consequences

TERROR OR TRIUMPH BEYOND THE GRAVE?

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When still living in SOCAL, Disneyland offered free admission to birthday-people! So on Laurie’s birthday (October 29th), we went. Many of the attractions and rides were decked out in Halloween scariness: spooks, spirits, and skulls abounded! On some of the rides, I couldn’t shake thoughts of the terror beyond the grave that awaits people who reject Christ Jesus, the only One who can take away our sins against a holy, just God, sins which continue assigning people to an eternity of tormenting terror.

It’s well known that Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. The horrors that lay beyond the grave are graphically spelled out in the New Testament, the gospels in particular. Hell simply must be avoided at all costs. Jesus’ willingness to suffer as He did on Calvary’s cross demonstrates this truth.

Why is there a hell anyway? In simple terms, God is just. All wrongdoing will be “paid for” so to speak by consignment, for all eternity, to the place of torment, called in the Bible hell. Again, the details of the suffering are specified in the Gospels (use a Bible concordance to look up all references to hell if you want the details).

The only way of escaping such horror is to believe Jesus satisfied God’s wrath against sin; that He died in our place, paying the penalty for our sins (eternal separation from God — inescapable, unending torment).

I’m astounded at how prolific images of skulls have become in our day, symbols of death with apparently little serious thought given to what death and existence beyond the grave really is. “Gospel” means Good News — triumph beyond the grave, not terror; triumph for all who receive God’s pardon through faith in Christ alone.

Are you prepared for what lies beyond your death and burial? Just as surely as you are reading these words, your death is inevitable — are you prepared?

Paul sums up the good news of the gospel in I Corinthians 15:3-6: “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.”

Believe this and there will be no terror for you beyond the grave, only triumph over death and sin’s consequences!

THE NETHERCUTT TRANSGRESSION

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In March of 2010, I joined the senior adults at our church on a trip to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, CA. The events of that day are now part of San Antonio Heights Community Church (the church I was pastoring at the time) lore!

There’s two buildings at the Nethercutt; the one we visited houses well over 100 world-class, prize-winning automobiles, dating from the early 1900s up into the 1960s. Many of these cars are worth millions — each! Of course, everything is roped off to keep people from getting their grimy paws on things, climbing into the cars, etc.

Against the back wall stood a huge, antique music box/ contraption of some kind. One of our group members, Butch George, wanted to get a closer look so he stepped over the rope and got “up close and personal.” No big deal; he didn’t touch anything, he just wanted to see exactly what this monstrosity was. Not a problem.

Parked along this same back wall was a 1948 Tucker automobile!

Another fella in our group (Don Ogle) and I were standing there eyeing this classic, and I thought to myself, “Man, I’d love to get a closer look! If Butch can do it…”

So, I very carefully stepped over the rope, walked over to the car, looked inside (with my arms and hands behind me), then walked back to the rope and stepped back where I was supposed to be. No big deal, right?

In less than two minutes a security cop entered our space — and he was BAD: big, armed, and dangerous! He said, “Do that again and you’re gone!”

Because of my size, I learned early on that in a confrontation it’s best to be the aggressor, to move right into the face of the threat (e.g., David with Goliath). This usually intimidates. It works with people; it works with animals. My instinct immediately told me, “This guy is nothing.” Intelligence however said, “Bad idea!” So, I rattled off some lame excuse then managed to apologize. That seemed to satisfy him.

My point is that this museum gives visitors tons of freedom; you can get within a few feet of these exotic automobiles. The ropes define the parameters — you are forbidden to proceed beyond that barrier. If you do you will be confronted like I was!

This is what we do all the time as humans! In the Bible, God has established the parameters, and He says, “Stay within these and things will be great; cross the line and there will be consequences!”

Adam and Eve were the first to cross the line — and we’ve been doing it ever since.

But, rather than leave us to suffer the just punishment for crossing the line times innumerable, God is merciful, like the security cop was to me. Rather than stick us with our just punishment, God has made a provision for us. We celebrate it every time we participate in Holy Communion: The bread symbolizes our transgressions being put on Jesus at Calvary’s cross; the cup represents His blood shed on that cross for the remission of our incalculable transgressions against God.

“For God so loved the world that He gave…”

This is the Gospel: Transgressions remitted because Jesus loved us enough to die in our place.