The Opportunity (7)

When sin entered mankind as an unwanted nature, God set a process in place.  We have considered this process, it is the necessity of ridding sin (and its nature) through the three legs of our template.  Once again I will state that process and its purpose.

1) The sinner (all of us) must die.

“And as it is appointed once unto man to die, but after that the judgment.”  (Hebrews 9:27)

Death is a process of separations.  The ultimate purpose of those separations is the elimination of sin… specifically, the nature of sin.  This nature is often referred to in scripture as the flesh in that it has an affinity to the body.  In death the body is destroyed and broken into its elemental parts… it is called corruption. 

2) Sin is separated from the creature at death.  Man can no longer sin in death.  The consequences of sin remains with the soul until a judgment for those sins is rendered and a sentence is pronounced.  It is here a critical issue arises.

“Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.”  (I Timothy 5:24)

At this point the salvation of God is the entire determining factor.  Some men’s sins will be dealt with before death… and judgement.  Other men’s sins will accompany them to what is called in Revelation, “the great white throne judgment seat”… the judgment of God!

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written it the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”  (Revelation 20:11-15)

A terrible judgment is waiting those, according to this passage in Revelation, whose names are not found in the book of life.  Up to this point we have seen the need for the three fold process of death for the purpose of the elimination of sin, but have not yet considered another process that, while similar in structure, renders a completely different eternal outcome.  It is the salvation process and it is the means by which names are placed in the “book of life”. 

3) The last component of the general process in place for dealing with the sin issue is the resurrection.  All people, from all ages in time, will be resurrected for the final judgment as described above.  Their judgment is not unto eternal life, but unto eternal damnation.  In the end all sin will have been eliminated and the judgement for those sins proclaimed and carried out. 

The second death is a place from which there is no redemption.  It is the logical outcome for those who refuse the second opportunity given by God for eternal life.  A second chance was given to man by Jesus through an experience He referred to as being “born again” (even the term itself speaks of a second chance). 

The first opportunity for eternal life was squandered by Adam and Eve in the Garden when they disobeyed God and the death sentence was passed upon all mankind.  The “second Adam”, Jesus came to give a second chance for humanity to have eternal life. 

“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)

The purpose of this writing is to lay out a clear cut path to that opportunity provided for by the Lord Jesus… the opportunity to get our names in the “Lamb’s Book of Life”.  May the Lord grant you understanding as I humbly attempt such a crucial responsibility.  This will be done by keeping the template in place in order that all our conclusions are not only consistent, but true.

In as much as God’s original warning and response to sin was to invoke the death, burial, and resurrection process on all humanity, and that Jesus came and fulfilled the process Himself (he died, was buried, and rose again), it is no wonder that the saving gospel is declared to be the same very legs of our template. 

“Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”   (I Corinthians 15: 1-4)
 

We find then, while all of humanity has an appointment with death and judgment, God has provided opportunity for a second chance.  It is those who appropriate that opportunity to be born again who will have their names written in the “book of life”. 

We will consider the biblical terms and concepts of the new birth, the gospel, the book of life, and salvation in the remainder of this writing.  We will gain understanding as to how perfectly all of these ideas (and others) mesh in the Word of God.  Not surprisingly, it is the template of three legs that will be the catalyst for all these things to be understood.

We will begin in a judgment setting… not the great white throne.  It is the judgment setting where sins can be separated from the sinner even before he dies.  Yet in keeping with the template, he must die a type of death.