Amen my dear brothers and sister! Many do not read, and those who do often do not understand what they have read. Many believe and teach that it is the death of Jesus that saves sinners. It is true, but not in the manner which they understand. It is not the death of Jesus that transforms sinners into saints. It is His grace that saves repentant sinners. It is not when Jesus goes to sleep. It is what He did before He goes to sleep in the tomb. It is what Jesus did before He cried out "It is finished." It is the wrath of God which He endured that breaks the heart of the sinner. He was made sin for us. It is by beholding what Jesus did before He died that we need to do in order to be saved. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Jesus, especially the closing scenes where we see Him suffering to pay the price for our salvation. As our Sister Dorine has shared, we need to comprehend what we are reading today.
This was the only thing that attracted Christ's attention. Although full of suffering, while bearing the sins of the world, He was not indifferent to the expression of grief. He looked upon these women with tender compassion. They were not believers in Him; He knew that they were not lamenting Him as one sent from God, but were moved by feelings of human pity. He did not despise their sympathy, but it awakened in His heart a deeper sympathy for them. "Daughters of Jerusalem," He said, "weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." From the scene before Him, Christ looked forward to the time of Jerusalem's destruction. In that terrible scene, many of those who were now weeping for Him were to perish with their children.
From the fall of Jerusalem the thoughts of Jesus passed to a wider judgment. In the destruction of the impenitent city He saw a symbol of the final destruction to come upon the world. He said, "Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" By the green tree, Jesus represented Himself, the innocent Redeemer. God suffered His wrath against transgression to fall on His beloved Son. Jesus was to be crucified for the sins of men. What suffering, then, would the sinner bear who continued in sin? All the impenitent and unbelieving would know a sorrow and misery that language would fail to express.
Yes, what suffering will the sinner bear if he does not repent? Dying will not be enough. All unrepentant sinners will die at least twice. Why are the sinners brought up out of the grave after the thousand years? There are some who have died after murdering many. But they did not pay the price for their sins when executed. They will come forth from the grave for what reason? The Bible tells us why, but even among those who know that Satan will suffer the longest do not comprehend that the murderer will have to suffer before they die the second death just as Jesus had to suffer before He died. It was the pain He suffered that saves us. Grace that saves is knowing how much God loves us. When Jesus died all heaven rejoiced. He then rested in the tomb. It was finished before He physically died. He paid the price for our sins by how much He suffered. The sinners must pay the price for each and every sin. It is not good enough that they die. If that were true, then they need not come forth from the grave. It is true that every tongue will confess Jesus was right, but that is not the paying the price for their sins. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10.
What are the "things done in the body" that the sinner may receive? They are the sins that are bad that must be paid for. Jesus paid for those sins, but here we read that there is a judgment that will be had for the bad ones. It is not being laid to rest forever. No, justice demands that there be punishment for sins. Yes, Jesus was punished for everyone's sins. But, the unrepentant sinner did not accept this offer. Thus, the unrepentant sinner must suffer for each and every sin. "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 the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man 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 in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev 20:11-15.
Many today who ought to know better do not understand how much Jesus had to suffer because they do not understand how much the unrepentant sinners will suffer before they die their second death. It is very important that all know how much the sinners must suffer that they know how much Jesus suffered before He died.
Satan rushes into the midst of his followers and tries to stir up the multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them, and the great men, and mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are all consumed together. I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said the angel, “The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon.”
Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan bore not only the weight and punishment of his own sins, but also of the sins of the redeemed host, which had been placed upon him; and he must also suffer for the ruin of souls which he had caused. Then I saw that Satan and all the wicked host were consumed, and the justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, “Amen!”
Said the angel, “Satan is the root, his children are the branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting death. They are never to have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe.” I then looked and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked and saw the earth purified. There was not a single sign of the curse. The broken, uneven surface of the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain. God’s entire universe was clean, and the great controversy was forever ended. Wherever we looked, everything upon which the eye rested was beautiful and holy. And all the redeemed host, old and young, great and small, cast their glittering crowns at the feet of their Redeemer, and prostrated themselves in adoration before Him, and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever. The beautiful new earth, with all its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints. The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, was then given to the saints of the Most High, who were to possess it forever, even forever and ever. Early Writings, pg 294-5.
There are multitudes of pastors and their wives who will not accept the truth that Jesus does indeed destroy. God destroyed every living thing off the face of the Earth except for the eight who survived on the ark. It was not Satan who did this, he feared for his own life during the flood. Therefore, these teachers have influenced a multitude of church members that Jesus would not punish the sinner. God takes no pleasure in the suffering and death of the wicked. It is a strange act for God to punish those whom He created and loved. "For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Isaiah 28:21. Justice is just as important as is mercy in the government of God.
It is our joy to be able to correct the lie that God is going to burn sinners for ever who reject God's offer of mercy. God is fair. He is not going to burn sinners in hell for eternity. The unrepentant sinner will pay the price for each and every sin, not one jot less or more. It would not be fair to sinners today to not tell the what is in store if they do not repent. They need to know for their own good how much they will suffer and how much Jesus loves them by taking their punishment upon Himself. Let me close with a Bible truth regarding our responsibility in dealing with those we have influence with. "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 18-25.
