06.05 - Chapter 39 - Future Punishment

Chapter 39 FUTURE PUNISHMENT A Confession of Faith

“God hath appointed a day wherein He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ; to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father; in which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.” (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 32, Section 1; study Acts 17:31; John 5:22, John 5:27; 1 Corinthians 6:3; Jude 1:6; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:10, Romans 14:12; Matthew 25:32 ff).

Universalism The concept that one day all people shall be saved including Judas Iscariot is refuted by the Scriptures.

♦ Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

♦ Luke 16:19 "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:"

♦ John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." The Punishment of the Wicked

Restorationism. This view proceeds on the ground that reformation is the only purpose of punishment. The premise is false and so is the conclusion. Punishment is for warning, for vindication of moral government and justice, not for reconciliation or restoration apart from repentance. Nevertheless, the Restorationists appeal to a variety of scripture (Romans 5:18; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:9-10; Php 2:10-11). The Biblical response to the Restorationists is found in other passages (Luke 16:26; Mark 9:46).

Annihilation. This position is based on the view that death means non-existence, and that to destroy means to annihilate. But the premise is wrong. The Bible teaches the ever-dying nature of the soul. The story is told that on one occasion the infamous atheist Robert G. Ingersoll was lecturing against the idea of hell. He declared that he would prove conclusively that hell was a wild dream of scheming theologians who invented it in order to terrify credulous people. As he was beginning his lecture, a half-drunken man arose in the audience and shouted, "Make it strong, Bob. There’s a lot of us poor fellows depending on you. If you are wrong , we are all lost. So be sure to prove it clear and plain." Jesus said, "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)

Endless Punishment. The Doctrine of Endless Punishment is not a pleasant truth to declare. It is not a welcomed truth even within the Christian church. And yet, it is the plain teaching of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

♦ Matthew 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. The same word qualifies the punishment that also qualifies the life of the righteous."

♦ Mark 9:43-48 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

♦ 2 Thessalonians 1:9 "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."

Objections to the Doctrine of Endless Punishment

• Argument. "The punishment does not fit the crime. It is not just to inflict endless penalty for temporary sinning."

Response. Endless punishment is the penalty for endless sinning. How long will sin endure?

Then so long must punishment continue.

• Argument. "God is not so cruel as to torment souls forever."

Response. Sin inflicts its own penalty. Sin’s punishment is sin’s effect; but sin’s effect in character becomes the cause of further effect, and thus every act becomes an eternal cause.

God in mercy has provided a way to escape endless punishment through Jesus Christ the Lord. If a person rejects the offer of the gospel then there is no one to blame except self.

Oh, why am I here in this place of unrest When others have entered the land of the blest?

God’s way of salvation was preached unto me;

I heard it and heard it, again and again.

• Argument. "There will be a second probation." [Second Probation means a second chance or opportunity to accept the offer of salvation between death and the resurrection, especially for those whose opportunities were lacking in this life.] The following passages from the New Testament are appealed to in support of the concept for a second chance.

♦ Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost".

♦ 1 Timothy 2:4-6 "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

♦ 1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

♦ Matthew 12:32 "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." The inference is that other sins MAY be forgiven in the world to come"

♦ 1 Peter 3:19-20 "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."

Response. These texts are taken out of context in order to prove more than they really state.

Something more explicit than this must be assigned as a Scriptural proof of the doctrine of Second Probation, “As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will He have the day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus; come quickly. Amen.” (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 32, Section 3; study 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-7; Mark 13:35-37; Luke 12:35-40).

Why did I not listen and turn from my sin And open my heart and let Jesus come in? For vain earthly pleasures my soul did I sell-- The way I had chosen has brought me to hell.

• Argument. "Christ raised certain ones from the dead such as the young man of Nain, showing that the time of grace does not expire at death."

Response. The case of the youth of Nain and similar examples are entirely exceptional and may be ruled out of the argument.

I wish I were dreaming, but ah, it is true, The way to be saved I had heard and I knew; My time on earth, oh, so quickly flew by, How little I thought of the day I would die.

• Argument. "If man’s destiny is settled at death, then all that die without hearing the gospel are under an absolute decree of reprobation. This is not fair. They should be given a second chance."

Response. God is under no obligation to save anyone. That He should condescend to save some is a manifestation of His grace. That all others are assigned to eternal punishment is a manifestation of His justice. When God’s Holy Spirit was pleading with me, I hardened my heart and I turned from His plea. The way that was sinful, the path that was wide, I chose and I walked till the time that I died.

Eternally now, I must dwell in this place.

If I from my memory could but erase The thoughts of my past which are haunting me so.

Oh, where is a refuge to which I can go? This torture and suffering, how long can I stand? For Satan and demons this only was planned.

God’s refuge is Jesus, the One that I spurned;

He offered salvation, but from Him I turned.