Gospel Minute 4: Death
2024-08-19
Our sin elicits judgment from God: death. “For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23). And again, “For as in Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22). God gave commandment to the first humans, and He told them that rebelling would mean death. God originally created human beings perfect; when they rebelled, they brought death into the world. Death is an alien force in this universe. Death is a consequence of sin, and that it why we have death in this world.
But death is not the end; there is the second death. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). The lake of fire is this judgment on sin, and every sinner is there.
Furthermore, we read, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). The list includes “all liars,” where we can safely presume that whoever told a lie before will burn in the lake of fire. And the worst part is that it is forever.
But God loves us. His perfect justice demands a penalty for sin, but His love demands a pardon, which we look to next.