The Consequences Of Rejecting Christ

Tom:

In our on going review of the gospel, we noted last week that while there are wondrous blessings connected with the salvation which Christ alone provides, there are both conditions and consequences.John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All..., 3:18, 3:36 tell us that those who will not believe in Jesus will

perish, are condemned already, will not see life and will suffer the wrath of God.Jesus himself gives many descriptions of the consequences of rejecting God’s salvation. Being cast into outer darkness, into a fiery furnace, a lake of fire, an everlasting fire where there will be weeping, gnashing of teeth unto everlasting destruction.Now those are not teachings of Jesus that are promoted in many Christian circles today.But they are indeed his teachings. Dave, they hardly indicate that God is going to unconditionally accept everyone into heaven.

Nevertheless, the Scriptures tell us that it is His desire that all receive His salvation.

Dave:

Tom it is so amazing that God loves us and you mentioned John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All....You were giving the perishing side of it, but John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All... begins as most everyone listening probably knows—that’s the first verse you learn in Sunday school.For God so loved the world and it’s because of God’s love that Christ died and it’s because of God’s love that He wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth and He’s not willing that any should perish.So we have to keep emphasizing that—

Tom:

Dave there are so many scriptures that reveal God’s heart.Isaiah:45:22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
See All... “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else.”Ezekiel:18:23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
See All... “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

Dave:

So we need to emphasis that salvation has been provided by God.This is not the impersonal law of karma that turns you into a bug or something, you know.This is the God who created us.We rebelled against Him and nevertheless He still loved us—still loves us.So God himself through the virgin birth became a man, came to this earth where, suffered, was hated, mocked, persecuted, nailed to a cross, and He did it for us in our place, not only did He take our hatred and mistreatment and mocking—and you know sometimes Tom, I think the mocking would be the hardest thing to take, you know if you were mocked, you are accused, falsely accused and you know you are not guilty of it—to not speak out?In defense—

Tom:

Dave, this is the Creator of the Universe—I mean we can’t even fathom—

Dave:

Right, and He could have wiped us out and yet He takes all these false accusations because He took our place!And we deserved it.But then He takes the judgment that His own infinite judgment required against sin.What that is Tom, I can’t even imagine.We would suffer for eternity separated from Him because God’s justice is infinite the penalty must also be infinite.Christ took that infinite penalty, the horror of it and now we are forgiven if we will accept His forgiveness.And yet if we don’t the consequences are very serious.That is why He suffered because He the consequences are serious and those who refused to accept His suffering in their place will have to endure that forever.Tom, I can’t fathom why anyone would reject Christ.Is it pride?We don’t want to admit that we are sinners?We don’t want to admit that He took our place?He had to accept the judgment of God that we deserve?We don’t want to accept the free gift from God?We want to do something?We don’t want to be indebted to Him?Or we want to show that we can live up to—you know, often I think Tom that our repentance even of our sins is not genuine repentance.We get on our knees and let’s say that I got angry with my wife and said something that I shouldn’t have said which by the grace of God, never happens.I mean I couldn’t even remember when it happened, but let’s say that I did that.I get on my knees and I say “Oh God I am sorry, I blew up and I said some things that I shouldn’t have said—that’s not repentance Tom.I wouldn’t have said that had I not been disobedient and rebellious in my heart. If I had been walking with the Lord; if Christi had really been my life, my love, my joy and living His life through me as He is supposed to, I wouldn’t have blown up at my wife and said these bad things.So, but I haven’t confessed that.In other words, I hope people are understanding what I am trying to say.I’ve confessed the symptoms, I haven’t confessed the disease.Basically what I’ve said [is] oh God I blew it, but give me another chance and I’ll show you that I am not really so bad, I’ll do better next time.No, I need to confess Lord I have turned away from you and self was on the throne and I was living for self in control of my life and I have forgotten you and your love and grace and you are not really living through me as you should be because I had taken the throne of my life and was living for self.That’s what I need to confess; instead I confess the symptoms, but anyway—

Tom:

For those out there that so that they don’t misunderstand— we are talking about our relationship with Christ, walking in obedience to Him, to do His will and His pleasure, not for—

Dave:

These are Christians—

Tom:

Right, not for salvation, not confessing sins, thinking that the slate is going to be wiped clean and then I am going to be able to get into heaven.This is not what we are talking about.

Dave:

And as far as confessing sins for salvation, I don’t even know—When I come to Christ, how old am I?—15, 30, 45, 60 you know, different people come—I couldn’t even remember every sin that I’ve committed.Christ has paid the penalty for my sins.Forgetting those things that are behind, reaching forth unto that which is before.I’ve become a new creature in Christ Jesus and my past whatever it is and my future sins whatever they may be as well, by God’s grace.As Paul says “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?Oh well now I can live any way that I want to because now I am saved and it’s all covered by the blood of Jesus.He’s paid the penalty for it so I can just do whatever I want—.That is not what the Bible teaches and it is not the attitude of someone who has truly been born again.But we do fall into sin, so—we don’t have to—so John writes in 1 John 2—“These things write I unto you that you sin not and if (not when) if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous.He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.So for those who have not come to Christ He is the propitiation that is the satisfaction of God’s justice for everything that they have ever done or will ever do, but He also for the Christian—it’s wonderful to know—that if I fall into sin—it doesn’t limit it, it doesn’t say—whatever it is that only up to a certain degree of sin or certain amount and so forth, if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.This is the God of love, the God who doesn’t want anyone to perish.Tom I often think I don’t tell God often enough “Lord, I love you.”Tell Jesus, Lord Jesus I love you.Thank you for dying for my sins.We need to be doing that more frequently, all day long and that in itself will keep us from straying away from Him.

Tom:

For someone you love, I mean really love them to do something that displeases them, well if your heart is there, it is very difficult in the face of that to reject that person if you say you love them.

Dave:

If I can just quickly in a few seconds tell you:Ruth and I (you know my dear wife Ruth), we met at UCLA and we’ve been married for 50 years coming up here soon.I remember when we were engaged I remember one night I was visiting her where she was staying and there was a wall between us.I didn’t know—something was wrong!How had I offended her? I mean she’s getting weepy and I don’t know what I did wrong.Finally, it come out that it is her birthday and I had not given her a birthday card even.Well in our family we didn’t pay much attention to birthdays and I don’t even know if I knew it was her birthday, but I can tell you—this was at UCLA—(you know it) and up in the hills there, I broke all records running into Westwood Village to get a birthday card and a birthday gift for her.I ran on the wings of love because I loved her and I didn’t want to offend her and that’s what you are trying to say.If we really love the Lord and we are walking in that love relationship with Him it would be pretty hard for us to do something that would displease Him.