Can we escape punishment ?

No escaping the punishment of sin. The impenitent sinner always under the searching eye of God.

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.-Job xxxiv. 22. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down; and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them; and though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.-Amos ix. 2-4.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.-Prov. xv. 3.

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.-Prov. v. 21.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go, and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.-1 Sam. xv. 2, 3.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God ?-Rom. ii. 3.

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.-Rom. xii. 19.

Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.-Deut. xxxii. 34, 35.

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.-Jer. xxiii. 24.

What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves! God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants.-Gen. xliv. 16.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.-Heb. iv. 13.

For when they shall say Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.-1 Thess. v. 3.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?—— Heb. ii. 3.

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.-Gen. iv. 7.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. For our God is a consuming

fire.--Heb. xii. 25, 29.

I the Lord search the heart. I try the reins; even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.-Jer. xvii. 10.

But there are very good people who are not believers in Jesus as their Saviour?

Yes! just as there are many of the seed of Abraham who are not the children of promise. But in God's sight there are none good.

I know that ye are Abraham's seed. . . If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.— John viii. 37, 39.

For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.-Rom. ix. 6-8.

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.-Rom. ii. 28, 29.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.-Gal. iii. 29.

If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.-Rom. viii. 9.

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.-Gal. v. 6.

For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.-Gal. vi. 15.

Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.-Matt. v. 20.

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.-John iii. 3.

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.-Eccles. vii. 20.

Who can say, I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin ?-Prov. xx. 9.

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!— Luke vi. 26.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.-1 John i. 8.

For in many things we offend all.-James iii. 2.

Say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. . . . Neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth: When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered: but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.-Ezek. xxxiii. 12, 13.

We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.-Isa. lxiv. 6.

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.-Ps. xiv. 3. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.-Rom. xiv. 23.

Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.-Jer. ii. 35.

I will declare thy righteousness and thy works: for they shall not profit thee.-Isa. lvii. 12.

PART III.

THE WAY OF SALVATION FOR A WORLD CONVICTED OF SIN AND UNDER CONDEMNATION.

What must I do to be saved?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.-John iii. 16, 17.

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. . . . For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.-Rom. x. 9.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.-John xi. 25, 26.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.-John iii. 36.

every one have ever

And this is the will of him that sent me, that which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may lasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.-John vi. 40.