STUDY No. 41 - THE STATE OF THOSE LOST WITHOUT CHRIST

Please read carefully Revelation 20 and 21.

In our traditional creeds we find statements like this:

"They that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire." [Athanasius' Creed]

"The wicked shall be cast out from the favourable presence of God..... into hell to be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels for ever." [Westminster Confession]

Generally speaking, we have no problem with regard to the bliss and time of heaven that Christ has secured for those who believe. But the Biblical concept of hell is being contested today. This is why we have this study.

THE FUTURE STATE OF THE LOST - THE UNBELIEVER IN CHRIST

Understandably, the human mind finds it difficult to accept such a clear-cut statement concerning the condition of the lost. Two other views are suggested:

• 1. That non-Christians when they die pass into a state of purification. This may take time but eventually, all will become fit to enter 'heaven' (or wherever the Christians have gone). Most people will be found to favour this view. It is called UNIVERSALISM - ALL ARE SAVED.
• 2. That non-Christians when they die pass into a state of 'sleep' in which they are conscious of nothing ('soul sleep'). Later they are raised to be judged, punished appropriately, then annihilated. This is called ANNIHILATIONISM - SINNERS CEASE TO EXIST.

"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life"
(This precludes the idea of universal salvation)
"but the wrath of God abideth on him."
(This precludes the idea of annihilation for how can divine wrath remain on someone who no longer exists?)

Check out this verse very carefully: John 3: 36, which clearly states:

• 3. That non-Christians shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. They will not become saved, neither will they become extinct.

WHAT DOES 'DESTRUCTION' MEAN?

WHAT DOES 'ETERNAL' MEAN?

(b) Concerning non-Christians:

Our Holy God is an everlasting God. The Holy Spirit is known as the Eternal Spirit. Christians possess everlasting life and those who are not saved will suffer everlasting destruction. This is why the careful formulators of the Christian creeds spoke of the eternal blessedness of the saved and the eternal punishment of the lost.
They simply taught what the Bible teaches.

Sadly, at a recent national conference of one of our mainstream churches, a paper was agreed, "We believe in hell but not the Bible hell"

We may each exercise what is called the right of private judgement in such matters, but we should bear in mind the warning of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:14. Notice verse 3 which speaks of those who will not endure sound doctrine (Biblical teaching) but prefer teachers who teach what they want to hear.

This is clearly one of the trends of today. It is being encouraged by an increase of versions, from which we can choose our own Bible. But, like the Trojan horse of Greek mythology, that which was readily taken in contained elements of destruction.