176. II. Scripture Proofs.
II. Scripture Proofs.
Some of these proofs are grounded on the facts of eschatology already considered, and may therefore be presented the more briefly. Indeed, the whole argument may be presented in its full strength without much elaboration.
1. Final Neglect of Salvation.—It is a clear truth of the Scriptures that the salvation from sin offered in the Gospel is conditional, and to be attained only on a compliance with its divinely specified terms. There is for us neither forgiveness, nor regeneration, nor sonship, nor final blessedness except on such terms. There is no salvation without repentance for past sins, faith in Christ, and a consecration of the life to his service. Without this salvation we are liable to the penalties of sin as announced in the Scriptures. Hence future punishment must be consequent to a final neglect of salvation. Yet such neglect is a fact on the part of many; there is no acceptance of the salvation in Christ.
2. Fact of Dying in Sin.—There is such a fact. Wicked men die without repentance or forgiveness; sometimes in the very act of sinning. In the light of Scripture it is a fearful thing so to die. “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death” (Proverbs 14:32). If there is no future punishment why should not the wicked die as calmly as the righteous, and with the same comfort of hope? The contrast between the two in the event of death emphasizes the certainty of punishment hereafter. “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.” “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:21; John 8:24). Neither should these words awaken any solicitude nor cause any alarm if there is no future punishment. As we read them in the light of the Gospel they must mean such punishment.
3. Future Happiness only for the Righteous.—We include as righteous all who attain to the Christian life or the state of true believers. In the Scriptures future blessedness is promised to them, and to them only. In no text is there any such promise to the wicked, while in many, such blessedness is expressly denied them. Those who believe in Christ shall be saved, but those who believe not shall perish (John 3:16; John 3:36). The true disciples of Christ shall ultimately be with him; such is his promise to them, but to them only (John 14:1-3). All who through spiritual regeneration become the children of God are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, and shall share in his glory; but there is no such promise to any others (Romans 8:15-18). All who serve him in the spirit of true obedience shall attain to the heavenly life (Hebrews 5:9; Revelation 22:14); and all who wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb shall come to the blessedness of heaven (Revelation 7:14-17); but there is still not a word of such promise to any others. Future blessedness is set forth as peculiar to the righteous; indeed, as exclusively theirs. There is not only no intimation of any participation of the wicked in such blessedness, but such participation is formally denied. All this must mean for them a future state of punishment.
4. Contemporary Doom of the Wicked.—When the righteous receive their future reward the wicked shall meet a penal doom. On this question the Scriptures are explicit and full (The appropriate texts would fill pages; but it will suffice that we give a few by reference: Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 13:41-43; Matthew 25:46; Luke 13:24-29; Romans 2:6-9). If these texts set forth the same future blessedness for the wicked as for the righteous and promised its bestowment at the same time, then how strong and sure would be the position of the most extreme Universalism! But just the contrary is the truth. When those who have rendered obedience to the will of God shall enter into the heavenly kingdom those who have refused such obedience shall depart accursed. When the children of God shall shine forth as the sun in the glory of his kingdom the children of iniquity shall be cast into hell. When the righteous enter into eternal life the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment.
5. Punishment at the Final Advent.—Out of many texts we select only two for the presentation of this point: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). Of the other text we give the central points. The Son of man shall be revealed from heaven for the infliction of punishment on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
6. Resurrection to a Penal Doom.—There will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. This is definitely the doctrine of St. Paul (Acts 24:15); and this means the truth of what we here maintain. The same truth is clearly foreshadowed in these words: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Then we have the most explicit words of our Lord: “The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29).
7. Final Judgment of Condemnation.—Ample proof of this may be found in our treatment of the judgment; so that a few texts will here suffice. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; . . . in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:12; Romans 2:16). “For we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).
Here are seven arguments, all thoroughly scriptural in their ground, and severally conclusive of future punishment. In their combination the proof is cumulative in the highest degree.