Heb. 12:20-21

20 (For [gar] they could [phero] not [ou] endure [phero] that which was commanded [diastellomai], And if so much as [kan] a beast [therion] touch [thiggano] the mountain [oros], it shall be stoned [lithoboleo], or [e] thrust through [katatoxeuo] with a dart [bolis]:

21 And [kai] so [houto] terrible [phoberos] was [en] the sight [phantazo], that Moses [Moseus] said [epo], I exceedingly fear [ekphobos] [eimi] and [kai] quake [entromos]:) KJV-Interlinear

20 For they could not bear the command, If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned. 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling. NASB

Now why would folks be worried about beasts touching the mountain? Who would care whether a dog or a rabbit or even a deer ran up some slope, just as long as it didn t bring harm to the people. And of course that is not what is meant here.

The subject is salvation. The subject is pursuing a relationship with God. The principle being taught here is that man cannot approach God on mans own merit, but must go through the work of the savior and not through some invented approach from mans own imagination.

So the beast here is not some unfortunate animal who happens to stray up the mountain just to get zapped by lightening or whatever, but this is a condemnation of any form of approach toward God by means of any unauthorized belief. The beast represents the sacrificial animal. The beast on the mountain represents mans use of any form of salvation sacrifice, or salvation belief, or salvation effort, other than faith in Jesus Christ.

Christ is the only approach to God.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, Mormonism, Jehovah s Witnesses, Armstrongism, Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, Spiritualism, Scientology, New Age, Hare Krishna, Transcendentalism, Baha i, mythology of the gods, numerous cults, and on and on and on go the beliefs that have been invented throughout history. The first four are the largest by far of the evil beliefs in history. But all of these religions are false and evil to the core, as they reject the person of Christ, or try to ignore Him or distort Him as something other then who He really is.

These are the beasts that, when they touch the mountain will suffer immediate death. Death is a separation from something. That death is separation from the spiritual life. Anyone who is caught up in any of these religions, or even in a Christian organization which pursues something other than legitimate Bible study, something like rituals, or good deeds, or social goodness, and such, should be terrified at the prospects that they are in fact screwing up their life royally.

Just attending a church, just giving a dollar or two to some organization, just trying to live the perfect life, just trying to be nice or pursuing a life which you believe is fine and is not causing harm to anyone else, any and all of these will lead you to the same place of failure in your spiritual life.

So, do you even care?

Well, your life on this earth will end one day. Your future will be in heaven if you have believed in Christ, or in the Lake of Fire if you have rejected Christ.

Avoiding the Lake of Fire is easy. Simply believe in Christ. Father, I believe in Christ. That alone will save you from an eternity (literally) of terror and endless constant suffering.

But going to heaven is not all there is to being saved. God expects you to advance to spiritual maturity. God expects you to grow up. God expects you to be responsible in life. The result of advancing to maturity is phenomenal rewards which you will have for all of eternity. These rewards are not just some bigger paycheck for a time, you cannot earn these rewards, but they include many things that are so phenomenal that they exceed the imagination. Exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we can think or ask.

Abundantly, means more than one can possibly use. And since this is related to the eternal state where time never ends, then abundantly means huge blessings. Beyond huge blessings. Blessings so great that you cannot even imagine them. That is what you will be giving up if you disregard your spiritual life, or consider it as not worth much, as Esau did. Trading it away for whatever you think is more important and worthy of your time from day to day, in this world.

We have used many examples in our study to put this blessing package into perspective. No matter who you are, no matter what you have in this life, then consider yourself in total poverty. Being is total poverty, then imagine that your blessing is a bank account with multi, multi, multi-trillions of dollars. God gives you the key (Jesus Christ) to get into the bank.

Unbelievers throw away the key believing that it is worthless. Fools, they are.

Once in the bank (believers), then God gives you the opportunity to have the deposit slip put in your name, but you have to walk through the bank in order to get that deposit slip. Negative believers or those who compromise their spiritual life, turn around and leave the bank and imitate the unbelievers who are outside. They are going to walk around outside, still expecting the get that deposit slip. They will even be proud of and even boast of their freedom of choice and independent thinking. More fools.

Positive believers who advance to spiritual maturity (walking through the bank) will receive, in their very own hand, that slip and they will own their blessings, and more, forever. That short walk is ones function in the spiritual life. These are the few and the wise of human history.

So, where will you spend your life? Inside of Gods will, or on the outside of it? When will the passions of life well up inside of you such that you will begin and want to pursue what God has to offer, more than anything that this world has to offer or even threaten you with.

When your fear of this world diminishes into virtually nothing, and your fear (deep respect) for God far exceeds the enticements or threats of the world, then you are beginning that road of wisdom and certain success.

Moses was a tremendous believer. He turned his back on the vast wealth of Egypt. He was the Crown Prince and could have been wealthy beyond belief as Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses faced certain death when he returned to Egypt. He could have been executed, but he trusted Gods promises knowing that Pharaoh would not be able to touch him. Moses led out of Egypt a huge new nation of whining babies. Moses, despite all of the pressures on him, stood firm in his resolve and faith in God. Moses saw the demonstration of Gods power and even he trembled with great fear.

None of us are as great of Moses. All of us should sooner than later, come to an understanding and realization that Gods power is far greater than anything in this world. No matter what your circumstances are in this life, whether rich or poor, whether living pleasantly or living under constant stress, you have nothing at all unless you place your spiritual life into the forefront of your priorities of life.

One of these days you will go into eternity. Hopefully that will find you in heaven. You will have a story to tell. A story of who you really are. This story is not your environment, not your circumstances of life, not your conquests, not your economic successes or failures, but a story of faith. God does all of the work and you place your trust in Him. That will be your ultimate story and adventure of success. A success which will far exceed all of the combined successes of human history.

Now is the time to post a prayer.