up again! BUT YOU STILL HAVE A CHOICE!
WHAT DOES SIN EARN? (Rom. 6:23 says) “The wages (payment) of sin is death…ALL sinners will perish (be destroyed).” (Death means separation). a. SIN earns PHYSICAL DEATH. (Rom. 5:12) “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” = Separation of soul & body! (Heb. 9:27) “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” . b. SIN earns SPIRITUAL DEATH. (Eph. 2:1-3) “And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses & sins.” = SIN Separates our spirit from God’s Spirit! c. SIN earns the SECOND DEATH. (Rev. 20:14; 21:8). THE LAKE OF FIRE/HELL: Separation from God in eternal torment.
- Rom. 2:8-9: “But unto them that are contentious (argumentative, confrontational), and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10. “But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
- 11.” For there is no respect of persons with God.
- HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS FOLKS, THERE IS A SOLUTION, A WAY OF ESCAPE FROM THE WRATH TO COME: THE LAKE OF FIRE
- GOD LOVES YOU & CHRIST DIED FOR YOUR SINS!
- CALVARY’S CROSS IS GOD’S ONLY SOLUTION FOR MAN’S SINS: JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR YOUR SINS & MINE!
- Yes, it is true, we ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
- (Rom. 3:24) “Being justified (declared righteous) freely by his grace through the redemption (deliverance) that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:25) Because you have put your faith in his blood (God now declares you righteous & your sins past, present, future are forgiven, through the patience of God.
- Rom. 5:6 “for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 8. But God commended (demonstrated) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS? (Eph. 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved, through faith (in his blood): and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (No matter what you have done. Everything that is wrong with you & I was FORGIVEN BY THE CROSS): Listen to Paul:
(1 Cor. 15:3-4) “The gospel which I preached unto you, by which you are saved, if you keep in (your) memory what I preached unto you,…. how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
- ETERNAL LIFE IS A FREE GIFT: “ the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE through JC our Lord.” “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness (Satan), and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:13-14).
*TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION: You may be sick, may be in jail, on drugs, hopeles THE MOMENT YOU BELIEVE IN CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK BY THE CROSS, HIS (DEATH, BURIAL, & RESURRECTION) YOU CAN BE SAVED FROM THE WRATH TO COME, THE LAKE OF FIRE, & ALL YOUR SINS FORGIVEN. WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, YOU CAN NOW KNOW, YOU HAVE JUST PASSED FROM SPIRTUAL DEATH, UNTO ETERNAL LIFE! GOD IS CALLING YOU TODAY, BY THE CROSS. IF YOU ANSWERED: “YES, I BELIEVE in DEATH, BURIAL, RESURREECTION OF J.C. :
Ephesians 1:11-14. MOMENT, you have been baptized (NOT BY WATER, BUT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT) & SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise, into the church, the body of Christ (you can never be lost) which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the day of redemption of the purchase possession, unto the praise of his glory.
1 Thess. 5:9-11: “TODAY, YOU HAVE THE BLESSED ASSURANCE: (9)“For God hath NOT appointed YOU to wrath (the lake of fire), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for YOU), that, whether YOU wake or sleep, WE should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together; and edify one another, even as also you do.”
Now that YOU are SAVED, join a Grace Bible study group, or a Grace local assembly who practice: 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” GET IN THE BOOK!
If you have any questions: My name is Brother Colman, colmangilliland5@gmail.com
MARANATHA: “The Lord Cometh.” Romans 13:8-14
Colman J. Gilliland 