Let me read a few verses here
from the book of John, in the first chapter of the book of
John. John chapter 1 and verse 1. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life
was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness comprehended it not." There was a man sent
from God. whose name was John. The same
came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through
him might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to that
believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of man, of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And John bare witness of him,
and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake. He that cometh
after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness have all
we received, and grace for grace, for the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at
any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared And this is
the record of John. When the Jews sent prophets and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? Who art thou? And he confessed
and denied not, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What
then art thou, Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou
that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said
they unto him, Who art thou, that we may give an answer to
them that sent us? What sayest thou thyself? And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness. make straight the way of the
Lord,' said the prophet Isaiah." I want to talk to you a little
bit here this morning from the eighteenth chapter of the book
of Ezekiel. And I begin by making this remark. One of the things that distinguish
or make the Bible different from everything else that is written
is that it is a book of questions. It has many questions in the
Bible, chapter after chapter and book after book. a line of questioning that has
to be answered somewhere or the other by those that read the
Bible. So my particular object this
morning is to call your attention to one of the questions found
here in the 18th chapter of the book of Ezekiel. And it is the
31st verse. This is the question. It's a
question of all questions, I think. It's a question that every man
sooner or later will have to face. And the question is this
in verse 31. It says, cast away from you all
your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you
a new heart and a new spirit. Now, here's the question. For
why will ye die, O house of Israel? Now, that's the question. That's
probably the greatest question that will ever be asked of us. Why will ye die, O Israel? And I think that somewhere here
in the Scriptures it says, Why will ye die? If it doesn't say
it in these words, it says it in that sense. Why will ye die
when the Son of God is so nearby? That question has got to be answered
by me. and answered by you, Why will
ye die, O Israel? Well, this question found here
in Ezekiel 18 and 31, Why will ye die, O house of Israel? In this question, God asked for
a reason for their conduct. Up to this point, they hadn't
taken into consideration what the end would be. So he asked
them this personal question, why will you die? Now, the question
here can only be put to a rational being. It can't be put to a lion
or a tiger. It can only be put to a rational
being, a human being. Now, a man is conscious that
he is a rational being. He's conscious of that, and that
he exists, and he thinks, and he reasons, and after he reasons,
he decides the case. He's a rational being. God is
speaking to a human being, a rational being, and the question is to
this rational being who thinks and contemplates and decides. He asks him, why will you die? And the next question then is,
as our Lord, by the Spirit of God, speaks to these people. After he thinks and reasons,
he decides the case. He walks, and he lives, and he
breathes, and he eats, and he drinks, and he sleeps a rational
being. Now, God's reason with man, as
when he says down in that next verse, verse 32, he says, For
I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord. Wherefore, turn ye selves, and
live. I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked." Now, God is speaking, as I've already said, this question
to reasonable men who think and act. And he says, why will you
die? Now, in another place in the
Scripture it says, Come now and let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be white as snow. Though they be red as crimson,
they shall be white as snow. Your sins shall be whiter than
snow. Now, in this particular portion
of scripture, or in this particular question in verse 31, where he
says, For why will ye die, O house of Israel? He demands, God demands
a reason for the course of a man's conduct. There's some that's in the narrow
way, and there's some that's in the broad way, and there's
some in between. Now, God in this question knows,
and the man knows, that he's a rational being, able to think
and to reason. In light of that, God asks this
question, Give me a reason why you'll die. He demands a reason
for the course of their conduct, and he speaks to them, Why will
you die, O house of Israel? He asks for a reason and believes. that they are capable of giving
him an answer. So that question is to all of
us here this morning. Come let us reason together. He asks you and I for a reason
why we will not consent to him. Well, it seems to me that men
are determined to destroy themselves. There's a few of us gathered
here this morning, and a few in other places, but the bulk
of the world's population is not gathered into a place where
they can hear about the truth and the living God. All men everywhere
know that they're going to die. We know we're going to die. We've
taken that into consideration, that one of these days, whether
we're young or whether we're old, We're going to die. We're going to die, and if we
are without the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we'll
die a terrible, terrible death. Now, I've said that God believes
and knows that men are capable of giving him an answer. It seems to me that men everywhere
and every place are determined. They've got their minds set. They are determined to destroy
themselves. What death is here intended I'll leave you to make that answer. Why will ye die? Well, I'm sure
that he's talking about a death that is not natural. All will
die. All men, women, and children
will die. A natural death. He's not talking
about a natural death here. He's talking about another death,
the death of death. Now, man cannot decide how long
he lives. That's not up to us. There's
a time to be born, and there's a time to die. And only God knows
the time that you die. But it's a sure thing that we
all will die. So it's not a natural death that
he's talking about here. Man, with all of his ingenuity,
he cannot lengthen his days by one second. You can take the
most diligent care of your body. You can go to the doctors and
be examined and all that, but you cannot, in any sense of the
word, lengthen your days. You cannot live one second more
than what destiny has afforded for you. So the death that he's
talking about here when he says, why will you die, is not a natural
death that he's talking about. There's another death. He can't
lengthen his days by a minute or a second. And old Job says
his days are determined and the number of his months are with
thee. He has appointed the bounds that
he cannot pass." Now, all of us here, being rational beings,
know we have no control over our natural death. It may be
that someone may die here this morning in this service. It could be me. It could be you. None of us know. You might think
you know, but you don't know. No one knows when he'll die. It's not subject to the will
of man to know when they're going to die. It's enough to know that
you're going to die. So this death is not the death
of the speaker or that which is spoken of in Ezekiel 18, verse
31, when he says, from you your transgressions,
whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and
a new spirit. For why will ye die, O Israel?"
Why? Well, I know, and you know, I believe,
and we'll have no argument over this. This is a death. that is beyond this world. Why will you die this death which
is beyond this world? This is a death that is beyond
the grave. This is a second death beyond
the dying of the body. The scriptures say, Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such, the second death has
no power. But the fearful and the unbelieving
and the abominable and murderers, whoremongers and sorcerers and
all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone,
which is the second death." Why will ye die this second death,
the real death? When we die this natural death,
our bodies go into the ground, into the dirt. and becomes dust. But in the second death is the
death of all deaths, fire and brimstone. No end to the second
death. It goes on. We think it's a long
time when we have 300 and some days in one year. We think that's
a long time for my birthday to come around, twelve months. But oh, to think of that time
in that lake of fire and brimstone where there is no end. One day
will be like a thousand years for a man. Why will you die? is the question. When the show
of God is so nearby, why will you die? That's what he's talking
about here, the second death. A man who does not know the gospel
of God, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, all men who are
outside of the Lord Jesus Christ and are strangers to the gospel
of Christ, this death which men are exposed of while they are
in the state of degradation, when they are outside of the
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. If they know not Him whom God
has sent to rescue them from the second death, they will experience
beyond a shadow of a doubt that awful place called hell. Why will you die? when the atonement
that the Lord Jesus Christ has made will cover you from all
your sins. Why will ye die, O house of Israel? Now, God reasons with the man,
and a man reasons with God. God wants to know what the reason
is. Why are you like you are? Why do you rebel? Or why do you think lightly of
what God has done in Christ? Come, let us reason together. This death to which men are exposed
of while they are outside of the arc of safety. The Bible says that he that believeth
not shall be damned. This is the death to which man
are subject of. He that believeth not shall be
damned. Man that doesn't believe what
God has said and what God has inspired men to put in this Bible. If men reject that and reject
the answer that God demands, men will experience that death
of death, which is fire and brimstone, which is being separated forever
and forever. Why will you die? God says. Well, it's a fact, I believe,
that sinners do neglect the Savior. There are multiplied billions of people upon this
earth who care very little about what God has said. Very little. They neglect the truth. They neglect God. They neglect
the Lord Jesus Christ. They neglect the message of the
Bible, even though they know that there is no other name under
heaven whereby we might be saved. Most men, sometime in their life,
have been faced with that question and that answer. Why will ye
die when the scriptures say there
is no other name among men whereby ye might be saved? God has made it perfectly clear
as the shining of the sun that the way of salvation is through
the atonement of Jesus Christ. Yet this mad world, for the most
part, will not even consider who the
Lord Jesus Christ is. All they know about this time
of the year is a Christmas tree. But they know nothing about the
Lord Jesus Christ and his atoning work, that he who knew no sin. Oh, the greatest gift that God
ever gave to man was the Lord Jesus. He sent him to atone, to make
an atonement for man's sin. Yet this world and its religion
does not consider or give thought to who He is and what He's done. God has made it plain as the
shining of the sun that salvation is through His Son. Now, it's
not because God delights in the death of sinners. In verse, I
think verse 23 of this same chapter, it says this. Verse 23, if you try to look
at it. Remember I said now, God does
not delight in the death of a sinner. He wants to reason with the sinner. Come let us reason together. Now he says, Have I any pleasure
at all that the wicked should die? This is what God says. He says, Why will ye die, O Israel?
And over here it says, I have no pleasure at all that the wicked
should die. I don't have any pleasure in
it. I'm asking you some questions,
he said. These are eternal questions. Why will you die? I have no pleasure
at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord, and not
that he should return from his ways and live. If you die this
death, it will not be because God and his commands are unreasonable,
if you die this death. That will not be the reason.
You cannot point the finger at God and say your demands are
unreasonable and far-fetched. Oh no, God's demands are not
unreasonable. Why will you die when the Son
of God is so nearby? Why will you die? Well, we've
come here this morning to the latter end of our preaching service, and I say to you and to me, why
will you die when the Bible says, is there not bread enough in
my Father's house? There's enough bread for all
of us. Why will you die when the Son of God is so nearby? You trust in yourself. You trust
in what you do and what you don't do. Why will you die? You will die. And this death
that he's talking about is that awful death, the death whereby
a man goes off into the regions of the damned and he's there
forever and forever and forever. Eternity. Eternity. How can you think about going
out into this unknown place where there's whooping and wailing
and gnashing of teeth And stay there for eternity when there's
no end of eternity. Eternity is in one. It's not an eternity past and
eternity to come. It's all one. Eternity. No end to it. Why, God says,
will you die? Why will you die this second
death? Is there not bread enough in
my Father's house? Is there not enough love in the
Father's heart? Is there not room enough in heaven
for you? Why will you die? You must answer that question.
Why will you die? You've got no control over this
first death, none whatsoever. You don't know the day and the
hour or the second that you're going, but you're going to die.
You're going to die. Your body's going into the grave.
But then there's the second death. If you're not prepared for the
first death, what about the second death? the second death when
a man goes out into eternity and experiences the hell of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ bore the pain and the suffering
and the shame of his people on the tree. Man who knew no sin always pleased
God every second and every minute throughout the eternity. The
Lord Jesus Christ was the obedient son, pleased God in everything. This is my beloved Son, God said,
and Him I am well pleased. He took on himself the punishment
that was due to sinners like you and I. That punishment. He took it. He took our shame. They took this man called Christ. They took him and they took all
of his clothes off. every rag that he had on him,
stripped him and nailed him to a tree. And doing so, he took
our shame. They made him shame. They shamed
the Son of God. God in flesh. Wicked men who will fill eternity
with the second death. took his clothes off, shamed
him, and made him suffer on a tree. And our Lord Jesus Christ, in
His shame and in His suffering, made atonement for our sins. So I say to you this morning,
why will you die when the Son of God is so nearby? Why won't you call upon Him? Oh, why will you die? And I ask
this question. Is there not room enough in heaven
for you? There's plenty of room. Why will you die? Why will you
die? God reasons with you, and He
deserves an answer. Why will you die? Oh, Israel,
why will you die? And you can't give any reason
that I know of why you won't. The Lord help us. Well, those are the thoughts this morning
that come to my mind about this. I'm concerned about you. I'm concerned about myself. I
know that I won't have too many more days upon this earth. And some of you are along with
me. It's just day by day. And I want
to be sure in my own heart, I want to have some proof of the Spirit
of God that my heart is right with God. That I'm not trying
to present to God a record of my good deeds. Anything
that I ever done that I thought was good is tainted with sin. I have nothing that was not tainted
with sin. But I want to know in my heart
and mind for sure that I'm His and He's mine. That I'm trusting
in nothing or nobody but the Lord Jesus Christ. That I believe
with all of my heart, mind, and soul, the gospel of the Lord
Jesus, that this man called Jesus suffered for me. He took my place
on that tree. He was made sin, who knew no
sin, that I might be made to righteousness of God in Him. I want to be with Him when I
say my last prayer. and close my eyes at last. I want to have some confidence
that I'm going to be with Him. Why will you die when the Lord
Jesus Christ, God's only Son, came and died for sinners? Why will you die? That's a question
that you'll have to answer. God reasons with people. Come, let us reason together.
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be whiter than the
snow. Why will you die? Are you determined
to die? And you will die. God help us. God help us. May God give you
a good hope in Him and Him alone.