Universe of Laws

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The vast universe is governed by fixed physical laws, which have definite results, and if ignored exact a penalty. God designed it this way. Think of the law of gravity. If you break this law by jumping from a five-story building, the penalty will be broken bones, and likely death. What about the sun’s rays? If you are outside on a scorching hot summer day without covering, will you not get sunburned? On the flip side, if you stand outside in temperatures of 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, will you not receive frostbite and eventually die? What about the orbit of the earth around the sun and orbit of the moon around the earth? If these were not fixed, life would not exist here.

God’s spiritual laws are no different. They are fixed, and govern human beings spiritually. To produce peace, happiness and order, these laws must be kept. True happiness cannot be achieved any other way, no matter what our human nature may believe. Those who break God’s laws are “broken” spiritually.

God is love (I John 4:8, 16), and His law reveals how to love Him and our fellow human beings—how to show outgoing concern for others and treat them as you would wish to be treated. “Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40).

In other words, God’s Law reveals how to love God and other human beings. Many ideas exist about what love is, but the Bible states that keeping the Law of God is love. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3).

When a person breaks God’s laws, he will eventually arrive at the final destination: death! It is automatic, like breaking the law of gravity. God does not intervene and sentence us to death. Death—the penalty of sin—is automatic!

Consider. If you board a plane from Britain to the United States, you will eventually arrive in the U.S. If you travel down the road of unhappiness, misery and despair, you will ultimately arrive at your final destination—death.

Someone Must Pay

Because of His perfect character and supreme wisdom, God has determined that all debt must be reconciled, one way or another. For us to be offered eternal life, someone had to “balance the books.” Someone had to pay the penalty. A Saviour of mankind was needed!

Let’s remember the story of the creditor who forgave those who were indebted to him. Did someone pay for this debt? Yes! The creditor paid the price. To the debtors it was “free,” but it cost the creditor whatever amount of money they owed.

What about the parable of the prodigal son, who was forgiven by his father for throwing away his inheritance? Who paid the price? The father did. There was no longer an inheritance to sustain the son. That money was gone—wasted. Now the father had to provide for his son with other means.

It is the same with sin. It always exacts a price—and whoever forgives must pay that price. God the Father and Jesus were willing to pay our “sin debt” in full. They were willing to cancel our debt. God’s perfect character simply would not allow sin to just be “shrugged off.” He would not compromise His Law! Jesus needed to die in order for the Father’s mercy—and eternal life—to be available to us. Sin is too serious not to be punished. Jesus willingly took the sins of the world upon Himself and became our Saviour. There was no other way.

Forgiveness for a Purpose

Do you comprehend what an incredible price was paid for you to be released from the penalty of your sins? The Word—He who was in the beginning with God, and very God Himself—divested Himself of all His glory and became flesh for the purpose of dying for your sins! Jesus suffered, was tempted, persecuted, despised, rejected by His creation (John 1:11) and crucified for you.

Jesus spent three days and three nights in the grave. A Being who had never tasted death—who had been alive for all eternity—who had never been separated from the Father—was dead for 72 hours! This occurred so you and I would be freed from the penalty of eternal death. (You are about to learn proof of this exact timeframe.)

The Father allowed His Son to be put to death for a grand purpose, for He “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It took the death of Jesus for the death penalty to be lifted—so human beings would not perish for their sins, but would have the opportunity of receiving eternal life.

Therefore, true Christians belong to Him! They have been bought with a price.

(Interestingly, John 3:16 is perhaps the most oft-quoted verse in the world of traditional Christianity, yet few recognize that Jesus’ death saved us from eternal death and opened the door to eternal life. In other words, human beings do not possess an immortal soul that goes to either “heaven” or “hell” upon death. As we saw earlier, the “dead know not anything.” This will be addressed in more detail in Chapter Eighteen.)

Jesus is the only way to salvation. As He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Christians are to allow Him to live His life in them, to help them overcome the pulls of the flesh—temptation to sin and break God’s perfect law of liberty (James. 1:25; 2:12).

What does God expect of true Christians? “[Become] you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). God is perfect, and expects His people to aspire to the same standard. Though perfection cannot be achieved in this life, Christians are to strive for it each and every day, through Jesus living His sinless life in them.

Think of God’s mercy as an investment in future growth. Through the death of Jesus, human beings may now receive God’s grace—unmerited pardon. Through Jesus’ resurrection and His life (Rom. 5:10), Christians may overcome sin and build God’s holy, righteous character, which is VITAL for entering the kingdom of God.

Unlike what most think, God’s mercy does not allow one to continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-2). After all, He commands His followers to be perfect. One cannot be perfect and break God’s laws! Christians are commanded to grow and overcome sin (Rev. 2:26)—not continue in it! Obeying God and overcoming sin produces righteous character.

Jesus Christ and the Father paid a tremendous price. Without their sacrifice, no one would have any hope of entering the kingdom of God. Mankind would have no Saviour. All would be travelling with a one-way ticket to eternal death.

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