Sin Leading to Death

The sermon begins by reminding us that although God is filled with compassion, grace, and patience, He is also completely just and holy, unable to accept sin. The preacher uses the example of a white sheet stained by a single drop of black ink to illustrate that even the smallest sin leaves a permanent mark. For this reason, no one can approach God except through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, when His blood shed on the cross cleanses sin for those who truly believe in Him.

The first lesson on worship is illustrated through the death of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron the high priest. These young men underwent seven days of consecration in the Tabernacle, but on the eighth day, they offered strange fire—not from the fire God used to consume the lamb in the burnt offering, but from another source of their own choosing. This caused God to strike them dead on the spot. The lesson demonstrates that God hates false worship—acts of worship that proceed from the human spirit rather than from the Holy Spirit and according to the truth of God's Word. Even a church with the best choir is only noise in God's ears if the motive is self-glorification rather than sincere worship of Him.

The second lesson on service is told through the incident of Uzzah being struck dead. King David commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be transported to the new capital, Jerusalem. However, Uzzah violated three important points of God's commandment: first, he was not from the tribe of Levi, which was chosen to transport the Ark; second, he arranged to transport the Ark using the Philistine method rather than God's prescribed way; third, he hastily and carelessly touched the Ark. Uzzah's sin was attempting to serve God in his own way rather than obeying God's clear command. Service must be performed according to God's will, in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the ability of the human spirit.

The third lesson on dedication is shown through the case of Ananias and Sapphira in the early Church era. When Barnabas sold his property and gave all the proceeds to the apostles, everyone admired him. Ananias and his wife wanted to be praised likewise, so they sold part of their property but only gave a portion of the money, keeping the rest for themselves, while claiming they were giving everything. Their sin was lying to the Holy Spirit about their dedication. Both were struck dead for giving from the human spirit—motivated by a desire for honor—rather than from the Holy Spirit.

The sermon concludes that these three events occurred at three crucial moments in salvation history as warning signs. We must recognize that our worship, service, and dedication must be entirely under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not proceeding from flesh or the human spirit. A truly spiritual life can only arise from God's Holy Spirit, according to the truth of His Word, to glorify Christ and our Father. We will have to give account to God for our deeds when standing before His judgment seat, so let us hold fast to the counsel "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit."