“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:18 ESV
God’s wrath corresponds with God’s love. It works through His justice against those who reject Him and suppress His Truth.
God’s wrath corresponds with God’s love. It works through His justice against those who reject Him and suppress His Truth. Those who are suppressors and perverters of the Truth are those who orchestrate their narrative to fit their own agenda. This, in turn, results in them perishing. They will be numbered amongst the liars and deceivers of the day. Even if their falsity did not lead those astray around them, it will lead themselves into the dark abyss that swallows up those who are proud, conceited, lustful, lying, wicked men.
Those who do not want to bend their knee to God shall stand alone in Hell in the afterlife.
God’s wrath is upon the ungodly and unrighteous. Those who do not want to bend their knee to God shall stand alone in Hell in the afterlife. They will be those who will shout in rage and anger, though they alone are to blame. There is no hope for those who despise the Truth and want to live in deception by either creating their own truth or living a lie. For it is those who live the lie who will soon die. Those who pervert God’s Truth shall be more than reproved. They will be those who will be subjects of the wrath of God for an eternity.
Hell was made for the Devil and his angels, but those who go in the way of demons shall suffer the same fate.
We know from Scripture that God did not make Hell for man. ““Then (God) will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’”” (Matthew 25:41 ESV). Hell was made for the Devil and his angels, but those who go in the way of demons shall suffer the same fate. God gives us libertarian freewill and the ability to choose otherwise. We choose to do good or evil. We choose to do right or wrong. We choose to glorify God or sin against God. We choose to love God or to hate God. We choose to worship God or worship false gods and ourselves.
Without freedom of the will, we would cease from being moral agents with moral responsibility to do what is morally right. Without freewill, we would not be responsible for the evil and sin that we do. Freewill is entirely coherent with Scripture and current neuroscience.
Without freedom of the will, we would cease from being moral agents with moral responsibility to do what is morally right. Without freewill, we would not be responsible for the evil and sin that we do. Freewill is entirely coherent with Scripture and current neuroscience. For we know from James 1:13 (ESV): “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV).
Whatever we choose to live and die for in this life, will determine our destiny for all eternity. The fate of our lives initially lies within the decisions we make about God and His Word.
Whatever we choose to live and die for in this life, will determine our destiny for all eternity. The fate of our lives initially lies within the decisions we make about God and His Word. Then, based upon those decisions, God enacts His justice, love, and wrath. We know from Scripture that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV). Yet, many believe they are not in need of repenting. They continue throughout their life, building a facade of pursuits, self-motives, and self-gain. There is no desire to live for God and to walk according to His Word. Rather, many would want to live their own way and, in return, suffer calamities and consequences that could have otherwise been prevented.
God makes commands not as a hard taskmaster, but as a Protector.
For God makes commands not as a hard taskmaster, but as a Protector. He desires to see us enter into the fullness of His Presence and joy. He desires that we would abide in Him and receive spiritual abundance. We can have a blessed life not in material things, but in spiritual matters. Not for self-gain, but for growing in the Love and Wisdom of Him Who sent His Son to die for our sins. Whoever believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and repents of their sins can enter into this newness of life. Only by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Those who pervert God’s Truth know nothing of freedom. Their freedom to sin may appear as freedom. Their freedom to create themselves as their own image and worship themselves may appear noble. Even the desire to live in the good works that they do may be deemed admirable. Sadly, this freedom is nothing but a disguise from the internal erosion taking place.
To think one can freely sin is to be shackled and enslaved by the unending chambers of Hell. To live in sin is to not know Him Who created the Heavens and the earth. To see oneself as a sort of godlike figure is to indulge in pride and narcissism to the tenth degree.
For to think one can freely sin is to be shackled and enslaved by the unending chambers of Hell. To live in sin is to not know Him Who created the Heavens and the earth. To see oneself as a sort of godlike figure is to indulge in pride and narcissism to the tenth degree. To pervert God’s truth and say, “This is not what it means. We don’t need to live by that Old Book anymore. We can create our own life and realm of truth”, is to cast one’s own anchor into the Lake of Fire. To drown in the depths of the fiery flames for all eternity and drift further and further from God’s Presence is entirely the result of one’s own doing.
God ultimately sends people into the Lake of Fire because people initially send themselves by rejecting everything that has to do with God, His speaking, His encouragement, His conviction, and His love. God does everything on His own end to call and save people. Man alone is responsible for sending himself to Hell and is the one to blame.
God ultimately sends people into the Lake of Fire because people initially send themselves by rejecting everything that has to do with God, His speaking, His encouragement, His conviction, and His love. God does everything on His own end to call and save people. Man alone is responsible for sending himself to Hell and is the one to blame.
For “Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes” (Ecclesiastes 7:29 NKJV). We know that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV). What lies within the heart? An ending realm of deception, vileness, and sin. We do not know the depths of our depravity because very few of us take time to see what dwells within. Though many of us fail to realize our need of being saved, God is not taken back nor surprised. ““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NKJV).
Those who suppress and pervert God’s truth shall receive the consequences of that which they have created for themselves.
Those who suppress and pervert God’s truth shall receive the consequences of that which they have created for themselves. “But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:8 ESV). God will not hold back that which demands justice. God is not some violent deity in the sky waiting to bring about vengeance. No, all throughout Scripture we see that He desires mercy, not wrath.
God is not some violent deity in the sky waiting to bring about vengeance. All throughout Scripture we see that He desires mercy, not wrath.
In the midst of perverted generations who worshiped manmade images and idols, God would send prophet after prophet to command a people and a nation to repent and turn to Him. This would occur decade after decade and even century after century. Yet, despite God’s efforts, man continued to despise God. They indulged in their lusts. “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16 NKJV).
Many are Christian in name only.
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-30 NKJV). Many false teachers, false prophets, and false converts have risen up. They are those who claim the name of Christ but fail to acknowledge His teachings. They are those who admire Christ, but do not accept Him as both Lord and Savior. For many are Christian in name only. Their unwillingness to truly dive into the faith will be their demise.
What a frightening end will be for false prophets, false teachers, and man-made religions who refused the One True God of the Holy Scriptures. Theirs will be swift destruction as they are cast into Hell along with their abominable doctrines. For anyone who contradicts God and His Word are children of darkness. They do not know the One True God of the One True Word.
““And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”” (John 8:32 ESV). Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Only by Him and through Him can we come to know the Heavenly Father. Only by Him can we be saved from sin, Hell, and damnation and enter into God’s original, intended plan for man - to be His children throughout all Eternity.
Good-works do not equal a good person.
May we forsake our own intellect and our striving in the flesh to work up something that cannot be earned. May we take time to truly understand that we are not good, internally. For good-works do not equal a good person. For just as “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor” (Ecclesiastes 10:1 NKJV). Likewise is it with sin.
We may do many good works, but if we are living in “our own truth” (which is no truth at all) and continually sin before a Holy God, we are guilty of eternal punishment. To even deem that we can create a fake realm of “truth” that makes us our own god, will result in catastrophic proportions beyond saving and healing.
May God convict man of their sin. May God bring down those who pervert the truth and act as a stumbling block to the genuine seeker. For “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV). Just “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes”” (Romans 3:10-18 NKJV).
As Paul, “I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27 NKJV).
May we accept the full Truth now, lest we spend an eternity wondering why we were too weak to both acknowledge and receive the conviction and reproof of God.
May we accept the full Truth now, lest we spend an eternity wondering why we were too weak to both acknowledge and receive the conviction and reproof of God.
PRAYER
O Holy God of the spoken, True Word, may deception never take root within us. God, we repent of our sin and desire to be children of the Light who do not suppress the Truth, as the children of darkness do. Rather, we desire to be found righteous and covered by the Blood. We want to be known as having accepted Your Truth, no matter the conviction or chastisement that It or You may bring. For although Truth is convicting, it is liberating. To be set free from the chains of sin and evil and welcomed into Your Presence is the greatest gift. O God, may You be glorified through us as You continue to change us from within. We are no longer slaves to fear or given to lies, but as born again believers we are filled with Your Holy Spirit. We submit our will to You, Lord God. We bend our knee to You, the Immutable Truth. Reveal to us what is real, noble, upright, and just. Guide us by Your Word and Wisdom, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine