Theology is a “house of cards”. When one considers a certain
doctrinal concept or perspective, he finds that his understanding is important,
not only because of the doctrine in question, but also because of how the
doctrine in question touches many other doctrines. For example, if a man
believes in original sin, that belief fundamentally influences how he
understands human nature; it also fundamentally influences how he views
redemption. Likewise, if a man believes in the immanent return of Jesus Christ,
that belief fundamentally impacts how he understands the rapture of the church
and the tribulation period. To this end, if a “higher”, more foundational truth
is compromised by a “lower”, less important truth, people either recognize the inconsistency
and so “tune out”, or the “house of cards” of their theological consistency
comes crashing down and they must rebuild it from the ground up to conform to
these lesser truths. This is how error is propagated, and even often how cults
are formed. Theology is not just defined, it is built. It begins with the most
basic, most foundational truths and then builds out from those definitions.
It is often preached that people “go to hell because they are
sinners” and also that they “burn in hell for their sins”. Indeed, when we
preach we emphasize the reality of sinfulness as the essential problem with
humanity, so that Romans 3:23 tells
us for
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Men are sinners,
and because we are sinners we have fallen short of God’s holiness and found
ourselves in the path of God’s wrath. Thus Romans
6:23 tells us, for the wages of sin is death…; because mankind is sinful, man
experiences “death”, defined as separation from God.
The place of
separation is called “Hell” in the Bible, a abode of torment which is
eventually cast into the Lake of Fire, called by many names, including everlasting
fire. The Lake of Fire was not originally created for mankind, but
rather Matthew 25:41 tells us that everlasting
fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. The Bible is very clear,
however, that this place of eternal torment is the end destination of all who
sin. Revelation 21:8 says, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death. Sinners burn
in the Lake of Fire, everlasting fire, a condition also
called the second death. The “first death” being when we “die”
properly, and our immaterial separates from the material vessel we call our
body. The second death being when the eternal spirit of a man who has
sinned is finally and irrevocably separated from the presence of God forever. Everlasting
fire.
This
essential doctrine becomes the foundation for the message of redemption. For
the wages of sin is death, we read in Romans 6:23, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. The essence of the gospel is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was
buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
Notice why it is that Christ died: Christ died for our sins. It is
because we are sinners that Jesus had to die. It is because the
wages of sin is death, and without some reconciliation of this point
mankind would be inevitably destined to eternal separation from God, the
second death. Paul would therefore declare to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
If “why did Christ die” is the question, one could answer no better than to
echo the words of Paul, to save sinners.
If sin
separates us from God (the wages of sin is death), and Jesus
died for sinners (Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners), then it
would seem to naturally follow that all who burn in eternal fire one day do
so because they are sinners, and so they are “burning for their sins”; as a
just payment for their sin. This would be a natural assumption, but
foundationally incorrect. While it is true that all men are sinners. While it
is true that our sin has separated us from a holy God. While it is true that
this separation is the state in which, if we remain, we will end up in eternal
fire. It is not true that the sins we commit are the deciding factor
for whether we go to the Lake of Fire, nor can it rightly be said that men burn
in eternal
fire for the sins they commit. How is this possible? This is possible
because of the nature of the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. When
once a person fully understands the nature of the atonement, he then can
understand the nature of eternal punishment properly. In other words, we must
lay the foundation for our theological “house of cards”, and then build
carefully upon it Biblical truths.
The
foundation of this understanding demands a grace-oriented understanding of the
gospel. What is the gospel? 1
Corinthians 15:34 says, For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures. Paul taught in Romans 1:16 that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. He
would teach in 1 Corinthians 1:23
that the gospel is Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. The gospel is
man’s source of salvation.
How does one
receive the gospel? The answer is essential to this study, for if one believes
that the gospel can be received or retained by any form of human merit, be it effort, holiness, making God the
“Lord of your life”, or “repenting of your sins”, then the whole “house of
cards” of redemption by grace comes crashing down. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast. Romans 4:4-5
says, Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Paul would write again
in Romans 11:6, And if by grace, then is it no
more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is
it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. If one assumes that
God intended His Word to be read as plain language, and understood in clarity
and simplicity, then it must be admitted that the only “common denominator”
that links every passage in the Bible
where the gospel is taught is the “common denominator” of belief, and belief alone.
The true
gospel, a gospel of grace alone, becomes the foundation to the theological
“house of cards” upon which the rest of this doctrine is built. If one believes
a human merit-based gospel, including any mentioned in the previous paragraph,
then the subsequent arguments concerning the nature of eternal judgment in the
Lake of Fire will not be acceptable, because it is built upon a different
theological “house of cards”.
What happened
when Jesus died on the cross? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, For he hath made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him. On the cross God the Father made
His son to be sin for mankind. He poured out His wrath for the sin of the world
upon the innocent Lamb of God, of whom John the Baptist would declare that he taketh away the sin of the world (John
1:29). Jesus paid for the sin of mankind. Paul states in Romans 4:25
that Jesus was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our justification. Paul quoted Psalm
69:9 when he sought to exhort the strong in faith to bear the infirmities
of the weak, reminding God people of the example of our Savior, that the reproaches of them that reproached thee
fell on me. Both of these concepts are well summarized by Peter in 1
Peter 2:22-24, Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed. This is the message of the great prophet Isaiah
in his Messianic discourse of Isaiah 53, declaring in verses 4-6, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. And again in verse 12, Therefore will I divide him a portion with
the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath
poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and
he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Perhaps
all of these verses are best summed up by the Word of Jesus Himself upon the
cross, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli,
Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? (Matthew 27:46).
Once it is
established that Jesus came to save sinners, and that Jesus paid for sin on the
cross, the next consideration is the nature of the atonement itself. For whose
sins did Jesus atone? Whose sins were paid for on the cross? Indeed, in Isaiah 53:6 we read the words, the
iniquity of us all, and John’s declaration was that this Lamb of God taketh
away the sin of the world. The most poignant verse in relation to this
concept is given in 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. This verse tells us that Jesus satisfied the wrath
of God for mankind, making specific note of the reality that this atonement
does not simply extend to those who are in Christ, but to the whole world. If
this is indeed the case, then the gospel is unnecessary, is it not? If the sins
of all men were paid for on the cross of Calvary, then would we not expect that
the world has been wholly reconciled unto God, that sin is no longer an issue,
and that the world can breathe easy? This is, of course, not the case, and it
is at this point that the clarity of the gospel itself becomes essential to our
understanding.
Just because
Christ’s atoning work paid for the sin of all mankind, it does not follow that
all mankind will receive the benefits that this payment purchased. Though atonement
was made for all men through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the
cross, not all will be saved. John would write in John 1:11-12, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name. Jesus
told Nicodemus in John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Most clearly, perhaps, we read the words of Paul in Galatians 3:22,
But the scripture hath concluded all
under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe. It is true that all men are sinners. It
is true that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. It is true that on the cross Jesus
was the propitiation of the sins of the whole world. It is just as true that
only those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. The
nature of this belief is beyond the scope of our consideration today, but it is
perhaps sufficient to say it is far more than just agreeing that Jesus died on
the cross. Those who are given everlasting
life are those who, in the words of Hebrews 6:1, experience repentance from dead works, and…faith toward
God. Indeed repentance from
dead works is not repentance
from sin. Repentance from sin being a work
of merit which has no place in the message of grace. Rather, repentance from dead works describes
those who acknowledge their sinful state, their need of salvation, their
incapacity to save themselves, and the solution to be found in Christ. Outside
of this, they rest in unbelief, and remain bound in their sin.
This is how the Bible describes those who are unbelieving. Paul would
write in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Paul characterizes the unbeliever by the sins he
commits. He makes clear the character of those who shall not enter the
kingdom of God. He states that believers were previously of this same
character, but were washed…sanctified…justified. That at the moment of belief a
supernatural work is accomplished in the heart of a man, so that his character
is changed from being defined by sin to being defined by Christ. This does not
mean he will stop sinning, but rather that he is no longer “a sinner”. Paul
describes it thus in Ephesians 2:1, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. We were dead in our sins, but have been made alive. At that
moment, (called variously “the new birth”, “salvation”, “being born-again”,
among others) Paul tells us in 2
Corinthians 5:17 that old things are passed away, behold, all
things are become new.
These facts
lead us to a question, and a major point of contention among many orthodox
systems of Bible interpretation: when Jesus died on the cross, did He actually
pay for the sins of all mankind, only some of mankind, or just offer
“potential” for the sins of mankind to be paid? Several theories exist, drawn
by the major theological division among denominations and theological systems.
Reformed
believers assert that the blood of Jesus Christ was only shed for those who would be saved, those the Bible calls the elect. This doctrine flows naturally
out of their erroneous belief that God has predestinated men and women to
heaven or hell. If this is the case that all men, from eternity past, are
indeed chosen for eternal life or eternal fire, then it would be
ridiculous to assume that Jesus’ death was for the whole world. Jesus would not need to die for those who had no
chance of redemption. Thus, they believe that Jesus atoned only for the sins of
the elect. Unfortunately, this is not
what the Bible says, for as we have stated already in 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. Jesus is either the propitiation for the whole world, or
He isn’t…and He is. It is acknowledged that this is a simplistic argument, and
one which many a reformed theologian has tackled with gymnastic aplomb. Yet it
is that, in the beautiful simplicity of the Word of God we find this humble
truth, that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not only for the elect.
In other
circles, the nature of Jesus’ redemptive work is broader. They acknowledge that
Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but would characterize it (though
they may not admit this) as a provisional
atonement. In other words, that Jesus made provision
for all sin to be atoned, but that this provision
is only applied to the hearts of those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
To this end, the wrath of God for sin still rests upon the unbeliever. They are
positioned for Hell because they are sinners, and they still bear their sin,
and if they die in their sin then they will have to bear the punishment of the
sins they commit for eternity. Such ideas are a natural outworking of those who
believe that a person must “repent of their sins” in order to be saved. For
indeed, if a man must repent of his sins to be saved, then it is at this moment
of merit-based sorrow, a concept foreign to salvation in the Bible, that God
chooses to apply Jesus’ work to their sins. This concept is, at its root, an
offence to salvation by grace, and finds no consistent basis in the Scriptures.
If one were to take every instance where some standard other than belief alone
is included in the gospel message, one would be forced to acknowledge not only
repentance of sin as a basis for salvation (Mark 1:15), but also baptism (Luke
3:3), confessing with your mouth (Romans
10:9), and any number of the various contextual presentations regarding the
nature of belief as it related to various people groups at various times and
placed. Yet if we simplify every presentation of the gospel down to its “common
denominator”, belief alone in the gospel stands as the supreme standard by
which a sinner saved. As Jesus said in John
5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life.
We have
considered already some of the reasoning for a position that would believe men
to spend eternity burning in punishment for their sins. Paul calls the
unbelievers dead in trespasses and sins in Ephesians 2:1. He states in 1
Corinthians 6:9-11 that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God, then proceeds to a list of various sins which
characterize these unrighteous. Paul says a similar thing in Galatians 5:19-21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In each of these
cases we find definitive statements about the character of those who will not
enter the kingdom of God: that men whose character is defined by sin and
wickedness shall not inherit the kingdom. To this end, these circles believe
that Jesus’ death was sufficient to make
provision for all men to be saved, and made
provision for the wrath of God to pass over men and women who believe on
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved; but that those who reject this
salvation will go to eternal fire as a payment for their
sins. Consequently, among these groups there is cause for disagreement as to
how long that payment will last. Indeed, if men burn in the Lake of Fire to pay
for their sins, then there is cause to admit the possibility that those who “sin
less” may burn for less time than those who “sin more”.
In either
case, to follow this line of reasoning is to admit that Jesus’ death did not
actually atone for the sin of all mankind, because if a man does not accept the
gift of eternal life by belief in the gospel, then he spends the rest of his
eternity paying for those very sins. The line of thinking simply cannot be
entertained that men will burn in the Lake of Fire for sins already atoned for by Jesus Christ, so
then Jesus must not have fully atoned for them. Once again, however, this line
of reasoning conflicts with the simple foundational truth of 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. And remember what we are attempting
to do here: build our theological “house of cards”. Each “lower truth” must
rest upon the firm foundation of a “higher truth”. If Jesus had just made provision for the sin of mankind to be
atoned, and if each unbeliever bears the weight of his own sin into eternity,
can Jesus truly be called the Last Adam?
Does this line of thinking properly account for the teaching of Paul in Romans 5:19, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous? Does this rationale
really fulfill the prophet words of Isaiah
53:6, …and the LORD hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all?
Must it
naturally follow that the reason why sinners do not enter the kingdom is
because they do sinful things? Must it naturally follow that the reason why
they experience eternal fire is
because of their sin? Or does the
Bible explain things differently? Can it be that Jesus did in fact atone for the sin of the whole world,
but that people will still burn in the Lake of Fire for eternity? This is, in
fact, what the Bible teaches.
It has been
established already that the Bible teaches the condition upon which men are
saved, and so the condition upon which they enter the kingdom of God, is
salvation by grace, through faith, in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the
cross. What we furthermore find, however, is that the condition upon which
people do not enter the kingdom
of God, as presented in the Bible, is not their sinful deeds, but rather only one singular sinful deed: unbelief.
John 3:16-18 says For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God. We
then read in John 3:35-36, The
Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 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. These verses
state very plainly that the condition of condemnation is not a man’s sinful
deeds, but rather because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. It then states that the wrath of God abides upon men, not because they
are doing said sinful deeds, but because he believeth not the Son. If
these verses are to be believed, not only is the exclusive condition for heaven
“belief alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ”, but the opposite is also true:
that the exclusive condition for the Lake of Fire is he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God.
In John 16 Jesus promises to His disciples
that, when He goes away, He would send to them His Holy Spirit, called the
Comforter. Jesus promised that this Comforter would have a role in
convincing the world of the truth of the gospel. Notice how Jesus describes
this convicting work of the Holy Spirit in John
16:8-11: And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin,
because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Jesus gives three points of doctrine of which the Holy Spirit would convict the world: of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment. Jesus then defines what He means by each of these points
of doctrine. Of sin, Jesus says, because they believe not on me.
Jesus says that the sin of which the Holy Spirit would convict men is not their multitude of sins, but only one sin: the sin of unbelief.
Within this
line of interpretation great clarity is given to Jesus’ words in Mark 3:28-29 as well. Jesus says, Verily
I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and
blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme
against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal
damnation. Jesus states here that there is an unforgiveable sin, which He says is for one to blaspheme
against the Holy Ghost. Jesus states that all sins shall be forgiven unto
the sons of men save this one. If the 1 John 2:2 is correct, then on the cross all sins were forgiven unto the sons of men;
Jesus was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Then, Jesus would say,
there is only one unforgiven sin: one
sin for which the atoning work of Jesus Christ cannot pay: not believing in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
There is only one sin that stands
between mankind and God: blaspheming the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in
the heart when He divinely convicts a man of the sin of unbelief.
If this is
true: if indeed it is not only that belief is the exclusive condition of
eternal life, but also that unbelief is the exclusive condition of eternal
judgment, and the exclusive sin for which men will face eternal fire, then we
should expect these principles to be reflected in judgment passages. As Paul
warns in 2 Thessalonians of the
great falling away and the
working of the mystery of iniquity and the revelation of that Wicked which we
would believe to be the time of the tribulation, he describes a world which
will be deeply deceived by evil. He writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Paul
says that the damned are those who
believed not the truth. In Revelation
20:11-15 we read these words, And I saw a great white throne, and him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was
found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of
life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it;
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The Bible tells us
that at the great white throne of judgment books were opened, and another book
was opened. In the books were written
the works of men, and every man is judged according to his works. While it
would not seem that believers will stand before the judgment of the great white
throne, the Bible makes it clear that believers too will be judged by their
works. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians
5:10, 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. For
the believer, our works will determine our eternal rewards. In the case of the
unbeliever, we know that the day of judgment will be more tolerable for some
unbelievers than others. Indeed, Jesus told the cities of Galilee, Woe
unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago
repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. (Luke 10:13-14). In each of these judgments, however, there is
another book that is opened. This book is called the book of life, and Revelation 20:15 tells us that it is this book which determines who enters
into life everlasting, and who is cast into the Lake of Fire.
Within the
perspective presented here is theological and doctrinal consistency. It
explains how Jesus could be the Last Adam,
regaining all that was lost in Adam. It explains how Jesus could simultaneously
be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and still condemn the
unbeliever to eternal judgment. It properly refutes those who would try to
argue that men can graduate out of judgment through enough years of “burning
off their impurities”. It explains how Jesus’ blood could be shed for the lost
without being wasted. Much more than this, however, the doctrinal “house of
cards” that can be built on top of this truth is, in a word, liberating. It
highlights the reality of grace, magnifies the truth that the redeemed will
have no basis for which to boast in his own merit, and even establishes the
deepest foundations for arguments of eternal security; for if indeed salvation
is truly by grace alone, earned or held by no merit of my own, then the claim
that I could somehow lose it, or fall short of it, is nonsensical.
These truths
can change the way we understand evangelism. Many believers (particularly
outside of reformed circles) feel tremendous guilt over the amount that they
evangelize, and more specifically tremendous pressure regarding how to evangelize. Many believers suffer
under the guilt of not “knowing enough”, of not having “convincing arguments”
to prove people are sinful enough, or that they need to be saved. They feel as
though it is their job to be “compelling” and so “win people to Christ”. Now,
there is nothing wrong with being compelling, or having good arguments. But
when we build our understanding of evangelism upon a proper doctrinal “house of
cards”, we are reminded that the condition for heaven or hell is belief on
Christ alone. The message is simple, and is indeed the best of news: Jesus has
already done the work, your sin is paid for, and it is for simply to receive
the gift. This is a message we can all give, and then trust the Holy Spirit to
convict their hearts, and help guide them into the fullness of these truths. Furthermore,
it strongly rebuts any argument that “all roads lead to heaven”. Jesus is, and
indeed must be, the only way, for indeed, His atonement is the only sufficient
payment for sin, and all who rest under God’s judgment for eternity do so, not
because they were “bad people”, but because they have not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God.
These truths
can also change the way we live as believers. Many believers struggle with
feeling “released” from their sins when they confess them. They know that they
are forgiven, but they still rest under the guilt and the condemnation of their
sinful tendencies and deficiencies. Paul tells us, however, in Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. It may be that the reason why believers
still rest under self-condemnation for their sinful choices, even after
confessing them, is because they misunderstand redemption. If Jesus atoned for
every sin – past, present, and future – of every man on the cross, then the
wrath of God was fully, utterly, and completely satisfied against the sin of
the world on the cross. To this end Jesus taught in John 5:21-27, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and
quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men
should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not
the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have
life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of man. God has transferred all judgment to the Son,
because the wrath of the Father against the world has been assuaged. Jesus’
wrath rests upon those who have rejected Him. At the moment of salvation, the
Great Judge of all the earth becomes the One who calls us my friends (John 15:14),
and the Father Who committed all judgment into our Friend’s hands is called our Father. Paul would go on to ask in Romans 8:31-39, What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own
Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely
give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord. This power, while it most
certainly can be understood regardless of one’s direct perspective on the
nature of eternal punishment, is consistently established and deeply magnified
as it is built upon the “house of cards” of the complete atoning work of Jesus
on the cross. This liberates us to serve the Lord, not in bondage, not in
obligation; but to serve Him the way we were designed to serve Him: in abject
love.
Finally,
these truths help us reject judgmentalism and magnify grace. We are reminded by
the condition of “belief alone” that eternal life and eternal judgment are not
constructed based on moral aptitude. Just as no man will be in heaven for his
own righteousness, the Lake of Fire is not about “evil men”, it is about
rejection of Christ. Will evil men be in the Lake of Fire? Absolutely. Will
many moral men be there as well? Jesus said in Matthew 7:22-23, Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will
I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
When we look at the unbelieving world, we are tempted to resent them for their
sinfulness. We then remember that we too are sinful, that the only thing
standing between us and the death we deserve is the grace of Christ, and that
this grace is extended to other evil men as well, for indeed, 1 Timothy 2 tells us that Jesus will
have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
It is an unfortunate reality of the heart of men that we comfort ourselves in
trouble and tribulation by considering the reality that people will burn in the
Lake of Fire “for their evil”. That a man like Adolf Hitler is now “burning in
Hell for His evil”. That evil men alive right now will one day “burn in Hell
for their offenses”. Yet when we gain a perspective of the complete atonement
of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that Jesus was already punished for the evil
of Adolf Hitler. That the evil of men was poured out on Christ. That our Savior
was stricken for their misdeeds already. To this end, Adolf Hitler will burn in
eternal fire for the same reason anyone else will: because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God. Such a perspective is able to
melt the heart of stone and give us the compassion necessary to obey the
commission of our Lord in Matthew
5:43-48, Ye have heard that it hath been
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than
others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect. It becomes much easier to love
the unlovely when we realize Jesus bore the wrath for their evil choices, and
that the Lake of Fire is not reserved for their misdeeds, but for their
unbelief.
The “house of
cards” we have built today, in summary, looks something like this: At its
foundation is the conviction that Jesus’ death on the cross secures full and
complete atonement for the sins of all the world – every sin of every man past,
present, and future. On top of this truth we build an understanding that God
the Father has decreed that faith in His Son is the exclusive qualification for
eternal life, and any man who rejects faith in His Son is thus condemned to
eternal torment for the blasphemy of rejecting the convicting work of the Holy
Spirit, commissioned to convince the world of the sin of unbelief in Jesus
Christ’s atoning work. This level of doctrine emboldens us to reject the idea
that men can eventually get out of the Lake of Fire when they have been
punished sufficiently “for their sins”. We rest in the reality that all
judgment has been given unto the Son, who is our friend, and who will avenge us
against all wrongs committed by those who have rejected Him as their Savior. On
top of this truth we build the conviction that we dare not judge men based on
pure moralism, for indeed all such legal expectations are fulfilled in Christ.
It enables us to love those we would be predisposed to hate. We are blessed
with the joy of “full release”, delighting in the power of the atonement to
provide for us, not only atonement from sin, but absolute release from the
wrath of God and the joy of living in complete fellowship with the Creator God.
Finally, it helps us remember the context within which we evangelize: we tell a
message of joy to those who do not have it. It is a simple message, backed by
the convincing power of the Holy Spirit to show men that they need to believe
on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
In this case,
the whole is more than the sum of its parts. What is created here is a
consistent doctrinal and theological position that emphasized what the Bible
emphasizes, and avoids many of the pitfalls that often accompany other theological
viewpoints. It is a liberating point of view which magnifies the atoning work
of Christ, the overwhelming grace of God, and the preeminence of Jesus as the
only way to heaven.
