Countering the Idea of Lawlessness and Penalty of Sin

By June Narber

03/19/03

In an age of increasingly liberal politics and even Christians who believe God is a God of love to the degree that He no longer institutes the death penalty, kills anyone or that there is no longer punishment for sin (breaking of any of God’s laws) because of Christ’s sacrifice, I have compiled a brief study surfing through the various scriptures from the Genesis to Revelation that quite clearly document that God’s law is 1) eternal 2) the promise of eternal life and escape from physical or spiritual death is only applicable to those who repent of their sins, change their life from sinning to a life of striving to obey every word as found in the Holy Bible and accepting Jesus Christ (of whom I often call by His Hebrew name, Yahshua) as their savior. 3) God still demands the death penalty in the case of those who continually break laws and that He himself, will kill people when he returns to the Earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to establish his eternal Kingdom ON the earth. How can a God who is about love and forgiveness still be the God who commanded death to anyone who disobeyed rather in times past or as I conclude, in times present? The reason is simple. First an individual must realize that God (Elohim in the Hebrew), is the creator of all life that exists. It is His to do with as He so chooses. Something separates imperfect, carnal, evil, selfish mankind from what God is, and that is Sin. God is perfect love. In such, there is a character that can only be “summarized” by the commandments we find in the Bible. The behavior God expects from human beings is no less than what He performs himself. In order to bring many sons and daughters into eternal life, a sacrifice for their sin had to be created. That sacrifice was Jesus Christ. But in order to receive the sacrifice and be atoned for one’s sins, an individual MUST repent and choose to leave the life of sin behind. Sin is defined in scripture as the breaking of God’s law? Which law? God’s law is clearly defined throughout the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It is summarized in great detail in the books commonly called the New Testament. However, the law stands as an eternal law. It existed before the creation of the world and it will exist forever. To live forever, with God, a person must accept these codes of behavior and accept that God is composed of perfect character. Those who are converted and called out of this modern Babylon of sin realize that through Yahshua’s sacrifice for our sins, we receive the gift of a power of God called the Holy Spirit. Through this power, sort of a lifeline between fleshly human and God divine, we actually are able to live life by the Word of God. We still sin but not on purpose. We repent daily of our sins and strive to live as Jesus Christ did while He was on earth. Does that therefore make the law null and void? The law of God is ALIVE in those of whom he is building is character and of the same individuals of whom He will give rulership to in His coming Kingdom (on earth). Most churches today don’t understand the most basic of biblical concepts of civil law and spiritual law because they reject Yahshua as the divine lawgiver.

Certain modern accepted modes of lifestyle, behavior, action and so forth are the direct opposite of what is found in scripture. They are justified even by certain self-proclaimed Christians because these individuals take one or two scriptures out of context to try to prove there is no law, so anything is game in the physical life. This is called lawlessness in the Word of God and is technically considered, by God, to be a form of sin. Anything that stands against the word of God is the commonly coined term “antichrist”, so actually many who claim to be Christians are against the very words of God himself as contained in the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

One final note before we get into this study. The Bible may SEEM to be full of doom and gloom, death and killing. But this is only true because of the choices made by humans since the dawn of the creation. If mankind chose to LIVE by the Word of God, there would be great peace and joy in the world. The killing of flesh is necessary because of the existence of SIN-that is which is diametrically opposite to what God is all about. God is perfect.  He CANNOT dwell in Sin. That is why God had to technically be born in the flesh to shorten/eliminate this void between spirit and flesh.

By being born into God through faith, repentance and baptism, the human puts on the NEW man, composed of a willingness and great desire to OBEY God’s way of life.

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Even though the popular idea abounds today that God nailed his law to the cross of Jesus Christ, scripture teaches that the wages of sin is death. Life and especially eternally life can only be found in conversion to God’s way of life, accepting Jesus Christ (Yahshua) as one’s personal savior and then obeying EVERY word as found in scripture. Certain lifestyles will end in eternal death. God does not accept everyone just as they are. Repentance of a life of sin is necessary to come under the redeeming blood of the Messiah, and then a life spent living by EVERY WORD THAT proceeds out of the mouth of God. Certain behaviors simply are not acceptable to God of the Holy Bible, no matter how popular they are today. Among these include the killing of fetuses as this is clearly murder; homosexuality and other forms of sexual sin (any sexual act committed outside of the marriage covenant between one man and one woman committed for a lifetime together).  The God of the Old Covenant was none other than the messiah himself, Jesus Christ. We see this testimony in John 1.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2  He was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3  All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

Joh 1:4  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus Christ, before his human birth was the Word. Through him all things that exist were created, so he had to be the God found in the Garden of Eden.

In the following verses, we see that the cloud that led the Israelites through the desert was none other that Jesus Christ as well.

Co 10:1  And, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.

1Co 10:2  And all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

1Co 10:3  and all ate the same spiritual food,

1Co 10:4  and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.  

So the God of the Old Testament (as the books of Genesis through Malachi are often “called”) was none other that the Word, the being that became Jesus Christ. What does this mean? This means that the God that ordered the death of those who BROKE HIS eternal law is the same being who later died for the sins of the world.

Can the Jesus of this current “christianized world” who is wishy washy and lawless still be the same powerful being who thundered His eternal law over Mount Sinai? No, they are wrong. Their IDEAS about what comprises the New Covenant are tainted with human reasoning, casting the God of the old covenant as some bloodthirsty evil deity. The God of the Old Covenant and the God of the New Covenant are the one and same being. So, the laws that existed then, still exist now, only now there exists a sacrifice for human sin, a way by which the bridge between God and carnal humanity can be brought together once a person repents of their sins, puts away the “old man” and takes on the new man of obedience to all of God’s word as found in both the old and new covenants. The division page as found in most Bibles between the books of Malachi and Matthew was put there by human hands. There is no division between the books, they are all part of the God inspired, eternally binding “words of God” that cannot be done away with or the laws therein erased by human reasoning or “wishful thinking”. Of course modern man wants a lawless feel good God to worship because then mankind is NOT held accountable for any or all of his terrible deeds. God’s words commands that those who truly seek after eternal life to have his laws written on their foreheads and in their hearts. The New covenant if one desires to call it that, is not about eliminating the laws of God, but ADDING to them in the form of eternalizing them inside the man so a person is convicted of not only what he physically does or performs, but even by that what he thinks. He or she must become like God in ALL ways: character, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Num 14:35  I Jehovah have spoken; I will surely do it to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be destroyed in this wilderness, and there they shall die.

Deu 17:5  then you shall bring forth that man or that woman who has committed that evil thing, to your gates, even that man or that woman, and shall stone them with stones until they die.

Deu 17:12  And the man that acts proudly and will not listen to the priest who stands to minister there before Jehovah your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. And you shall put away the evil from Israel.

Deu 19:12  then the elders of his city shall send and bring him away from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood so that he may die.

Deu 22:25  But if a man finds an engaged girl in the field, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man that lay with her shall die.

Deu 24:7  If a man is found stealing a person of his brothers, the sons of Israel, and makes a slave of him, or sells him, then that thief shall die. And you shall put evil away from among you.

Pro 19:16  He who keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; he who despises His ways shall die.

Jer 28:16  Therefore so says Jehovah, Behold, I will drive you from off the face of the earth. You shall die this year, because you have taught rebellion against Jehovah.

Exo 22:19  Anyone lying with an animal shall surely be put to death.

Exo 31:14  You shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone that defiles it shall surely be put to death. For whoever does any work in it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Exo 31:15  Six days may work be done, but on the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to Jehovah. Whoever does any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death

Exo 35:2  Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to Jehovah. Whoever does work in it shall be put to death.

Lev 20:10  And a man who commits adultery with a man's wife, who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Lev 20:13  If a man also lies with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be on them.

Lev 20:15  And if a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death. And you shall kill the animal.

Lev 24:16  And he that blasphemes the Name of Jehovah shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall surely stone him. And the stranger as well, even as he that is born in the land; when he blasphemes the Name, he shall be put to death.

Num 15:35  And Jehovah said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.

Only those redeemed in Christ will not be condemned to death.

Joh 5:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My Word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.

Testimony of “committed anything “worthy of death”, meaning some acts are still as worthy of death as they were in the time time before Jesus Christ.

Act 25:11  For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing of which these accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.

Through obedience to all the Laws of God are individuals made righteousness “action AND belief” are required for salvation.

Rom 6:16  Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to him whom you obey; whether it is of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness.

Jam 5:20  know that he who turns back the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and I will give to every one of you according to your works.

In the end time, God gives authority to the powers that be to bring death and destruction on the earth and to mankind for his/her unrepented sins.

Rev 6:8  And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him sitting on it was Death, and Hell followed with him. And authority was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with hunger and with death and by the beasts of the earth.

In the end of time, those who refuse to repent and LEAVE their live of sin behind (stop doing the things that God says are wrong/abominations, sin in his law of law (the ten commandments) will face ETERNAL death.

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Prophecy tells us that in the end time, the followers of the true God of the Bible will be those who OBEY his commandments.

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

At the second coming of Christ, the nations gather to make war with Christ and he overcomes them. In other words, he fights them and defeats t hem. He will KILL those who oppose him.

Rev 17:14  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. For He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those with Him are the called and elect and faithful ones.

A person CANNOT continue to sin if they truly follow Jesus Christ. If they sin willfully, there is no more sacrifice for their sins. In other words, if they don’t continually repent and overcome, they will die, they will NOT inherent eternal life.

Heb 10:26  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,

GOD DEVOURS HIS ADVERSARIES

Heb 10:27  but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Heb 10:28  He who despised Moses' Law died without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.

Heb 10:29  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy of punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

God says vengeance belongs to HIM. He says HE WILL REPAY. HE JUDGES AND EXECUTES JUDGEMENTS.

Heb 10:30  For we know Him who has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge His people."

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Rev 20:9  And they went up over the breadth of the earth and circled around the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.

In Revelation, we see the second coming of Yahshua to the earth to establish h  his everlasting kingdom. In this, He is coming with an army (of angels and saints) assembled to fight humans at the battle of Armageddon and He will triumph (that means he has to kill a lot of people to accomplish this. But He is God, the day will come the same people will be resurrected back to physical life for judgment).

Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies, being gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.

In the following scriptures, we see an outline of what God considers being unclean, wrong, against his way of life. Among these is homosexuality, clearly documented in verses 24-28.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Rom 1:19  because the thing which may be known of God is clearly revealed within them, for God revealed it to them.

(GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT THESE BEHAVIORS. HIS WRATH WILL BE POURED OUT IN THE END TIME AGAINST ALL SUCH SINS IF NOT REPENTED OF. NOTICE GOD CALLS THESE THIGNS UNGODLY AND UNRIGHTEOUS. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THEY ARE ALSO CALLED ABOMINATIONS.)

DENYING THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS:

Rom 1:20  For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

Rom 1:21  Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. But they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22  Professing to be wise, they became fools

ANY FORM OF IDOLATRY: INCLUDING IMAGES OF “GOD” AS HUMANS THINGS HE LOOKS; THE WORSHIP OF OTHER GODS/DEITIES; AND ANY THING THAT IS PUT UP ON AN ALTAR AND BOWED DOWN TO IS AN IDOL.

Rom 1:23  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.

HOMOSEXUALITY, LESBIANISM, ANY FORM OF SAME GENDER SEX IS WRONG IN THE EYES OF AND BY THE LAW  OF the ETERNAL GOD.

Rom 1:24  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.

Rom 1:25  For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Rom 1:26  For this cause, God gave them up to dishonorable affections. For even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature.

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another; males with males working out shamefulness, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error.

Rom 1:28  And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right,

OTHER FORMS OF SIN GOD LABELS AS “WRONG”, INCLUDING ALL FORMS OF LUST, SEXUAL SIN, MURDER (KILLING OTHERS FOR NO JUST CAUSE); EVIL BEHAVIORS, LIARS ETC.

Rom 1:29  being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers,

INVENTORS OF “EVIL THINGS”-THE PROUD, THE DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS

Rom 1:30  backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Rom 1:31  undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE IS THE “KEY” SCRIPTURE THAT SETTLES THE ARGUMENT, DOES GOD STILL BELIEVE IN THE DEATH PENALTY???

Rom 1:32  who, knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in those practicing them.

Some additional scriptures that speak about spiritually, the law, etc.

Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hel

Deu 30:19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Rom 8:1  [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 
(Living in the flesh, carnality, sin etc. leads to eternal death, not life).

Rom 10:21  But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
(If God calls a people disobedient, there still has to be a law in order for them to be “disobedient” to anything.)

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Eph 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].

Eph 5:12  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
(What are these things that are done in “secret”? Things that are considered to be abominations/sin in the eyes of God, based upon His law).