The Wrangell sentinel., 1951-01-19
WHAT ABoUI
IS HEAVEN A HUMBUG9

IS HEAVEN a nOMbO5g
 Has God tricked us? If l were to offer you a handsome gift, then deliberately make it impossible for you to have it, I'm sure l would be placed at the top of your black list!
 Strange to say, some think God has treated us that way! He has invited all of us to take posses sion of the most fabulous gift ever offered heaven and the new world; and yet-there is a condi- tion that prevents us from doing so. Do you know what it is?
 It is a curse! Now, this may sound like witchcraft, but please do not be unduly frightened you can escape that curse; but it is there nevertheless. Paul says we are under the "curse of the law" Yes, God has a law of conduct for this world. Why are we under its curse? Because we have broken it. Exactly.
 A Huge Joke?
 Its curse is eternal death. That IS what Paul meant when he said the wages of sin is death And "Sin is the transgression of the law" l John 3:4. God could not take sinners into his perfect world, could he? But, yet, "all have sinned"! Then, is it huge joke God has played on us?
 Thanks be--no! Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" Gal. 3:13. How? By taking the curse death upon himself. He gave his life for ours. It is our acceptance of that sub- stitution that we call being saved by faith" or saved by grace" Ever hear of it?
 We are doomed eternally be- cause we have broken Gods law. We can enter Gods righteous new world only by accepting Christ's righteousness as our own.
 Now, this may seem clear to you, but, strange to say, some find it hard to grasp. They fancy that somehow faith "does away with" law!
 Why Is a Sinner a Sinner?
 But listen-saint and sinner are both bound by the same law The sinner is a sinner because he breaks that law. The grace of Christ can compensate for his transgression, but the law is still there. If he breaks it again he is a condemned sinner again Simple, isn't it? Do we do away with the law of the land because 1t requires the governor himself to pardon us for breaking it? Let's be sensible.
 The very fact that we need law against which we have transgressed. and which cannot be done away. That is why Paul said: Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" Rom. 3:31.
 You will save needless con. fusion if you remember that be. sides the eternal ten command mentS, the Bible also deals at length with a temporary law of temple ceremonies given to the Hebrew people. This ritual law pointed forward to the death of Christ and was cancelled at that time because the event it fore told had taken place.
 There is no basis at all for doing away with the Ten Com mandments. Unless it is just that we do not want to keep themD They will be cherished by those who, through faith in Jesus, are counted worthy to center in through the gates" of eternity. Rev. 22:14.
 Heaven is no humbug. It is real, and may be won by "who- Soever will" But it might be a good idea to study those com mandments again: Exodus 20.3-17 See also James 2:10-12. (Next: How to Live FOrever).
 This Is No. 5 Of e series, telling brief- " Of the heliefs and hopes of 100000 of your seVenfh-doy Adventist neishbors and