"Sold Under Sin"

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” (Romans 7:14 ESV)

The lost do not know they are lost unless they are told otherwise. The godless have no care about God. This is the precursor to the miracle of the reclamation of the human who knows not Christ.

God has His elect. They are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, Who was Slain written before creation (Rev 13:8). They will eventually realize their own depravity. The weight of sin is like the proverbial elephant sitting on one's chest. It is a realization that we are evil, and it is overwhelming.

This is the beginning of one of the greatest miracles God completes every day. Some say God does not perform miracles anymore.  I disagree; God does perform miracles, and one of the greatest is turning a pile of dirty rags into a child of God, a transformation that fills us with hope and inspiration.

No one wants to imagine a parent, a child, or a friend going to hell. Many think, “How can a good God send people to hell?” Think about this: if you are a Christian, the rapture, the event where believers are taken up to heaven, comes. You are now in heaven, sanctified and righteous before God. When this happens, the true nature of those whom we love is revealed. On earth we will see the suffering saint, and for those outside Christ, we will see a monster. The same monster we were before Christ snatched us from the pit.

We will understand that God must rid existence of these monsters, or they will contaminate the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city described in the Book of Revelation, the new heaven and earth, just as they did the first. Only the righteous will enter the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27). When God destroys those who will not bend the knee, all of creation will rejoice, and so will we. It is a brutal scene to picture and a complex thought to digest. Still, until we recognize our depravity, we will remain as monsters, evil and rebellious before an all-patient, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-holy God.

God is patient, and we should be thankful that He is patient. Otherwise, we would all be suffering in hell. His patience humbles us and fills us with gratitude. Eventually, God will no longer have patience. He will no longer restrain His wrath against sin. He will no longer hold back his wrath with one hand and beckon us to come to Him with the other. When God drops his hands, I pray I am with Him.

If anything, I hope this challenging message comforts those in Christ. If you are outside Christ, this message is rooted in scripture; the Book of Revelation tells of this coming outcome for creation. I pray you will run to Christ and accept Him as your Savior. Through His mercy and grace, you will find redemption and salvation, no longer a slave to sin, no longer the monster, but a saint, a child of God.

Grace and Peace.