Eternal Life (series 1, Lesson 3)

For those who reject His Creatorship andeternal separation from Him. Because He is Holy,
Godship, He has ordained a place for them inhe cannot tolerate the presence of the unholy, of
eternal isolation from Him. This eternal isolation issin. The natural and normal result of the choice to
so intense that it is referred to in the Bible as asin, to refuse to accept His Creatorship and
Hell, as a place of eternal torment. It will still beLordship, is eternal separation from Him, which is
eternal life, but it will be eternal life in seclusioneffectively death (Rom 6: 23).
from our Lord and Maker.Fortunately, God in His infinite mercy has crafted
Have you ever been alone? Really alone? Youa plan, one which He set into motion before He
think no one cares? No one wants to talk?even created the earth, knowing what His
Imagine a place on this earth of isolation. Imaginecreation would do. He ordained that His own Son
the prisoner of war who is put into an earthenwould die to bridge the gap between God Himself,
cell, and fed once a day. But even that prisoner,from whom every man chooses to separate, and
as alone as he may feel, is not truly alone.man, the creation. By being God Himself and
Perhaps he can see the soldiers when they cometaking on the nature of man, when Jesus Christ,
to bring his daily food. Perhaps the rats andthe Son of God, was put to death, his death was
cockroaches visit him in his cell. Perhaps he hearsable to pay the penalty, not of His own sins,
the tortured screams of other prisoners. Perhapsbecause He had none, but our own sins, because
he converses with his God. He is not truly alone.He was pure in His death.
But nevertheless, he is experiencing a type ofYou see, the acceptance of His death for our sins
living hell. Now imagine what that same cell wouldis the same difference as not eating of the
be like with no food, no rats, no soldiers or fellowforbidden fruit (which we have all done, in one
prisoners, and worst yet, no God. That is Hell.form or another). It is the same difference as
You see, when God created us, He created uspaying a tithe of our property and our yearly
for Heaven, not Hell. He created us to alwaysincrease. It is the ultimate form of recognizing
have communion, fellowship, and communicationthat God created everything, including us, and that
with Him. Starting with the first man and the firstHe gave us everything we have. It is simply
woman, Adam and Eve, man as a race hassaying that I cannot, as man, do it on my own; I
chosen to 'eat of the forbidden fruit', to sin, orneed a mediator, someone to stand in the gap
turn away from God. Everyone who has everfor my rebellion, and prevent eternal isolation
lived to the age of understanding has done it,from the Creator of the universe.
turned away from God, and failed to recognizeQuestions for discussion:
Him as God and Provider. Not only failed, butDescribe your view of the nature of God and His
purposely tested Him to show that they are inredemption plan.
control of their own lives. The Book of RomansHave you struggled with what you perceived as
tells us: "For all have sinned and come short ofGod's wrathful and vindictive nature?
the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23).Does this lesson help you see that eternal
Once we have sinned and rejected the promisesseparation is a direct result of our sin, not His
of God, His life-giving power, once we eat of thevindictive nature?
forbidden fruit, so to speak, once we firmlyHave you sinned (rebelled against the Creator of
establish that we own our lives and our futures,the universe)?
we effectively tell God that we no longer needCan God, in His holiness, permit sin in His
Him, that we can do it on our own. And thepresence?
natural and fair end of that decision is that GodHave you accepted His loving plan to keep you
gives us exactly what we ask for and desire:from eternal separation?