Just Follow The Rules?

1. Keep Fireworks in closed box
2. Take out one at a time and close lid immediately.
3. Follow instructions on each firework, reading by torchlight - not a match.
4. Light at arms length with a safety lighter.
5. Stand well Back
6. Never return to a firework once it is lit.
7. Never throw fireworks or keep them in your pockets
8. Keep pets indoors.

If we follow the Firework Code, we know we are safe using fireworks. The firework code is a set of rules. It could be considered a set of laws. Obey the code and be safe, or, disobey the code and get hurt. These are things set to regulate or control things. It is the same for any set of rules. Rules (or Laws) are put in place for the good of those to whom the rules are given. There are different kinds of rules, some for particular circumstances like the rules for the use of fireworks or the road or school rules; others are general for everyone and they apply to everything, all the time and without exception.

God has given us His Rules, His Law. Gods law applies everywhere to everyone all the time. Gods Law applies to you and to me. We owe it to God to keep His commandments. God has been very good to each one of us but that is not the main reason for us to be obedient to His law. We ought to obey Gods Law because of Who God is. God has all power to do as He pleases and has the right to expect us to obey Him. When God says we should do something, we should immediately do it. If God says we should not do something then we must avoid it completely. Matthew 22 v 37- 40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Penalties in this life are limited. If you don't obey the firework code what's the worst that can happen? You might get burned to death. What is the worst anyone can do on earth to us? Take away liberty? Inflict pain? Even if they take away our life their power is then at an end. The Bible warns us Matthew 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 hell. To disobey God is to bring upon ourselves Gods anger and His judgement. To go on disobeying God until our life on earth ends brings us to an eternity under Gods judgement, cast off forever. God's judgement is a terrible thing to face. God's word is plain. God has shown to mankind that there is a God by the things He has made. People see the truth about God all around them. Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. The penalty for disobeying God is far worse than just being so badly burned that you die. Gods anger, His wrath rests on all who disobey Him and refuse to believe His truth. Hell is where He sends such people.

I said before that if we follow the rules of The Firework Code we can be safe. There are those who believe that by keeping Gods Law that they can be safe. They think that, by their own obedience to Gods Law, they can please Him and make themselves acceptable to Him. They think that by their own good works that they can avoid Gods judgement and be forever in heaven when they die.

The Bible is plain. Noone is able to please God by their own good works. As hard as anyone might try, noone is perfect before God and noone can be if they rely on their own ability. Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalms 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. Psalms 53:3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Even if we had only ever broken one law on one occasion we would have offended God and be under His judgement. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. A piece of string broken halfway along is a broken piece of string. It is no longer a whole piece of string. So it is with Gods law. One break in our keeping of the Law of God is one break too many.

When God says something once in His word we had better take notice. If God says something in His word twice we ought to be very careful about it. God has said six times in His Word that there is noone in all humanity that does that which is good in Gods sight. What attention we ought to pay to this! When God speaks about doing good it is not just our outward actions He is talking about. Gods Rules, His Law, concern all that we do, all that we say and all that we think. There is nothing about us that we can hide from God. He knows even our thoughts and for all of it we are answerable to God..

So, noone is good enough to please God. Noone can get away with anything because God knows everything that goes on. Everyone is under Gods anger because we all do all sorts of things which break Gods law. All who break Gods law face being cast out into hell forever. It is as simple as that. What hope is there for anyone? We have all offended God and there is nothing we can do to change it. Even if from now on we were to be as good as gold. If it were possible for us to live the rest of our lives without doing anything against Gods Law ever again we would still face Gods judgement because we can not make up for the times in the past when we broke Gods Law. God rightly expects everyone to be perfectly obedient to Him. If we could be perfect it is only what we owe from now on. But we can't be perfect. We are not able to be perfect because it is our nature to break Gods Law. So theres no hope for us on our own. We need someone to do something for us.

Lots of people think that all there is to being a Christian is about living a good life.

Being a Christian is actually about being changed. It is a change that God makes in a person by His power alone.

In order to be a Christian a person must turn their life away from everything that offends God. This can ONLY be done by the power of God. This is what the Bible refers to as repentance. A person must turn their life around by leaving the ways of sin and following the way of God.

The Bible is plain - SALVATION IS OF THE LORD.

God has done all that is necessary for sinful people like you and I, who have broken His Law over and over, to be at peace with Him and for everything they've ever done wrong to be forgiven and forgotten completely.

God never ignores the breaking of His Law - Ever. God has provided a perfect person to bear the penalty due to sinners in the sinners' place. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and died on the cross in the place of sinners. THE LORD JESUS SUFFERED BUT HAD NEVER SINNED SO THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD SINNED NEED NOT SUFFER. His death was enough to pay for every sin done by all His people. He never offended God once. He did not deserve any punishment for anything He ever did. When He suffered He suffered in the place of sinful people like you and me. He is the only hope any of us might have of ever being at peace with God and of getting to heaven.

How can this be? Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Believe what Gods word says about you being a sinner. Believe that the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Believe what God says in His word about The Lord Jesus. If you don't know what God says in His word about The Lord Jesus then come and find out. Turn away from things that God says in His word are wrong. If you don't know what God says in His word are wrong then come and find out.

Whatever you do don't ignore your danger because one day it will be too late.