HAVE I SINNED, WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT, & WHAT MUST I DO ABOUT IT?
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Questions About God
a) It's easy to ask religious questions, but not so easy to find the answers. Perhaps the most fundamental religious question is, "Who can answer my religious questions?" We need someone to be our Answer, someone to satisfy our quest for religious truth.
b) Jesus the Son of God came into the world for that reason. Jesus is the Word, "the true light who enlightens every man" (John 1:9). When many of his disciples were turning their backs on Jesus, he asked his chosen twelve, "Will you also go away?" Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
2. Have I Sinned, What Is The Punishment, And What Must I Do About It?
a) Once we know there is a God, what he is like and what he wants, we realize that we may not be right with him. When we also know what happens to our soul after death, we realize we need to get things straight with God right now while we are still alive.
i) Have I sinned? Jesus made it clear in his parable of the Pharisee and the tax gatherer, that we all should recognize sin in ourselves. He tells us to humble ourselves and say, like the tax gatherer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:9-14).
ii) What is the punishment? Jesus warns us to "fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
b) We have already noted his description of hell: "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).
c) Jesus, however, has made a way of escape for us from this punishment. "I am the good Shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15).
d) Jesus was punished and crucified as a criminal although he had done no wrong. In fact he had lived a perfectly righteous life. So God accepted his death as a sacrifice for us in order that we could have forgiveness of our sins.
e) What must I do? Jesus makes plain the steps we must take:
i) "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice" (John 18:37).
ii) "Believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1).
iii) "Whoever confesses me I will also confess him" (Matthew 10:32-33).
iv) "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
v) "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).
vi) "Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
The End ...
1. Questions About Goda) It's easy to ask religious questions, but not so easy to find the answers. Perhaps the most fundamental religious question is, "Who can answer my religious questions?" We need someone to be our Answer, someone to satisfy our quest for religious truth.
b) Jesus the Son of God came into the world for that reason. Jesus is the Word, "the true light who enlightens every man" (John 1:9). When many of his disciples were turning their backs on Jesus, he asked his chosen twelve, "Will you also go away?" Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
2. Have I Sinned, What Is The Punishment, And What Must I Do About It?
a) Once we know there is a God, what he is like and what he wants, we realize that we may not be right with him. When we also know what happens to our soul after death, we realize we need to get things straight with God right now while we are still alive.
i) Have I sinned? Jesus made it clear in his parable of the Pharisee and the tax gatherer, that we all should recognize sin in ourselves. He tells us to humble ourselves and say, like the tax gatherer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:9-14).
ii) What is the punishment? Jesus warns us to "fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
b) We have already noted his description of hell: "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).
c) Jesus, however, has made a way of escape for us from this punishment. "I am the good Shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15).
d) Jesus was punished and crucified as a criminal although he had done no wrong. In fact he had lived a perfectly righteous life. So God accepted his death as a sacrifice for us in order that we could have forgiveness of our sins.
e) What must I do? Jesus makes plain the steps we must take:
i) "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice" (John 18:37).
ii) "Believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1).
iii) "Whoever confesses me I will also confess him" (Matthew 10:32-33).
iv) "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
v) "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).
vi) "Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
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