Category: Weekly

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation…of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:1, 2

Last week, we finally finished answering our last question related to the text above, namely “Will the wicked suffer eternally?”  You might be surprised to find out that a number of professing Christians now answer emphatically “No!” to this question.  An unbalanced presentation of the God of the Bible by preachers and teachers in our day as well as a lack of personal study by church members have led to the erroneous conclusion that God is too loving to condemn men to suffer forever.  Nevertheless, the Scripture is clear that those outside of Christ will indeed experience pain and torment that will never end. Just consider words like “eternal” and “everlasting” in a sample of the many texts that deal with this topic:

Mt 25:41, 46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Mk 3:29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”

Rev 20:10,15 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The verses above are just a few of the many passages related to eternal judgment, but they are more than enough to show us that the wicked will suffer forever.  It is a doctrine that needs to be clearly declared today even as Christ did in his day (Mt 10:28) for it will prompt men to fear the Lord, which Pr 9:10 tells us is the path that leads to wisdom.  If you’d like to view an outline of what we covered on the topic of “Resurrection and Judgment”, you can access the PDF version by clicking here.

Having finished this side topic, Lord willing, we will pick back up where we left off in Conformed To His Image this week.  Even as God is a righteous God that will most assuredly judge the wicked, He is also the source of all true love in the universe for “love is of God” and “God is love”! (1 Jn 4:7-8)  We’re on pg 29 this week considering “God’s Love For Us”.  I look forward to seeing each of you.

Jamie

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation…of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:1, 2

It has truly been amazing to see where the Lord has carried us as we began to consider the passage above.  We have thus far dealt with two questions:

• What is the state of the physically dead right now?
• What happens at the resurrection?

I fully intended to finish our final question on this topic last week, but the Lord had different plans.  We were trying to look at verses related to the eternal suffering of the wicked, but just a few minutes into our study, our direction changed when I read the following statement by a professing believer insisting there was no way God could condemn any man to suffer eternally:

“Does the traditional teaching of ‘eternal hell’ make any sense? Would or could an all-loving, all-powerful God stand back and watch any of His children spend eternity suffering indescribable agony and torment? Does that really make sense?”

I had two questions about the above statement. What does the term “all-loving” mean and who are “His children.”  If God’s children are all men without exception, I don’t find scriptural proof for that supposition.  In 1 Jn 3:10, God says mankind is divided into two groups: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”  Jesus also makes this distinction when he corrects the ungodly who claimed God was their father in Jn 8:44.  Jesus says, “You are of your father the devil” in contrast to those that are “of God” in v. 47.  How did we become natural children?  By a birth, right?!!  God, Who is a Spirit (Jn 4:24), also has children that are spiritually born to him (Jn 3:4-8).  It is these alone who have the Spirit of God within them that are sons of God and therefore have the right to cry out to God as their Father.  Consider Rom 8:14-17:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

And, what does a person mean if he says God is “all-loving?”  If the point is that we can’t know love apart from God, that all true love comes from God, then I agree because according to 1 Jn 4:7-8, “love is of God” and “God is love.”  But, if by such a statement, a person means that God loves all men equally, to the same degree and in the same way, then I have to disagree.  Scripture is clear that God has a special love for His people compared to the rest of the world.  We can understand this truth in the natural if we consider the special love we have for our children or our spouses compared to others.  In fact, that’s exactly what God compares his love for His people to in Eph 5:25 when He says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church…”

To hold to the belief that God loves all men exactly the same, you’re going to have a hard time dealing with verses like Rom 9:13 where God says, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”  Look up the word “hated” in the original Greek, and you can’t explain it away.  “Hated” is an accurate English translation also used in various passages that speak of the world hating the church and Christ.  Likewise, the word is translated “hate” in Lk 14:26 which refers to the believer hating father, mother, wife, children…even his own life in order to be a disciple of Christ.  We recognize that hate here is not the opposite of love (we’ve already seen Eph 5:25 explicitly tells husbands to love their wives) but means that we are to love God in a way that far exceeds our love for any other.  In similar manner, God loves his people (represented by Jacob in the verse in Romans) in a unique fashion compared to the rest of the world.  Those that are in Christ are, as Titus 2:14 says, “His own special people.”  God makes a difference between the church and the world even as we see Christ praying only for believers in Jn 17:9,20 while specifically stating, “I do not pray for the world.”

Lord willing, we will attempt again to answer our last question on resurrection and judgment this week, namely: “Will the wicked suffer eternally?”  Maybe we’ll finish this thought and maybe not.  One thing is clear to me.  God is maturing our little group.  I hope you can come and grow with us.

Jamie

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation…of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:1, 2

The Lord granted another glorious time of fellowship and study in his word last week.  If you’ve been unable to attend, I strongly encourage you to make every effort to be there.  The Lord is blessing us with His presence!  We began our meeting by refreshing ourselves in our previous topic: “What is the state of the physically dead right now?”  We considered Ecc 12:7 which instructs us that at death “…the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”  What a glorious thought to know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord! (2 Cor 5:8) That thought should encourage us concerning our brothers and sisters in the Lord that are no longer with us or that are nearing the end of their earthly journey.  Clearly, their state following their departure is “far better” because they are immediately “with Christ!” (Ph 1:23)

We also considered that there is a difference between the soul and the spirit (1 Th 5:23 and Heb 4:12 makes clear there is a distinction).  In general, the Scripture associates the eternal soul with each individual’s unique characteristics, desires, and feelings.  It can thirst (Pr 25:25) and be sorrowful (Mt 26:38), and, in our fallen state, it is more closely associated with the carnal desires of our body.  In fact, when the Lord tells us to take no thought for our “life” in Mt 6:25, specifically concerning what we should eat, drink, or wear, the word “life” in that verse is in fact the Greek word “soul”!  In contrast, the spirit is that part of man whereby we commune with God.  It has been separated from God in Adam’s fall, but God gives life to it in the new birth, which is also called being “born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:6).  The spirit is that part of man that engages in worship for “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:24)

We next addressed our second question: “What happens at the resurrection?”  The following verses help us to accurately answer this question and would be worthy of further study if you’re wondering about this topic:

• Both the righteous’ and the wicked’s bodies are resurrected (Jn 5:26-29)
• All of mankind will be judged at this general reserruction (Mt 25:31-46, Ac 17:31-32, He 9:27, Rev 20:12-13)
• At the resurrection, the spirits and souls of men will be joined again to a body, one that this time won’t wear out (1 Co 15:42).  We’ve already seen that right now in hell the soul is existing with cravings though it has no body (the rich man in hell was thirsty and tormented in the flames).  The soul that God gave man when He created him (Gen 2:7) exists forever with a spirit bound to eternal death or enjoying eternal life, but these natural bodies don’t last that long.  When God gives the new eternal bodies, two things will happen when these bodies are again joined to soul.  Hell will become more hellish for the souls in hell.  Now, they’ll have bodies and all the senses that come with it, yet they will still have no fulfillment for their lusts or relief from their suffering.  In contrast, once reunited with these now glorified bodies, heaven will become more heavenly for the spirits of just men that have been made perfect. (Heb 12:23) These new bodies will be more spiritually-tuned (1 Co 15:44 shows the transition from a “natural”, or “soulish” body as it’s more properly rendered from the Greek, to the new “spiritual” body).  See also v. 45, 51-53.

Lord willing, we will consider our final question along these lines this week, namely: “Will the wicked suffer eternally?”  What does it mean in Rev 20:14 when we read that death and hell are cast into the lake of fire?  Could a good and loving God really condemn men and women to an everlasting existence of torment and pain?  Please join us with your verses and thoughts.  I look forward to seeing you this week.

Jamie

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation…of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:1, 2

We began considering our text above last week, and the Lord really blessed our study!  This text shows how important it is to properly understand the doctrines concerning the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment because they are foundational to our faith.  My plan had been to consider three simple questions last week, but our study was so rich that we only had time to deal with the first one!

1) What is the state of the physically dead right now?

In answering this question, the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus in Lk 16:22-31 is most helpful.  Because the passage reveals that the rich man’s brothers are still alive, clearly this account takes place following natural death but before the general resurrection.  In other words, this text gives us an understanding of the state of the physically dead right now.  We can draw the following conclusions concerning the departed:

• The wicked man is in a state of suffering (Lk 16:22-23 “in torments”) and is experiencing sensation as if had a body.  It is like being burned (“cool my tongue”, “tormented in this flame” v. 24).
• In contrast, the righteous man is experiencing satisfaction and comfort (v. 25).
• The torment of the wicked is further enhanced because they can see the comfort of the righteous but cannot pass to where they are (v. 26).
• There is no opportunity of escape for the wicked.  Even though the rich man is suffering, he recognizes there’s no point in asking that he be sent back from the dead (which would relieve his suffering) and so instead asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers (v. 27).
• This existence is one without interaction with the living (neither the rich man nor Lazarus could have any effect on the living brothers unless raised from the dead).  Paul said it was more helpful to the church for him to be alive in the flesh in Ph 1:24. What does that tell us about the saints involvement with the church after death? There is none! Paul needed to be physically alive to benefit them! So what are the implications of this fact for those that talk to dead saints or think the dead are watching over them?

One final important point that we can gather from other passages concerning the state of the physically dead is that our dead brothers and sisters in Christ are even now His presence!  2 Co 5:6-8 says “…while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord…We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” In Ph 1:23-24, Paul says he’s between a rock and hard place because he knows it’s better for the church for him to remain alive, but he has a strong desire for death because then he would “be with Christ.”  Finally, we hear the precious words of our Savior as he promises the thief hanging on the cross next to Him that “today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:43)

I’m excited to see where the Lord will take us this week as we continue looking at our topic.  We have two more questions to answer, so be prepared to share any relevant Scripture that you may have.  Remember, our next questions are:

2) What happens at the resurrection?

3) Will the wicked suffer eternally?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing…

Jamie

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation…of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:1, 2

In our text above, the doctrines concerning the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment are considered to be “elementary principles,” principles that are foundational to our faith.  If they are foundational, then we must have a solid understanding of them.  If we don’t, any knowledge we gain that is built upon a faulty view of these doctrines will also be faulty.  In the previous chapter, the author of Hebrews is rebuking his audience for their lack of maturity, stating that “by this time you ought to be teachers…[instead of needing] someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God.” (Heb 5:12) So, do we have a firm, biblical grasp on this doctrines?

It seems that increasingly within the church there are varying opinions of these basic principles.  Consider the implications of such a fact!  If we’re differing in opinion, then somebody’s wrong!  Remember, these aren’t deep theological questions.  These things are basic Christian truths that even a babe in Christ should know!  If a child never learns to add, how can he possibly grasp multiplication or far more advanced mathematical concepts?  If the foundational principles, the building blocks if you will, are erroneous, what hope do we have of getting anything else right?  So, how can we faithfully declare the gospel of Jesus Christ in an effectual manner, if we’ve stumbled at the foundations of that gospel?  I want to address three simple questions in this post, but I want to wait until after the Bible study this week to answer those questions.  Here they are for your consideration now, and I hope you can join us tomorrow as we explore what the Scripture reveals concerning them:

1) What is the state of the physically dead right now?

2) What happens at the resurrection?

3) Will the wicked suffer eternally?

Stay tuned for more…

Jamie