Punishment for sin—perhaps in itself, so familiar a topic at first glance! Yet we must realize that, as we near the close of time (only a short time separates us from eternity), Satan’s efforts have much more intensified. He knows that “he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12. He untiringly sets worldly pleasures at the disposal of the people and many have fallen victims and have been taken captive at his will. Sin has raised its ugly head so boldly that even professed Christians are benumbed by its fatal influence. In flattery they continue in sinful pursuits. Only a few recognize its deadly results. So, for this reason we need to study this subject again.
To begin with, sin is defined in the Holy Bible as “the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. It is disobedience to the expressed will or commands of God. It is strange, “an intruder, . . . mysterious, unaccountable, . . . it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government.” –The Great Controversy, p. 492
To the first parents in Eden, apart from engraving His will in their hearts, deep down in their conscience, the expressed will of the Father was: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” Genesis 2:17. He, [God] emphasized that disobedience to this command would surely result in death. In His original plan, He did not include death as part of the lot of the human race. Appearance of graves afterwards attests to the fact that man did not obey His Creator. Today, close to every village, sometimes right by the yard or plot, also in cities, special places are set apart for the burial of the dead. So, obvious as it is, it does not matter the rank of the person, education, status or whatsoever, death comes sooner or later. Even in affluent societies, graves exist! This is to say that God was right. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. We will expound on this aspect further shortly. Before that, let us consider something related to this.
True as it is, there is another class, however, who have no remorse for sin; they love worldly pleasures and with scorn they say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.” Zephaniah 1:12. “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?” Malachi 3:14
One of the most successful artifices of Satan is the teaching that God is so loving and merciful, that to punish sin is contrary to His principles—after all, look how many we are, God can not destroy all of us, they say—and further, the teaching is that there is no reward for right doing. He says, whatever you do, it does not matter. After all, what is right depends on your own judgment, or worse still, that there is no standard set up for right doing; the Bible is just an opinion of men like ourselves. In the days of old, “Satan was urging upon men the belief that there is no reward for the righteous or punishment for the wicked, and that it is impossible for men to obey the divine statutes.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 88
“Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God’s love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them; he represents that while the threatenings of God’s word are to serve a certain purpose in His moral government, they are never to be literally fulfilled.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 522
As people of God we must strongly guard against this teaching, let alone think about it (read further on page 522 of Patriarchs and Prophets). We must learn and understand that God’s judgments to evil doers are as certain as it was during the flood, during the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the smiting of Eli’s sons, the destructions of the cities of the plain, and many more. Conversely, obedience was equally rewarded in uncountable instances: The translation of Enoch and Elijah, the saving of Noah and his family, just to mention a few. Our God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. The revelator at Patmos heard Jesus say, “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12
Now, let us return to the premise, “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23
There are two types of death mentioned in the Bible, the first and second death. The first is as a result of Adam’s transgression and it is about the graves we can see today in every place. We, for now, cannot escape the first death, unless we are found alive by Christ at His coming. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12
The second death is the final death and it is carried out by fire and brimstone! Unlike the first death which is “almost” compulsory (because some will be found alive at Jesus coming), the second is by choice! For Jesus saved us from it (Romans 5:19). Happily, it is reserved only for the wicked, the rejecters of His tenacious love, grace and mercy. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6
Having said all that, we must remember that the first death may well be a punishment for a particular sin in this life, not by default, because all people die. However, to some, in relation to the first death, a voice may be heard from heaven saying: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:13. To others, sadly the Lord says: “As I live . . . . I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” Ezekiel 33:11
When God has done all He can to save, and all the provision for one’s salvation has been ignored, then great darkness comes, and great is that darkness (Matthew 6:23). The process is often gradual. In the language of Paul the apostle, it means God has “given [him] up” or “gives [him] over” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). This situation is risky because the person is left defenseless and Satan quickly preys upon that person, especially by bringing death before they have an opportunity to repent. Then the destiny of that man is fixed.
Does death solve the sin problem? Actually, in the first place, sin itself is the cause of death. Once indulged, it deadens and removes from man the life-giving force, and then misery comes, with disease—then death results. But death is a tool by which sin is cleared from the world. Sin keeps polluting the world with its contaminating spree. In his lifeless form the sinner is unable to continue to pursue his sinful acts (Ecclesiastes 9:5–6, 10). The first death, while to the righteous it is only a rest from their labours; regarding the wicked, it is giving the world temporary relief from their contamination. We may safely say that the first death helps to stem the tide of evil but not completely eradicate it. God’s destruction of the people by the flood, the cities of the plain and Eli’s children testify to this fact. Many times in the books of Moses, we read of God saying: “They shall surely be put to death, so shalt thou put evil away from among you.”
The second death, by fire and brimstone, will be the final clearance of sin from the face of the world. Sin is to exist no more. There would be no presence of those who practice it. The fire will not only clear the world of sinful people, but also clear the world itself from the curse of sin that has accumulated for thousands of years.
Let us consider that we have not said: “Follow God! Or else He will destroy you!” No, no. We have not said so! Many Bible texts and passages from the testimonies of the Spirit of Prophecy tell us that God does not compel the conscience. On the contrary, He desires a service of love—A realization of His majesty, goodness, love, and His grace in sustaining us. With such people He listens to their penitent prayers, He pardons; saved in this life will grant them eternal life that will start at the Second Coming of Christ. The faster we cultivate this intimate love for God, not out of fear for punishment, the faster we will attain His character and be fitted for heaven. We must do it at this time (Hebrews 4:7).
It is definite that by law the sinner must die. By law, the rejecters of God’s mercy and love will have to be punished and this will be by the second death. To our God, the work of destruction is a strange act (Isaiah 28:21). Since all the ways He tried to save have failed, He will act by execution of the sentence as pronounced in the judgment. According to their level of guilt, they suffer punishment in varying duration and intensity, yet all ending in the second death—to be seen no more. Fortunately, grace has been provided to make us separate from sin and its consequences of the second death. We have a choice. We must choose life! Amen.
Joel Msiska, Malawi