Wicked people think that
they can get away with their wicked ways. They think
that the problem of man will end upon his
death (cessation of breath). They also think that since
death is sure to come, they might as well
adopt the hedonistic (pleasure-seeking)
attitude. Following the "Eat , drink, and be
merry, for tomorrow you will die"
mind-set. They seek to enjoy life to the fullest
by spending it in merrymaking and in
indulging themselves in worldly pleasures.
Is this the correct way of living here on
earth?
If only everything ends in death, then they
would have a point in following such
principle. but the big question is:
48D.1
Does man's problem ends when he dies
(cessation of breath)?
In II
Corinthians 510, Apostle Paul gives us
the answer:
For all of us must appear before
Christ, to be judged by him. Each
one will receive what he deserves,
according to everything he has done,
good or bad, in his bodily life.
(2 Corinthians 5:10, TEV)
Death is
not the end of man's problem and
existence because there is an appointed
time when everyone will appear before
the judgment seat of Christ. This will
happen on the Day of Judgment, when each
one will receive his reward or
punishment depending on what he had done
in his lifetime, whether good or bad.
48D.2
How will judgment
happen when people are already dead or in
the grave?
In John
5:28-29, this is written:
Do not be surprised at this; the
time is coming when all the dead
will hear his voice and come out of
their graves: those who have done
good will rise and live, and those
who have done evil will rise and be
condemned. (John 5:28-29, TEV)
All the
dead will come out of their graves,
either to rise and live or to rise and
be condemned. So, just as one cannot
escape death, no one can also escape
facing the judgment seat of our Lord
Jesus Christ. It is therefore wrong in
spending one's life in wickedness,
excessive merrymaking and in worldly
pleasures.
48D.3
What further proves
that no one can escape the judgment seat of
Christ, and that men must suffer the
consequences of his wicked deeds while he
lived on earth?
In
Revelation 20:12-14, this is recorded:
And I saw the dead, great and small
alike, standing before the throne.
Books were opened, and then another
book was opened, the book of the
living. The dead were judged
according to what they had done, as
recorded in the books. Then the sea
gave up its dead. Death and the
world of the dead also gave up the
dead they held. And all were judged
according to what they had done.
Then death and the world of the dead
were thrown into the lake of fire.
(This lake of fire is the second
death.) (Revelation 20:12-14, TEV)
Nothing that man has done in his
lifetime is hidden from God, because
every deed, either good or bad is
recorded and to be accounted for. Those
who will be resurrected to condemnation
or those who will not be saved from
God's wrath will be thrown to the lake
of fire, which is the eternal
punishment, called the second death.
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So death (cessation of breath) is not
the end of man's problem, neither it is a
solution. Many people simply refuse to
understand that death (cessation of breath)
is not the full payment of sin. It is the
second death in the lake of fire which is
the full payment of sin.
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