Sixth Grade Lessons, Block 2—“Where are You?”
Week 10
Where are You?—In Death
(Revised on 3/16/2024)
Reading Reference: Life-study of Romans, msgs. 10; Further Talks on the Knowledge of Life, ch. 15; Gospel Outlines, Subject 14; Redemption in God’s Plan, ch. 3, “Issuing In Death”; Gen. 2:17; 5:5; Rom. 5:12, 21; 6:23a; 1 Cor. 15:22, 55; Eph. 2:1; Matt. 8:22; Psa. 116:3; 55:4; Luke 16:23; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:14; 21:8
Memory Verse: For the wages of sin is death… (Rom. 6:23a)
Suggested Songs: I love God with all my heart; I love God because… (see a modified version of this song at the end of this lesson)
Scripture Reading: Rom. 6:23a; 5:12
Points to Emphasize
- Adam gave up life and chose death— Gen. 2:17
God commanded man, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). The result of eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is that man has a record of sin before God, a nature of sin, and death (Rom. 5:12).
We may use a parable as an illustration. A little boy has been charged by his mother not to touch a certain bottle because it contains poison. One day, while the mother is away, the child takes the bottle and drinks some of the poisonous liquid. He transgresses his mother’s prohibition, but that is actually a small matter. The truly serious thing which happens is that poison has entered into his being. Likewise, in the day that man partook of the tree of knowledge an evil substance entered into his body. Thus, it is not merely a matter of transgression, but a matter of a poisonous element, sin, the nature of the evil one, having entered into the human body.
- In Adam all die—1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:12
The final result of Adam’s transgression is that in Adam all die. Everyone has died in Adam.
- The spirit losing its function after the fall of man —1 Cor. 15:55
The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is death. This is seen first with the deadening of man’s spirit, then the death of man’s body, then the suffering of man’s soul in Hades, and finally the second death of man’s spirit, soul, and body (Rev. 20:14; 21:8). When Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, his spirit was immediately deadened toward God (Eph. 2:1), and later his body also died (Gen. 5:5).
Before man fell, his spirit was not deadened, and he had the capacity to fellowship with God and understand the things of God.
As a result of the fall, the spirit—the organ for receiving God—became deadened and lost its function. This is the most important point concerning man’s fall. The meaning of a deadened spirit is that it has lost its function. To speak of the spirit being deadened does not mean that the spirit no longer exists; rather, it means that the spirit has lost its function. Originally, the function of the spirit was to receive God, but once the spirit lost its function, it could no longer receive God and fellowship with God. It lost its function toward God.
The sting of sin is death. A sting, such as a sting of a scorpion, contains poison. Sin likewise has the element of poison. Once sin poisons us, we experience death (1 Cor. 15:55)
- To be in sins is to be in death—Rom. 6:23a; 5:12
To be in sins is to be in death, because sin brought in death. Death and sin cannot be separated. Where death is, sin is there also. And where sin is, death is there also.
As soon as sin entered into man, his spirit was deadened even though his body was still alive. Outwardly, a person may appear to be living, but inwardly, he is dead (Matt. 8:22). Then in due time his body will die.
Man thinks that he is living day by day; actually, he is dying day by day. If a man has a lifespan of seventy years, every year that passes is a year subtracted. This is just like a man who had seventy dollars but spent one dollar and was one dollar short. So your life is not increasing day by day but decreasing day by day. Spend one more year, and you have one year less. If you have seventy dollars, you can keep it and not spend it, but with time you have no way to keep it.
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death and that through sin, death entered the world (Rom. 6:23; 5:12). Death follows sin. Wherever there is sin, there is death. Man has sin and therefore cannot escape death. The Bible also says, “Sin reigned in death” (v. 21). This means that sin causes man to die. Sin has entered into man and reigns in man. Death now reigns over man.
- The suffering of death—Psa. 116:3; 55:4
Especially those suffering from diseases such as terminal cancer have an existence little better than death, yet they are afraid of death. When death actually comes upon a man, it is especially painful. None can withhold the tears when someone passes away.
- The end of death—the lake of fire
If man is not saved, his soul will be tormented in Hades [after he dies (Luke 16:23)], and eventually his entire being will suffer the second death (Heb. 9:27; Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:14; 21:8). This is truly a serious and dreadful consequence!
Song: I love God because… (modified version)
I love God because He loved me long before the world began.
I love God because He knew my destiny.
I love God because He made me part of His eternal plan.
I love God because He first loved me.
I love Him for all the things He’s done for me.
I love Him for all that He is, all that He is to me.
[I thank You, God, You made me as a vessel to contain
And be filled with You as life.]