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Eternal Life (series 1, Lesson 3)

For those who reject His Creatorship anddecision is that God gives us exactly
Godship, He has ordained a place forwhat we ask for and desire: eternal
them in eternal isolation from Him. Thisseparation from Him. Because He is Holy,
eternal isolation is so intense that ithe cannot tolerate the presence of the
is referred to in the Bible as a Hell,unholy, of sin. The natural and normal
as a place of eternal torment. It willresult of the choice to sin, to refuse
still be eternal life, but it will beto accept His Creatorship and Lordship,
eternal life in seclusion from our Lordis eternal separation from Him, which is
and Maker.effectively death (Rom 6: 23).
Have you ever been alone? Really alone?Fortunately, God in His infinite mercy
You think no one cares? No one wants tohas crafted a plan, one which He set
talk? Imagine a place on this earth ofinto motion before He even created the
isolation. Imagine the prisoner of warearth, knowing what His creation would
who is put into an earthen cell, and feddo. He ordained that His own Son would
once a day. But even that prisoner, asdie to bridge the gap between God
alone as he may feel, is not trulyHimself, from whom every man chooses to
alone. Perhaps he can see the soldiersseparate, and man, the creation. By
when they come to bring his daily food.being God Himself and taking on the
Perhaps the rats and cockroaches visitnature of man, when Jesus Christ, the
him in his cell. Perhaps he hears theSon of God, was put to death, his death
tortured screams of other prisoners.was able to pay the penalty, not of His
Perhaps he converses with his God. He isown sins, because He had none, but our
not truly alone.own sins, because He was pure in His
But nevertheless, he is experiencing adeath.
type of living hell. Now imagine whatYou see, the acceptance of His death for
that same cell would be like with noour sins is the same difference as not
food, no rats, no soldiers or felloweating of the forbidden fruit (which we
prisoners, and worst yet, no God. Thathave all done, in one form or another).
is Hell.It is the same difference as paying a
You see, when God created us, He createdtithe of our property and our yearly
us for Heaven, not Hell. He created usincrease. It is the ultimate form of
to always have communion, fellowship,recognizing that God created everything,
and communication with Him. Startingincluding us, and that He gave us
with the first man and the first woman,everything we have. It is simply saying
Adam and Eve, man as a race has chosenthat I cannot, as man, do it on my own;
to 'eat of the forbidden fruit', to sin,I need a mediator, someone to stand in
or turn away from God. Everyone who hasthe gap for my rebellion, and prevent
ever lived to the age of understandingeternal isolation from the Creator of
has done it, turned away from God, andthe universe.
failed to recognize Him as God andQuestions for discussion:
Provider. Not only failed, but purposelyDescribe your view of the nature of God
tested Him to show that they are inand His redemption plan.
control of their own lives. The Book ofHave you struggled with what you
Romans tells us: "For all have sinnedperceived as God's wrathful and
and come short of the glory of God"vindictive nature?
(Rom. 3: 23).Does this lesson help you see that
Once we have sinned and rejected theeternal separation is a direct result of
promises of God, His life-giving power,our sin, not His vindictive nature?
once we eat of the forbidden fruit, soHave you sinned (rebelled against the
to speak, once we firmly establish thatCreator of the universe)?
we own our lives and our futures, weCan God, in His holiness, permit sin in
effectively tell God that we no longerHis presence?
need Him, that we can do it on our own.Have you accepted His loving plan to
And the natural and fair end of thatkeep you from eternal separation?



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