The World and the Word

                 The Difference between Sin and Evil

Worms possess very little consciousness. This fact has symbolic meaning in Mark 9:44, 46 and 48. The "worms" of humans in the lake of fire will possess only a negative consciousness similar to that of the devils from the bottomless pit. Negative consciousness happens to be the opposite of positive, creative consciousness. Negative consciousness takes pleasure in destructive acts, not creative ones. This fact can only mean that the sufferings of the "worms" in the lake of fire will be muted, not like the intense pain that a positive consciousness would feel. Revelation 20:10 reveals that God will cast the Devil, like the Beast and the False Prophet, alive into the lake of fire. God will provide the Devil with a positive consciousness so that he will feel the horrible and intense pain of being burned alive forever. In this way, God will create a good system that will so preoccupy the mind of the Devil that he will never be able to think of any way to introduce evil into God's creations ever again.

In Matthew 15:13, Jesus taught that "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Jesus' statement can only mean that "plants" exist, symbolic of evil, in God's world which He did not create. This teaching means that evil entered into God's creations from the outside, and the Devil planted it into the inner beings of Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity. This teaching also means that God will purge only evil from His creations, including all humans. God will save all living humans from evil. Revelation 21:5.

In Mark 9:41, Jesus taught that even the smallest good work will receive a reward. Even the worst humans have done some small amount of good works. Jesus' teaching here agrees perfectly with His teachings in Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 22:12. The phrase "every man" of these verses, and of I Corinthians 3:13 and Romans 2:10, can only mean every human who ever lived. The phrase "every man" can only mean the same as the word "whosoever" in John 3:16. God's Word means exactly that which it states.

God will resurrect even the smallest living soul and spirit of even the worst human for Him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. The size of the image of God in every person becomes directly proportional to the number of good works that they choose to do while alive on the earth. God creates humans as He wills, some with a weak image of Himself and with few good works for them to do, and others with a strong image of Himself with a lot of good works for them to do, and all others in between. Romans 9:14-24. But God also gives all humans free will so that a few persons with a weak image of God in them may actually choose to become saved by grace, whereas a few persons with a strong image of God in them may nevertheless choose to live an evil life. Humans saved by grace receive the righteousness of Christ and thereby additional good works for them to do. The Apostle Paul may be an example of the former type, and the prophet Balaam of the latter type. John 5:28-29.