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Themes Consequences of Sin KIND OR CRUEL? God says you should not lie, steal, hate, or murder. Why? Charles and Walter met in Manitou, Colorado in 1892. Both had come to climb the mountains nearby. One sunny, afternoon they climbed high into the hills. They skirted along the edge of a mountain near Pike's Peak. As they rounded a curve, they saw an entrance to a cave. The park authorities had nailed boards over the entrance. The sign said in large letters, "DANGER! KEEP OUT!" Charles bent down to peak through the boards. Everything was dark inside. "Man, I would love to have a look in there. Will you go with me?" Charles asked. "No way! You'd be crazy to go in there." Walter shot back. "Oh come on. It can't be that bad." As they continued down the trail, Charles became more determined to go back and explore. Walter tried to talk him out of it. When they reached the base of the mountain, Charles found a lantern and waved good-bye to Walter. When he reached the entrance he pulled off the "KEEP OUT!" sign and kicked the boards loose. Tossing them aside, he crouched down and lit his lantern. His eyes became more accustomed to the dim light as he crawled inside. He could see jagged rock walls and a narrow path leading downward. He crept along feeling the wall with his left hand while holding the lantern with his right. Suddenly, the path gave way and he slid down into the darkness. He fell to a ledge where he collapsed in a heap. Awhile later, he came to. The fall had knocked him unconscious. He did not know how long he had laid there. He was bruised and sore and his lantern had shattered. He lay on the damp ground in complete darkness. Finally, he remembered the matches in his pocket. Carefully he lit them. In the sparse light, he could see where he had fallen. Trembling, he crawled along the floor until his knees and hands were bleeding. He began to think he would die in the cave. He took out a piece of paper and scribbled a note to his mother. Suddenly, he felt a rope. He inched along on his knees afraid he might fall farther into the cave. He broke into a smile when he felt a stream fresh air and saw a beam of light. Finally, he crawled out of another entrance. He had been in the cave for 20 hours! Charles learned that warnings are given for our good. The park authorities had not put the sign up and boarded the entrance because they were mean. They were trying to keep him from being hurt. Why did God give adam and Eve the commandments? Why has God given us the ten commandments in the Bible? God is kind! He knows that if we disobey we will suffer. Sin can hurt us in this life. Sin will cause us to suffer forever in hell after we die. God is kind to have warned us about sin in the Bible. He is also kind to have provided salvation through the Lord jesus. "For God commendeth (demonstrated) His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
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