“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” – Romans 2:8
Back in the 1950’s and 60’s, there was a television game show called Truth or Consequences. The premise of the show was that contestants would have to answer a trivia question and if they got it wrong, they had to face crazy or embarrassing consequences. According to Ralph Edwards, the original host of the show, most contestants preferred to get the answer wrong to perform the consequence! They preferred having fun over knowing the truth. The same seems to be true today as well!
Today, we live in a world where truth has become relative, and many believe that each person can make up their own truth. As a result, these people prefer to distort the real truth or ignore it altogether. What is this “real truth” that I speak of? It’s God’s truth contained in God’s Word – the Bible! It is the real truth because it comes from our Creator and not ourselves. In Isaiah 45:19 God declares that “I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” And in 2 Samuel 22:31 it says, “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”
And while many people don’t recognize God’s truth, there are consequences to ignoring it. How do we know that? God’s Word assures us that there are. Romans 1:18 tells us that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” And 2 Thessalonians 2:12 says, “All will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” These are powerful warnings to mankind that there are consequences for denying or ignoring God’s truth!
Let me share 7 key truths from God’s Word that all people should be careful not to ignore.
1. God created the world and everything in it. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, details God’s creation of the world and everything in it. It also describes God’s purpose and role for mankind in His design, which is to be fruitful, subdue the earth, and rule over it (Genesis 1:28). Man has never been able to offer a credible alternative to this truth that we are God’s creation and not a cosmic accident. Every attempt to do so has essentially been to discredit or deny God.
2. God is sovereign over the world. As the Creator of all that exists, God is therefore sovereign over the world. Since He made everything, He determined how it should function according to His design and purpose. The Bible also clearly spells out what He expects of us who are made in His image. It is summed up in Deuteronomy 11:26-28 that says, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” In other words, not following God’s truth, design, or commands will not bless us!
3. All humans are sinful. God’s Word declares in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It also says in 1 John 1:8 that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” If anyone doubts this truth, they deny the history and reality of our world where mankind’s evil has known no boundaries.
4. Sin has consequences. Sin can be defined as disobeying God’s commands or anything we do that is contrary to God’s holiness and righteousness. The most obvious sins are from the Ten Commandments that include worshipping idols, swearing, murder, adultery, theft, lying, and coveting. God’s Word declares that there will be consequences for our sins. Ezekiel 16:58 says that “You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.” Make no mistake, God sees our sins (Proverbs 10:9) and will punish them (2 Peter 2:9-10).
5. Jesus is God’s Son. The Bible declares that Jesus was with God from the beginning (John 1:1-4, 14), that “This is my Son” and “with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus confirmed this in John 10:30 when He declared “I and the Father are one.”
6. Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins. God’s Word tells us the awesome truth that Jesus went willingly to the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind. As recorded in 1 Corinthains 15:3, the Apostle Paul wrote that “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” This is the incredible gift that God gave to us, the forgiveness of all of our sins through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus for all who would put their trust and faith in Him!
7. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting God. The truth is that God doesn’t send anyone to hell. People choose hell by rejecting God’s offer of salvation through Jesus (John 3:18). This is the ultimate consequence of denying God’s Word and His Truth. Instead of receiving eternal life, rejecting this truth results in eternal death and separation from God.
Throughout history, many people have refused God’s offer of eternal life and denied His Truth, existence, and sovereignty. But doing so has come with a steep price. That price is separation from God for all eternity. Hell is a place with no love, no forgiveness, no peace, no joy, and no hope. Just darkness, evil, and suffering. All day and every day.
The good news is that there is still time for those of us who are willing to accept the Truth of God’s Word and His promise of eternal life in Jesus. Everyone has a choice to make. You can either choose the door that leads to life or the door that leads to death and hell. There is no door #3. I suggest that we all choose wisely!