obedience. Man ultimately experi ences physical death. There is no way for any of us to escape it, unless Christ comes in our lifetime to trans late the church. For those who do not receive Christ there is eternal, or second death (Rev. 20-13-15). Sin made the life and the death of Jesus Christ necessary. He provided the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the human race. He did not die for His own sins because He was sinless. The fourth conequence has to do with sin in the life of the Christian. When the believer sins, he must confess his sins sincerely (I John 1:9). As guilty sinners our only hope is in Jesus Christ. All This for Me? A missionary, studying the Hindu language of India, was reading Eph. 1:1-7 to his teacher. He asked the teacher, “Sir, do you really under stand what we are reading?” The man had to reply “I know the mean ing of the words, but understand them not.” Who of us can fully un derstand the complete meaning of what it is to be chosen in Christ be fore the foundation of the world? God has planned for every need of our salvation. Paul started a local church during his second missionary journey, and he was there for approximately three years (Acts 20:19-20). Later on Tim othy became pastor. Tradition has it that John and perhaps even Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent their last years at Ephesus. When Paul wrote this letter he was a prisoner in Rome (Acts 28:30ff). The book begins by stating the blessings we have in Christ. These words, “in Christ” or equivalent phrases, occur more than 130 times in the Epistle. Salavtion is one of the most impor tant words in the Bible. It began with God’s plan for you and me even before God had created the heavens and earth. This includes de liverance from the penalty, the pow- Page 41
Fourth, man’s heart is depraved (Matt. 15:19, Eph. 4:17, 18). Sin be gins in the heart. Fifth, man is de praved in his speech (Rom. 3:13-14). His throat is an open sepulchure. The poison of asps is under his lips the Bible says. Sixth, man is de praved in his very being and soul (Prov. 8:36). The character of sin is revealed in guilt. Whenever a law has been violated, a penalty is de manded. Adam and Eve felt then- guilt (Gen. 3 :7 ). This was part of the penalty. Nobody can escape guilt feelings. God has placed a conscience in you. The punishment for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). This means far more than simply physical death. It includes the awful separation from God forever. At least four results of sin are mentioned in the Bible. All of God’s creation was cursed as the result of the fall of man (Gen. 3:17, 18; Rom. 8:18-23). Heartache and all of its re sults came because of sin and dis
Made with FlippingBook Annual report