Chapter 11: God’s Eternal Character

Page 15

Live By The Rules That Give Life!

Bill, if you are reading this, “Listen to the word of the Lord!” There

is still hope for you and the other people involved in your thefts if you return the church and all other property that you stole from God, men and women. Nothing on this earth is worth losing eternal life over, especially material things. Not even your pride and the pride of your wife and family is worth losing the salvation of yourself and those whom you love. Think about it.

This is God’s Holy Word. Nothing you can do will alter His eternal nature and character. Your only hope is to comply with God’s rules that give life!

God Is A Forgiver And A Punisher!

No doubt Bill and his fellow thieves might be thinking that God is unfair by establishing such standards for His people. It sounds like God

now expects Bill and crew to give back all that they stole. Yes, that is exactly what God expects from them. It is a good trade too. They give back the material stuff they stole and turn their hearts away from wickedness and to righteousness and THEN they get eternal life. Sounds good. You can read

the same “unfair” thoughts from the Israelites in Ezekiel as shown below.

God says: “Your people say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their own ways that are not fair. When the

good people stop doing good and do evil, they will die for their evil. But when the wicked stop doing evil and do what is right and fair, they will live. You still say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Israel [Christianity], I will judge all

of you by your own ways.” Ezekiel 33:17-20 NCV

Now, take a moment to reflect on your understanding of Christian

teaching today. Do not Charles Stanley4 and others preach that all you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord? That once this takes place nothing can keep you from your heavenly journey? Yes, if you thought that this teaching sounds a little like the expectations of the Israelites, you were right.