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Many say at this point, "OK, so I have sinned by breaking God's laws, but that's OK. Remember, God is loving and forgiving. He doesn't care about all that. If I do my best, He understands and will forgive me."
Try That in Court!
Imagine a convicted murderer using this logic. He would stand before the judge and say, "Judge, you are a good man. Surely you understand that I am very sorry for what I have done and will acquit me. As a matter of fact, I have done a lot of charity work to make up for it." If such a judge acquitted them, they would be the opposite of good. They would be crooked! Why? Because a good judge must uphold the law.
God Is a Good Judge
Because God is good, He is indeed loving, compassionate, gracious, and forgiving. But He is also holy and just. Because of His goodness, He must do justice. "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished." (Nahum 1:3a, NASB95) Sin is any violation of God's law. 1 John 3:4b says, "...sin is lawlessness."
You Sin, You Die...Period
God makes the rules, enforces them, and sets the penalty for violating them. The penalty for breaking the law of God is death. "The person who sins will die..." (Ezekiel 18:20, NASB95) "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23, NASB95)
Eternal Death
The death for sin is referring not merely to temporal physical death but to eternal damnation in hell. In the end, the Lord Jesus will return, "dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10, NASB95)
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