Man's Travel to Destiny

INTRODUCTION:

A.      IT IS BASIC TO OUR FAITH TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS STAGES OF

          A MAN'S SPIRITUAL LIFE AND THE CONDITIONS HE MAY BY IN IN EACH.

B.      THERE ARE FOUR STAGES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE:  1.  Infancy or

          Innocence, 2.  Accountability, 3.  Dead & Buried, 4. Eternity.

C.      LET'S EXAMINE THESE STAGES AND MAN'S POSSIBLE CONDITION IN EACH.

I.      INFANCY AND INNOCENCE.

A.      THE CHILD IS NOT LOST OR SAVED, BUT "SAFE."

B.      THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF THE SOUL IS SIN( Rom. 6:23;  Eph. 2:1 ).

C.      BABIES ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR PARENT'S SIN( Ez. 18:1-4,

          19-20 ).  We are to become as little children( Mat. 18:1-3 ).

II. ACCOUNTABILITY.

A.      IS THERE A PARTICULAR AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY?  WHEN ONE IS

          ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND CARRY OUT GOD'S LAW OF RIGHT AND WRONG.

B.      ALL SIN( Rom. 3:23 ).  THAT IS, ALL WHO CAN.

          1.       What is sin?( 1 John 3:4;  James 4:17 ).

          2.       What is sin's result?( Rom. 6:23;  Rom. 2:5-9 ).

C.      THROUGH JESUS WE HAVE A SAVIOR( Luke 19:10;  Acts 4:12 ).

          1.       What has been done that we might be saved?( 1 Pet. 2:24 ).

          2.       What must we do?( Acts 2:37-38;  Mark 16:16 ).

          3.       How are we different?( Rom. 6:17-18 ).

D.      IS IT POSSIBLE TO RETURN TO THE STATE OF BEING LOST?

          1.       Christians often sin( 1 John 1:8, 10 ).

          2.       Forgiveness is conditional( 1 John 1:9 ).

          3.       Consider these passages( Gal. 5:4;  2 Pet. 2:20-22 ).

III.    DEAD AND BURIED.

A.      WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT?( Ecc. 12:7 ).

B.      ALL THE DEAD GO TO HADES.

          1.       hades, "The underworld as the place of all the dead."

          2.       Jesus went there( Acts 2:27 ).

          3.       The forgiven thief went there( Luke 23:43 ).

          4.       Hades is best described in this story( Luke 16:19-31 ).

                   a.       Lazarus - Abraham's bosom, comforted( vs. 22-25 ).

                   b.       Rich man - Torments - tartarus, anguish( vs. 23-25 ).

                   c.       His destiny was fixed( vs. 26 ).

                   d.       Regret and concern for his brethren( vs. 27-31 ).

IV.   ETERNITY.

A.      CONDITION HERE DEPENDS ON OUR FINAL CONDITION WHILE ON EARTH.

B.      THIS STAGE BEGINS WITH THE RESURRECTION( John 5:28-29 ).

C.      THE RESURRECTION IS FOLLOWED BY JUDGMENT( Rom. 14:10-12 ).

          1.       Fate is determined at death. 

          2.       Paradise and torment come after death and before judgment. 

          3.       Judgment is the pronouncement of judgment.

D.      DESCRIBED BEST BY JOHN( Rev. 20:11-15 ).

E.      WHAT FOLLOWS FOR THE SAVED?( Rev. 21:1-8 ).

CONCLUSION:  WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?  WHERE ARE YOU NOW?