You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- John 8:44
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
…
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
- Romans 5:12, 18-19
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
- Nahum 1:2
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. But
those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.
Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.
- Deuteronomy 7:9-11
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
- Psalm 5:4-6
“Q. But does not God do man an injustice by requiring in his law what man cannot do?
No, for God so created man that he was able to do it. But man, at the instigation of the devil, in deliberate disobedience robbed himself and all his descendants of these gifts.
Gen 1:31.
Gen 3:13; Jn 8:44; 1 Tim 2:13, 14.
Gen 3:6.
Rom 5:12, 18, 19.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 9
Q. Will God allow such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished?
Certainly not. He is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins. Therefore he will punish them by a just judgment both now and eternally, as he has declared: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law (Gal 3:10).
Gen 2:17; Ex 34:7; Ps 5:4-6; 7:11; Nahum 1:2; Rom 1:18; 5:12; Eph 5:6; Heb 9:27.
Deut 27:26.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 10
Q. But is God not also merciful?
God is indeed merciful, but he is also just. His justice requires that sin committed against the most high majesty of God also be punished with the most severe, that is, with everlasting, punishment of body and soul.
Ex 20:6; 34:6, 7; Ps 103:8, 9.
Ex 20:5; 34:7; Deut 7:9-11; Ps 5:4-6; Heb 10:30, 31.
Mt 25:45, 46.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 11
The Message
I only provided a few of the Scriptures, but the Bible references are provided, if you care to look them up.
There are three questions for this vespers service. They relate to each other.
The words here are harsh. They need to be harsh.
Adam had the capability to resist sin, but he and Eve chose their own way. They had the devil, in the form of a serpent, tempting them, but they chose to not follow God.
It was the sin that corrupted them and the earth. That put all of us under judgment before God.
Why does God not bring immediate punishment on the earth? If He had done so generations ago, we would not be here. And if you have not accepted Jesus, the Scriptures speak of now being the time. No one on earth knows when the End will come. Now is the time to trust in Jesus.
But based on these questions, we are left with Adam having the power to not sin, and then everything fell apart when he sinned. And God has some purpose that only He knows. Otherwise, why keep everything going as it is?
Most Christians point to the concept that there is one person left that needs to be saved. This idea calls people into the mission fields, but what if the last person is your next-door neighbor?
The last question speaks of God’s mercy, but God’s justice must be served. That is the way these questions end the story. Next week, the focus is on our inability to correct the mistake and what God requires. I just added that to remind everyone that this is a story of Hope.
And now let us sing.
Here is The Judgment sung by the Hooker Family.
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
We believe in You. You are a merciful God, but You are a just God. We all deserve Your punishment, but You have made a path for us in Jesus. He said it. He is the Way. This study ends with despair, but that is not the end of the story. Thank You, Lord, for giving us a means to be cleansed.
In Thy name we pray,
Amen
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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