The doctrine which teaches its adherents that the soul of man has natural immortality, had its beginning in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to listen to the specious reasoning of the serpent, instead of the plain utterances of Jehovah. After the earth had been clad in Edenic beauty The Lord gave to both of them the clearest instructions against eating or touching the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if they were to do so, they would surely die.
This first and very important instruction then meant that immortality was not something inherent in man’s nature, but was rather to be granted on condition of obedience. However, the devil, who was at this time debarred from heaven on account of the rebellion and ensuing war, by
which he was cast out, suggested otherwise to the curious mind of Eve, who bought into his fatal sophistries and thereby became his active agent in facilitating Adam’s downfall.
As Eve wandered from her husband’s side, she soon found herself gazing in wonder at the beautiful fruit, laden on the forbidden tree, and since she was alone, with no one to offer a remonstrance, the serpent seized the opportunity to tempt her into disbelieving God. The method he used is one that is often used in commercials, where the confirmation of a certain course of action is concluded as beneficial, before individuals have the opportunity to reason rationally for themselves. Hence the reason why the first word out of the serpent’s mouth is the word “YES”, a confirmation of the falsehoods which were to follow.
The Ouija board, one of the means by which human beings are directly connected to evil spirits, is so named because it consists of two words, “Oui”, the French word
meaning yes, and the German word “Ja” which also means yes, and when put together into one word mean Yes, Yes. The first word in the introduction to the false doctrine of natural immortality was therefore inserted by no coincidence, but was well structured to confirm that which was to follow. Let’s read:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The implications of those words, “Ye shall not surely die” suggest that there are no negative or adverse results for wrong-doing, a theory that has come down to our day, and one which has grown and blossomed into a plethora of philosophies and beliefs which have no scriptural basis whatsoever, and which will soon be exposed for what they really are. However, the study for this afternoon is not going to focus primarily on the issues of death and immortality, but rather on the very concept that is now espoused by millions, that there are no negative results or consequences for sin.
One of the offshoots of the concept then unveiled by satan to humanity, is the doctrine which teaches that there is no absolute truth, and therefore the standard of right and wrong is relative, varying from person to person based on their own convictions and consciences. That familiar saying, “Let conscience be your guide” is a satanic statement, for the consciences of Bernie Madoff and Bin Laden differ greatly from that of Abraham and Isaac, and therefore the fluidity that is inherent in the very concept will allow for the most gruesome and brutal of crimes, all being committed under the guise of individual conscience.
According to the Bible and all pertinent historical records, sin, as described in the Bible, always carries with it negative consequences, that are never restricted to the individual person, but rather extends to others, very much the same as when a pebble is thrown into water and the ripple effects reach the furthest shores. A person does not necessarily have to be guilty of a particular sin in order for him or her to suffer the direct or indirect consequences of someone else’s wrongdoing. This is a fundamental fact that must be taken into account when dealing with the false doctrine, “Ye shall not surely die”. Let’s read:
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Proverbs 9:18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Two young men were returning home one afternoon in their vehicle, when suddenly, without warning, a semi being driven by a drunk driver, jumped the median and hit them head on, killing both of them instantly. These teenagers had absolutely nothing to do with the truck driver’s sin of consuming large amounts of alcohol, yet they suffered the direct consequences of the man’s wrongdoing. Let’s never be deceived with satan’s fatal sophistry that sin does not come at a cost, for any and every violation of God’s law carries negative results of some kind.
When Achan sinned by stealing the goodly Babylonian garment and the shekels of gold and silver, in direct violation of the instructions given, thirty six men who had nothing to do with his crime, and who did not even know that sin was committed, suffered the direct results of his misdeeds, and by his singular act, caused several families to be bereft of husbands and fathers. There is no such thing as sin being committed and everyone or anyone getting off scotch free, this is why the Bible states the laws of cause and effect over and over again so that we will get the message. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that
it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
8:13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi”.. “took of the accursed thing.
7:4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
7:5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
7:10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
7:11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put [it] even among their own stuff.
7:12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
The reason why the study is focusing so heavily on the consequences of sin, is because in our day the same lie that was told in the garden of Eden is being repeated under different headings and is being taught in schools and universities through philosophies that draw our attention away from the true cause of many of the difficulties and dangers that are multiplying upon the earth in quick succession. And because we are not placing our fingers on the real problem, we cannot access the real solution.
Any voice which says “Ye shall not surely die”, meaning
that sin does not produce adverse effects for the guilty and innocent, is the voice of satan, and until we become convinced of this sacred truth, there will be no lasting solutions to the many problems plaguing nations and individuals. We will find ourselves spending billions and trillions of dollars, chasing an elusive, phantom enemy, that will keep on metastasizing, all because of the self-righteous tendency to justify ourselves in a sinful course of action. This sacred truth of cause and effect in the spiritual realm is written for our instruction so that all may take heed.
In the days of Haggai the prophet, the people of God were stealing the tithes and offerings that were specially designated for the work and maintenance of the sacred sanctuary, and instead of setting aside from their weekly earnings that which was due to God, they spent lavishly upon themselves, with no thought for the cause of truth. This practice is described in the Bible as being robbery, the equivalent of sticking up God in broad daylight, and the sure results followed, because wherever any sin is committed, adverse effects are sure to follow. Let’s read:
Haggai 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages [to put it] into a bag with holes.
And just as it is with individuals, so it is with nations, for the principle does not change from country to country, nor does it respect persons of high or low degree. The words, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” are still valid and will remain as such until probation closes. Belshazzar found this out the hard way, but by the time he realized what was going on, it was too late, for he had crossed the threshold of God’s mercy, and had entered the sphere of judgment, from which there would be no escape.
After knowing what his father had passed through, and the forbearance of God towards the king’s folly, the
son, who had the sacred history before him took the same route, and went even further by making a mockery of God, and the sacred institutions he had established for His worship. And it was while he was in the heat of the moment, celebrating the so-called victory of sin over righteousness, that a bloodless hand was sent from God, writing out the doom of the entire nation, for God is no respecter of persons. Let’s read:
Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
5:2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
5:3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
5:4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
5:6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
5:7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
5:8 Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
5:9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were
astonied.
This sudden interference from heaven brought the party to a premature halt. The DJ stopped playing, and the bartenders stopped pouring, the clowns stopped joking, and the guests stopped speaking. All was now an eerie silence with the omens of some unknown, impending judgment hanging in the air. It was in this paralyzed state of consternation that the prophet Daniel was sent for, to give what was to be the final explanation to the nation that once dazzled its admirers. And since history is soon to be repeated, the God of heaven bids us take heed to Daniel’s speech, from this point forward. Let’s read:
Daniel 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spake and said unto Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, which [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
5:14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
5:18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
5:21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
5:23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
5:24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
5:25 And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
5:26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.
In our day a million and one different reasons are being given for the apparent capricious outbreaks of nature, and the many disturbance that keep arising in different parts of the earth. And just as it was in the garden of Eden, satan has deceived millions into believing that the sacred institutions of God can be trampled upon and violated with impunity, and so the same cryptic words are being repeated, “Ye shall not surely die”. Science has also jumped on the same bandwagon in many instances, chalking it all up to green house gases, climate change and global warming.
Now while it is true to some extent that these are also
contributing factors, the fact remains that the basic problem of high handed sin lies at the core of most of our troubles, and will escalate until there is no remedy. The only solution that will bring positive changes for the better is Christ, but until we acknowledge what the problem is, the remedy provided will be of no avail.
In other words, if we keep seeking scientific explanations for a spiritual problem, then the solution which is right at our doorsteps won’t be of any use, and thus the laws of cause and effect will be permitted to run their natural course. This will then result in unprecedented natural and manmade disasters, which will increase both in cost and severity until an explanation of the writing on the wall is given.
The bloodless hand that wrote on the banquet hall of Belshazzar is soon to write again on the walls of modern Babylon, hence the reason why the following verses of scripture should be studied very carefully, for they contain the answers and methods necessary to avert the
evils that are now being determined. Let’s read:
Jonah 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh”…
3:4 “And he cried, and said”…. “Nineveh shall be overthrown.
3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
3:6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
3:7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
7:15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer [that is made] in this place.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying.
God bless!