"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
Today's lesson demonstrates that there are no degrees of sin, one is either guilty of sin or he/she has placed his/her faith in Jesus Christ and been eternally redeemed from it. There is no middle ground, no halfway sinner, as some today would have us believe.
Jesus made some comparisons to the people of Galilee saying, "think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." No matter how small we might consider the sin, the penalty for those without Christ is eternal death. We are all guilty of disobedience through Adam, and until that sin is atoned through acceptance of the sacrifice provided freely to us by Jesus Christ, mankind is doomed to die the eternal death.
In the latter portion of this lesson Jesus gave an example of Himself, and those He came to save, in a parable. The lost are represented by the unproductive fig tree, Jesus is the "dresser" who came to offer a way to stay alive to the doomed tree.
Until we accept God's ultimate plan of salvation, his "operations", we are all doomed to die the death. Thank God that through His grace He provided us a way out. "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." (Romans 10-9) ~
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