"Sin is the TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW." 1 John 3:4.
"Nay, I had not known sin, but by the LAW; for I had not known LUST, EXCEPT the LAW had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7.
2. What comes in consequence of sin?
"Sin, when it is finished, BRINGETH FORTH DEATH." James 1:15.
3. How many have sinned?
"For ALL have SINNED, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23.
4. How many, then, are subject to death?
"And so DEATH passed upon ALL MEN, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.
5. As the race is not responsible for Adam's sin, who saves all, irrespective of character, from its consequences?
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall ALL BE MADE ALIVE." 1 Cor. 15:22.
6. But what does God offer to those who believe in Jesus Christ?
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE." John 3:16.
7. What does He do to meet our sinful natures inherited from Adam?
"Where SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE REIGN THRU RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 5:20, 21.
8. What is our nature and hold on life by human birth?
"Children of disobedience," "children of wrath," "without Christ, . . . having NO HOPE, and without God in the world;" "ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD." Eph. 2:2, 3, 12; 4:18.
9. What, then, is absolutely necessary that we may become connected with God and life?
"Ye must be BORN FROM ABOVE," "born of water and of the Spirit." John 3:3-7, margin.
10. But what if we reject the light which comes by faith in Christ?
"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM." John 3:36.
11. What compensation will he then receive for his service in sin?
"And these shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT." Matt. 25:46.
NOTE.—Not everlasting punishing, but punishment, a completed process; literally, "everlasting cutting off" from life.
13. What is this everlasting punishment?
"When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
14. What will be the last great test of character?
"For the FIRE SHALL TRY EVERY MAN'S WORK of what sort it is." 1 Cor. 3:13.
15. How extensive shall be this fire?
"The ELEMENTS shall MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT, the earth also, and the WORKS THAT ARE THEREIN SHALL BE BURNED UP." 2 Peter 3:10.
16. What will kindle this fire?
"For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king [Satan] it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the BREATH OF THE LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." Isa. 30:33.
"Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the LORD SHALL CONSUME WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS MOUTH, and shall DESTROY with the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING." 2 Thess. 2:8. See also Jer. 4:23-26.
17. When the children of Israel had laid all their sins upon the altar in the sacrifice, how did the brightness of God's presence affect them?
"There came a FIRE OUT FROM BEFORE THE LORD, and CONSUMED upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat; which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces" (For joy in worship; see 2 Chron. 7:3). Lev. 9:24.
18. When Aaron's sons identified themselves with sin by offering strange fire before God, how did the shining forth of God's presence affect them?
"And there went out FIRE FROM THE LORD, AND DEVOURED THEM, and they died before the Lord." Lev. 10:1, 2.
19. Who only can endure the fire, the light, the glory, of God's presence?
"Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? ['Our God is a consuming fire.' Heb. 12:27; Ex. 24:17.] who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that WALKETH RIGHTEOUSLY, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high." Isa. 33:14-16.
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL." 1 John 3:8.
"That thru death He might DESTROY HIM that had the power of death, that is, THE DEVIL." Heb. 2:14.
23. What other testimony is given concerning Satan and those identified with him?
"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them NEITHER ROOT [Satan] NOR BRANCH [the wicked]." Mal. 4:1.
"Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall DEVOUR THEE, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. . . . And NEVER SHALT THOU BE ANY MORE." Eze. 28:18, 19.
NOTE.—It is impossible for us to give the many, many scriptures which deal with the end of those who reject God's plan of salvation, who refuse the remedy which would save them from death. Read Psalm 37, where the contrast is sharply drawn between the future life of God's children and the destruction of the finally impenitent. Read Obadiah 16; read Matt. 3:10-12, where the wicked are likened to chaff. And so they are likened in many scriptures to the most inflammable materials—wood, hay, stubble, chaff, tow, etc. Every seeming text against these plain, positive ones can be shown to be in harmony with them. The eternal misery of the wicked would never have been taught if men had not believed the unscriptural doctrine of the immortality of the soul.
24. What question does an apostle ask in 1 Peter 4:17?
"What shall the END be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?"
"Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed IN THE EARTH; much more the WICKED AND THE SINNER." Prov. 11:31.
27. When all sin and its effects, and all who have identified themselves with sin, have passed away, what shall be said of this earth and all places cursed by sin?
"Behold, I make ALL THINGS NEW." Rev. 21:5.7"And THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads." Rev. 22:3, 4.
28. What is God's desire concerning the wicked?
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED; but that THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WAY AND LIVE: TURN YE, TURN YE FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS; FOR WHY WILL YE DIE." Eze. 33:11.