Eternal Destiny
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be grateful to receive your thoughts and comments at DGJC.ORG/CONTACT. I can think of no other subject that has grabbed my attention as powerfully as the cross of Christ. Hopefully you feel the same way. The love of Jesus Christ and his tender caress in removing the thorns of sin from the hearts of his people is nothing less than pure ecstasy. The hymn writer said it best...
It was grace that taught my heart to fear...
and grace my fears relieved.
My incredible thought at the beginning of this treatise was this:
Jesus Christ is your savior, my savior, and the savior of all mankind.
Hopefully I have taken enough time and reasoned soundly enough to persuade you that my optimism is in control and Biblically defended, even if you still disagree with me. And at whatever points you or I are in error or disagreement, I am fully persuaded that the grace of God has covered and will overwhelmingly cover them all.
My view is certainly optimistic for the believer. However, the unbeliever, the one rejecting grace and refusing obedience to Christ's commands, has no confident optimism in his own worldview. The Arminians with their free will and the Calvinists with their limited atonement can offer no true assurance or guarantee before Holy God. So while God is constant is his love for all mankind, unbelievers do not know him as the God of grace. Grace is not at the foundation of their salvation recipe so their hearts can only contain fearful expectation of coming judgment, even though their fears are painted over with a thin veneer of religion. How sad!
The Scripture is clear that damnation to the Lake of Fire is the certain destiny of all the unredeemed. It is a matter of fact by definition that the unredeemed are not purchased back by God and thus are lost for all eternity. Yet sadly unbelieving mankind inwardly fears this destiny even though they were already redeemed at the cross and guaranteed a home in heaven.
Yes it is true that Jesus Christ is not the savior of the unredeemed. They are not chosen by him for grace. They are not graced with repentance. Conscious torment in the Lake of Fire is their destiny for The Ages of The Ages. There is no escape.
So if you reject that Christ paid for the sins of all mankind the only possible hope for any of us is that you are wrong. So why reject your election and wait in fearful expectation? Why deny that Jesus has paid for your sin, bought you back for his very own, redeemed you from condemnation by dying on the cross for you? If you do not consider yourself one of Jesus' chosen people then be warned that damnation is the only destiny of the unredeemed. Only those whose sins are paid for by the blood of Christ are redeemed and purchased back for eternity in Heaven. Friend, Jesus has fully paid for all your sin! You are redeemed! Why not believe? Why live like a pauper when the King of the Universe is your Father?
Consider Hebrews 10:26-30 (WEB),
26) For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, 27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. 28) A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. 29) How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30) For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongs to me;" says the Lord, "I will repay." Again, "The Lord will judge his people."
The Scripture is clear that fearful expectation is the only possibility for those who refuse to rest confidently in Christ. There is no bending of that Scripture. Furthermore, even the elect of God, those whom Jesus has redeemed, whose sins are fully paid, will be punished in the fires of Hades if they do not repent and receive the grace of Christ.
The warning from 2 Peter 2:1-9 (WEB) says,
1) But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2) Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. 3) In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber. 4) For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; 5) and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; 6) and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way; 7) and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked 8) (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds): 9) the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment;"
Even the unbelieving redeemed will be punished in Hades after this life, unless they repent. Though the Lord has purchased all mankind with his blood, temporal punishment in Hades is certain for unbelieving mankind if they do not repent. I will now conclude briefly with a few quick thoughts about the redeemed and the reprobate while letting the Scripture itself be my conclusion with Revelation 22:7-21.
The Redeemed
A wonderful eternity is planned for the redeemed people of God as explained in Revelation 21:1-7 (WEB) which says,
1) I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2) I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3) I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away." 5) He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." He said, "Write, for these words of God are faithful and true." 6) He said to me, "I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7) He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son."
I am particularly drawn to the fact that Heaven will be a new order, a new arrangement of things. The trials of this life have calloused us to our pitiful condition as we comfort one another with melodramatic words and thin encouragement such as "no pain, no gain." However, God is not cruel like we might be tempted to think at times. Instead he is a loving Heavenly Father and the brief trials and pain we endure in this life only serve his good purpose. It certainly is not weak to look forward to the day when all pain and mourning are finally taken away. I look forward to the day when we stand with the Lord in glory with every tear wiped away. What a glad day when our Sonship and inheritance is crowned in glory and sin and brokenness are removed forever for all God's people!
I can hardly wait to be there with you. Will you be there with me? What do you say?
The Reprobate
In contrast to the redeemed, the Lake of Fire is the sentence for the reprobate, the unredeemed who are not chosen for grace. The final words in Revelation 21:8 (WEB) say,
But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
Review the list of those sentenced to the Lake of Fire. The Lord's judgment will be certain and swift. He will not punish anyone unjustly, but instead it is the unredeemed wicked who will be damned. Those who pretend to believe should not think that they will escape while they are also cowardly, vile, murdering, and sexually immoral... if their sins are not redeemed. Those who are brave and pure, yet who reject the grace of Jesus Christ through their unbelief and false gospels will not escape... if their sins are not redeemed. Those outside of Christ will be placed into the blast furnace of God's wrath for The Ages of The Ages.
There will be no escape from this judgment for the unredeemed.
However, those chosen by Jesus Christ for grace, those sinners hidden safely inside of Christ, are secure in the Father's love. They are commanded to repent and turn away from wickedness as we read in 2 Timothy 2:19 (WEB),
However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.'
Are you loved by the Lord? Do you want to have no doubt that you have been chosen by Christ from before the foundation of the world? Look to Jesus Christ and his cross for the proof. Belief cannot add your name to his Book of Life, but with eyes open to the cross you can know that God has always loved you and will always love you! With the eyes of faith open you can see your name inked in the Lamb's Book of Life from before the creation of the World. Are you a descendant of Adam? The second Adam has redeemed you! Confess his name and strive to please your lover!
Revelation 22:7-21
I end my proofs with the conclusion of Scripture, Revelation 22:7-21 (WEB),
7) "Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."
8) Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. 9) He said to me, "See you don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."
10) He said to me, "Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11) He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still."
12) "Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. 13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14) Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. 15) Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16) I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star."
17) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" He who hears, let him say, "Come!" He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
18) I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, may God add to him the plagues which are written in this book. 19) If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
20) He who testifies these things says, "Yes, I come quickly." Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus.
21) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.