DO YOU KNOW: That God, in His great, infinite love, His unselfish good will (Luke 2:14; 1 John 4:8), has provided a way in which you and allmankind (no matter of what ancestry, race, color, nationality, education, occupation, social status, financial position, etc.) can obtain everlasting life?
DO YOU KNOW: That the angels in heaven do not die, nor did God create man so that he had to die—that if Adam, "the first man," had not sinned, he would still be alive on earth today (Gen. 3:22-24)?
● That "by one man [Adam—his disobedience] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men [by heredity], for that all have sinned," and are under the death (not eternal torture!) sentence, born in sin, "shapen in iniquity" (Rom. 5:12, 19; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22; Psa. 51:5)?
● That God had the right to require obedience from Adam, to whom He had given life, even as He properly has required it from His angelic creatures?
● That the penalty that God placed upon Adam for sin was not eternal life in fire and torture by fire-proof devils, or life in any other form, but death ("thou shalt surely die"; "the wages of sin is death"—Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23), i.e., cessation of life, to both soul ("the soul that sinneth, it shall die"—Ezek. 18:4, 20; James 5:20) and body ("unto dust shalt thou return"—Gen. 2:17; 3:19)?
● That God in justice could have executed Adam and Eve at once after they disobeyed, thus taking back the life He had given them, but He in mercy let them die gradually and bring forth children, a human race, though imperfect and in a dying condition?
● That God heard the groaning of the prisoner, Adam and his race under the death curse (Psa. 102:19, 20), and His great love prompted Him to use His power to release mankind from the death penalty, but His justice, which can by no means clear the guilty (Num. 14:18), first had to be satisfied on behalf of Adam before he and his race could be set free, so that God might continue to be just and yet be the Justifier of those who believe (Rom. 3:26); and that therefore His infinite wisdom (Rom. 11:33) worked out a plan for mankind's salvation?
DO YOU KNOW: That to free mankind without violating God's justice, a ransom (a corresponding price), a perfect human life, had to be paid over to Justice for Adam's perfect human life, forfeited by his disobedience; but that none of his imperfect race, already condemned to death, could "by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" (Psa. 49:7; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:23)?
● That God in His great love caused His only begotten Son to be "made flesh," a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death … that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (John 1:14; 3:14-18; Heb. 2:9; Matt. 20:28)?
● That God showed His love to us, "in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," "gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," "a propitiation [satisfaction] … for the sins of the whole world" (Rom. 5:6-10; 1 Tim. 2:3-6; 1 John 2:2)?
● That due to Jesus' willing Ransom-sacrifice every man will "in due time" have an opportunity to be restored (Acts 3:19-23) to human perfection, as Adam had it before he fell, and will be given a trial for everlasting life, and that Christ (and His Church) is the Seed of promise through whom "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" and judged (Gen. 12:3; 22:16-18; Gal. 3:8, 16, 29; Psa. 72:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:2; Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:29, 30; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1)?
● That "he that cometh to God must believe that he is [exists—Psa. 53:1], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," for "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11:6)?
● That "the fear [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," a fountain of life (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 14:27)—that to know God is to love Him; "he that loveth not knoweth not God" (1 John 4:8)?
● That Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life"; none can come to God, but by Him (John 14:6; 10:9; 3:36; Acts 4:12; 16:31; 1 John 5:10-12)?
DO YOU KNOW: That in coming to God we must repent for sin (Acts 17:30; 26:20)—we must recognize our sin, be sorry for it, and hate, abandon, confess and oppose it, and, if possible, make restitution for it; and we must learn to love, practice and strivefor righteousness; but that our works, however good, cannot justify us (Gal. 2:16; 3:2-14; Eph. 2:9)?
● That only by our believing, accepting personally by faith Jesus and the value of His shed blood, can we be cleansed and justified before God (1 John 1:7-10; Rev. 1:5; Acts 13:39; Rom. 1:16; 3:24, 25; 5:1)?
● That next we must consecrate, i.e., give up our own wills and accept God's will as our own, as Jesus did (Heb. 10:7), and then be His faithful followers, if we would gain everlasting life (Rom. 5:2; 12:1; 6:23; Prov. 23:26; Matt. 16:24-26; John 10:27, 28)?
● That Jesus is able "to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Heb. 7:25), and He lovingly invites us, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (Matt. 11:28; John 6:37)—and that since our days are few and uncertain, we should not delay in accepting God's great love-gift (Psa. 90:3-12; James 4:14; 2 Cor. 9:15)? God loves you! Do not spurn His love!
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