Man stands condemned before a holy God if he rejects the divine revelation he has been given. All unsaved men are guilty before God because they have rejected God’s divine revelation, no matter what form it has taken-creation, the image of God in man, the Bible, or the written and oral message of the cross. All men of all ages have received some form of divine revelation and God holds these men accountable for what each has been given, no matter how much or how little he has received.
Psalm 8:3-4 – When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
First of all, God has revealed himself to all men through nature and creation. The heavens above, the earth below, and the physical bodies we possess were all designed to reveal truth about God’s character and being. Stop and think about it. If you look at the intricacies of inner and outer space an intelligent design is evident. Look inside a single living cell and you’ll notice a million of moving parts. Look at the heavens and notice how they are synchronized and operate in a very predictable and precise manner. What has been made can only be created by the fingers of God.
Hebrews 1:1 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.
Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of god; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Romans 1:19-20 – Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
John 4:24 – (Jesus speaking) – God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
As we look at the physical body of man we see 75 trillion specialized cells grouped into specialized tissues, organs and enclosed biological systems and equipped with a brain that is the greatest supercomputer in the universe. If that’s not enough to impress us then we can look into the inner man, either casually or through a psychological study, and we find a living being who is self-aware. A moral being who knows right from wrong. Being moral, knowing right from wrong, is not something that can be evolved. It has to be given.
Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Psalm 139:14 – I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Man knows in his soul he’s a created being. That knowledge placed inside every man can only come from without. Where could this self-awareness of man come from? How does man know good from evil? The only logical conclusion is that a moral God created moral man in his own image; meaning man was created with not only intelligence, emotions and will but also with a moral compass and eternal spirit like the one possessed by God the Father. God made man a sentient being with a free will to choose whom he will serve, God or Satan. God made man to be responsible to God for his attitudes and actions.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:20-21 – Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
John 3:18 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
In fairly recent times God has given us the Bible, a special revelation to man, God’s written word. God speaks to all men through the pages of the Bible in order to share what he wants known. The New Testament is the account of the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and his redemptive work on earth and, along with the Old Testament, gives to man God’s total revelation of himself and his program for the ages. To reject the Bible is to reject God and the saving grace Jesus Christ, resulting in condemnation.
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17 – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
For man to escape condemnation they must be saved. For man to be saved they must receive by faith Jesus Christ of the gospel message contained in the Bible. When man hears the gospel he can either accept it or reject it, but he cannot remain neutral. If any man rejects the gospel message of Christ God holds him guilty and condemned. If man regards the message of the cross as nothing but foolishness then he is numbered among the condemned, those who are perishing. Condemnation is to be sentenced to the lake of fire and brimstone forever.