[Biblemat] S) "HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE...?"

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
ancient files.  Use to the glory of God.

"HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE...?"

     "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the 
things we have heard, lest we drift away.  For if the Word
spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgre-
ssion and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation..." (Heb. 2:1-3).

     The Scriptures clearly warn that if we neglect, do nothing
about, the great salvation God offers sinful man through Chri-
st we cannot escape His righteous judgment.  "For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteo-
usness" (Rom. 1:18).  "Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you 
goodness, if you continue in His goodness.  Otherwise you
also will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22).  "It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 11:31).

No Sinner Has Ever Escaped The Consequences Of Sin -- Even In This Life: -- 
Moses gave warning that is as true today
as it was then: "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:
23).  Solomon observed, "The way of the transgressor is hard" (Prov. 13:15).

     Adam and Eve, the first sinners, did not escape the conse-
quences of their disobedience.  In giving them a paradise in
which to live God intended for them to be happy, but Eve be-
lieved the lie of the serpent, ate the forbidden fruit, gave to
her husband, and he also did eat.  Their sin cost them their
paradise, and brought them under the sentence of death.

     Cain did not escape the consequences of the sin of murde-
ring his brother.  When sentence was announced, he cried,
"My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13).  A
marginal reading indicates that he came to recognize the enor-
mity of his sin, foe his lament could mean, "My iniquity is
greater than I can bear."

     Even Moses and Aaron did not escape punishment for their disobedience at 
the water of Meribah.  When God told
Moses to speak to the rock to supply water for the children
of Israel, he struck the rock with his rod.  Though water came
forth to quench the thirst of the people of Israel in that dry
land, Moses had failed to do what God told him to do.  "Then
the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not 
believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel,
therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given 
them'" (Num. 20:12).  Though they had giv-
en years of their lives in bringing the children of Israel from
the bondage of Egypt to the promised land, both died before
Israel crossed the Jordan into that land "flowing with milk and
honey."

No Sinner (Unredeemed) Will Escape The Consequences Of
Sin -- In The Life To Come, Throughout All Eternity: -- The 
rich man did not escape.  In this life while faring sumptuously
he chose to waste his opportunities to do God's Will.  After
death his situation was entirely different.  Being in torment,
he cried, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Laz-
arus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue; for I am tormented in this flame" (Lk. 15:12-31).  As
earnest as it might have been, his cry failed to bring relief.

     Judas did not escape.  He was chosen to be closely assoc-
iated with Christ, to learn the Will of God, to be an apostle,
therefore to occupy an office on earth that gave the greatest
opportunity to be a blessing to mankind, but he gave it all up
for thirty pieces of silver -- which he later threw away "and
went and hanged himself" (Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-5).  When one
was being selected to take the place of Judas as an apostle,
Peter said, "Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to
his own place" (Acts 1:25).  Christ said, "It would have been
good for that man if he had not been born" (Matt. 26:24).

     Even angels have not escaped.  "And the angels who did
not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in 
everlasting chains under darkness for the 
judgment of the great day" (Jd. 6).

     The devil himself will not escape.  "The devil, who deceiv-
ed them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where
the beast and the false prophet are.  And they will be torment-
ed day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).

There Is A Way Of Escape -- Thanks Be To A Merciful God!:--
Out of love that reaches from heaven to a world contaminat-
ed by the sins of rebellious man God has provided a way of
escape for us through His Son.  "For He made Him who knew
no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteous-
ness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).  It is as if we were imprison-
ed because of our misdeeds in a dreadful dungeon, awaiting
the coming of the executioner.  We hear footsteps.  We know
the time for justice has come.  There can be no escape.  But
there is!  The king has not sent the executioner.  He has sent
His Son to pay the penalty for our crimes, to die that we might live.  In all 
the annals of history this no doubt has never
happened in the affairs of mortal man.  It has happened in the
affairs of a loving God, Who has made available for every lost
sinner the cleansing power of the blood of His beloved Son.
(1 Pet. 1:18,19).

     The way of escape is through faith -- that destroys the
love of sin; through repentance -- that destroys the practice
of sin; through baptism -- that destroys the state of sin, that
brings one to the death of Christ, and therefore to the cleans-
ing blood of the Lamb.  "Or do you not know that as many of
us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life" (Rom. 6:3,4).

     Yes, there is a way of escape because God has provided
for us the means of "a great salvation" through the sacrifice
of His own dear Son.  Reject it, and we can be sure that our
sins will find us out both in this life and in the eternal lif to
come.   ------ W.B. Norris in Gospel Guide, Jan. 1996.   </HTML>
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