My Question to ChatGPT: think fresh and don't given me canned and ready answers. Reexamine the Bible and tell me which theological framework better fits with and gibes with the Bible? Classic Dispensationalism, Revised/Traditional Dispensationalism, Hyper-Dispensationalism, Progressive Dispensationalism, New Covenant Theology, Progressive Covenantalism, Classic Covenant Theology of either the credobaptist or paedobaptist kinds?
Thursday, December 31, 2065
Saturday, March 29, 2025
The History and Theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel
The following link is to Curt Daniel's excellent and well informed lecture series on Calvinism's history ans theology.
The History and Theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel
Saturday, March 1, 2025
The Hyper-Calvinist Error of "Eternal Justification"
I just finished reading the excellent book "Eternal Justification: Gospel Preaching to Sinners Marred by Hyper-Calvinism" by David H. J. Gay. In the book Gay explains the Hyper-Calvinistic doctrine of "eternal justification" and why it's unbiblical and detrimental to the salvation of souls. Gay has a sermon series on the topic here:
Https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/8499
Presumably the series simplifies the issues and gives an introduction so that people will begin to understand the dangers of the doctrine. For more in-depth information, I recommend reading the book.
I'm now currently reading Gay's other book "Amyraut & Owen Tested: And Found Wanting." It's essentially the renamed and restructured 3rd edition of his book "Particular Redemption and the Free Offer." I'm reading it because I'm curious where he stands on the extent and intent of the atonement of Christ. By the title of the book it seems he likely holds some kind of mediating view that's in between Amyraldism and Owenian Limited Atonement. He has a sermon series on the topic here:
Https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/47209
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Theological Frameworks and ChatGPT
I've switched theological frameworks a number of times in my Christian life. From what would have been considered Historic Premillennialism, to Revised Dispensationalism, to New Covenant Theology, back to Progressive Dispensationalism and then for a long time back to something like New Covenant Theology but with an affirmation of the imputation of Christ's active obedience and the law as a tutor pointing to Christ (two things which some NCT theologians sometimes rejected). Then in the 2010s I came across Progressive Covenantalism and found that it taught what I generally believed, and also taught additional things that made sense to me. So, from then on my tentative position has been Progressive Covenantalism.
For an introduction to the differences see this 4 lecture series by Stephen Wellum:
https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/155636
DIRECT LINKS BELOW:
Differences Between Covenant, New Covenant, and Dispensational Theology: Session 1
Differences Between Covenant, New Covenant, and Dispensational Theology: Session 2
Differences Between Covenant, New Covenant, and Dispensational Theology: Session 3
Renewing our Confidence in our God who Makes and Keeps His Promises (Isaiah 40)
I decided to ask the following question of ChatGPT. While, I don't think its answers were always accurate, it was a pleasant surprise to me that it decided on the position that I hold to. Namely, Progressive Covenantalism.
ChatGPT said:
Your question asks for a fresh, re-examined look at the theological frameworks and their alignment with the Bible—free from the more standard, conventional answers. To do this properly, it’s essential to recognize that the Bible itself can be interpreted through various lenses depending on the interpretive approach taken, and each theological framework you mentioned offers a different way of understanding how God's covenant and plan unfold throughout history. Let’s consider how each of these frameworks holds up against the biblical narrative, and what might be said to best "fit" with it.
1. Classic Dispensationalism:
Key Idea: Classic Dispensationalism focuses on God's distinct plans for Israel and the Church, which are separated into different dispensations. Israel has a future role in God's plan (especially in terms of the land promises), and the Church is a parenthesis in God's overarching plan for Israel.
Reexamination: Dispensationalism’s rigid distinction between Israel and the Church is a distinctive feature, but it can often feel forced when interpreting the New Testament's handling of Israel’s role post-Jesus. For example, Paul in Romans 9-11 presents a nuanced view where Israel’s rejection is temporary, and the Gentiles are grafted in—but Israel’s ultimate restoration is still promised. This raises the question of whether the Church is truly a "parenthesis" or part of a larger unfolding plan that includes Israel. The growing trend among some scholars suggests that the distinction between Israel and the Church isn’t as sharp as classic Dispensationalism holds.
2. Revised/Traditional Dispensationalism:
Key Idea: A refinement of classic dispensationalism that still maintains a sharp distinction between Israel and the Church, but it often modifies some of the more extreme features, such as how the Church is seen in relation to the Kingdom of God or the new covenant promises.
Reexamination: While Revised Dispensationalism tries to accommodate the tension between Israel’s ongoing role and the inclusion of Gentiles in the Church, the treatment of the Old and New Testament covenants can feel like a piecemeal approach. It's hard to avoid the sense that the new covenant’s promises, which were meant to transform Israel’s heart and open the door to the Gentiles, are still treated as distinct from the Church rather than as something that fulfills Israel's hope. As such, it can struggle to fully incorporate the dynamic unity between Jew and Gentile in Christ, which is a central New Testament theme.
3. Hyper-Dispensationalism:
Key Idea: Hyper-Dispensationalism takes the idea of dispensations to an extreme, often arguing that certain parts of the New Testament (like the Gospels and Acts) are not directly applicable to the Church today. This framework tends to downplay the relevance of the Old Testament and some early Pauline writings for contemporary Christians.
Reexamination: This view takes a very sharp distinction between different phases in God’s plan, but the extreme nature of it is hard to reconcile with the Bible's presentation of continuity in God’s character and moral law throughout the Scriptures. For example, Jesus’ words and actions—especially his teachings in the Gospels—are often foundational for Christian doctrine and ethical living. Disregarding these texts or relegating them to a specific dispensational period seems inconsistent with the Bible's portrayal of the continuity between the Old and New Covenants and the role of Christ as the fulfillment of both.
4. Progressive Dispensationalism:
Key Idea: This framework emphasizes a more integrated view of the unfolding dispensations. It seeks to maintain distinctions between Israel and the Church, but it argues that there is more overlap and continuity between them, especially in terms of God's kingdom promises.
Reexamination: Progressive Dispensationalism attempts to mitigate some of the extreme separations between Israel and the Church by suggesting that God's kingdom promises are being progressively fulfilled in the Church, even as there remains a future fulfillment for Israel. This perspective has some strength, especially in its ability to account for the spiritual blessings promised to Israel now being experienced by the Church. But it can sometimes still struggle to balance the tension between Israel’s unique role in God’s plan and the Church’s inclusion in the promises, especially when texts like Romans 11 seem to suggest more continuity than discontinuity.
5. New Covenant Theology:
Key Idea: New Covenant Theology emphasizes the single, unified covenant of grace that culminates in Jesus Christ. It often downplays or reinterprets the Old Testament covenants (such as the Mosaic Covenant) as fulfilled in Christ, and views the New Covenant as a singular covenant for both Israel and the Church.
Reexamination: This view does a better job than others at recognizing the New Covenant’s universal implications, bringing Israel and the Church into one family under Christ. There is a strong biblical case for the idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and that the Church is included in the blessings of the New Covenant. However, the challenge is in how to view Israel’s continuing role—whether it’s entirely fulfilled or if there is still a future, specific role for ethnic Israel in God's plan (Romans 9-11, Revelation 7).
6. Progressive Covenantalism:
Key Idea: Progressive Covenantalism argues that God's covenant promises to Israel find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, but that these promises are progressively revealed and applied through Scripture, culminating in the New Covenant, which includes both Israel and the Church in the same plan.
Reexamination: This view has a lot of promise in terms of integrating Old Testament promises with New Testament fulfillment. It seeks to honor the continuity of God’s plan while recognizing that the Church is now the people of God, but also acknowledges Israel’s continuing importance in God’s plan. The strength of Progressive Covenantalism is in its robust treatment of Scripture as a unified story, but it also faces the same challenge of reconciling Israel’s national future with the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Church today.
7. Classic Covenant Theology (Credobaptist or Paedobaptist):
Key Idea: Classic Covenant Theology emphasizes the continuity of God's covenant of grace, which is seen as operating through the covenant of works (before the fall), the covenant of grace (after the fall), and the covenant of redemption (between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Paedobaptists or credobaptists apply this framework differently in regards to infant baptism versus believer’s baptism.
Reexamination: Covenant Theology offers a deep sense of continuity between the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the idea that the covenant of grace is the same throughout all of Scripture. The challenge here, however, comes in how to handle Israel's distinct role in redemptive history. Is Israel truly superseded by the Church, or does it continue to have a role (Romans 9-11)? Paedobaptists, in particular, wrestle with how the sign of the covenant (baptism) applies to children in light of the New Covenant, which might be at odds with the explicit New Testament teachings on faith as a prerequisite for baptism.
What Fits Best?
After considering these views, Progressive Covenantalism seems the most promising framework that both aligns with Scripture and offers a coherent theological understanding. It provides a balanced view of continuity and discontinuity between Israel and the Church, while also recognizing the fulfillment of God's covenant promises in Christ. It sees God's covenant as progressive—revealed over time, culminating in Christ—while acknowledging the Church's integral place in that story without denying Israel’s ongoing, future role.
This framework avoids the extremes of dividing Israel and the Church too sharply or disregarding Israel’s continuing significance, allowing for a fuller and richer understanding of Scripture. It also captures the New Testament's emphasis on the unity of God’s people (Jew and Gentile together in Christ), making it an excellent fit for those seeking a unified, biblical theology of redemption.
Friday, January 31, 2025
More Protestant Apologetics from Gavin Ortlund
Many of my blogposts in this blog are to Gavin Ortlund's defense of Protestantism. Here are more videos by him all grouped together.
How Do We KNOW the New Testament Canon
https://youtu.be/06ItjoHCp28
How Protestants View the Papacy (Debate Reaction)
https://youtu.be/Lx6GzN_qgiM
The Immaculate Conception A Protestant Evaluation
https://youtu.be/PR9EbapyPcg
Augustine on the Rock of Matthew 16 (This Will Surprise You)
https://youtu.be/Mslw0lS1ZLQ
The Biggest Misunderstanding About Protestantism
https://youtu.be/Fsjd8xY9OSM
Answering Taylor Marshall on the Eucharist
https://youtu.be/t7xn5hyYiKk
A Protestant Take on Ignatius
https://youtu.be/z42SQYXuXok
A "Worship Problem" For Protestants?
https://youtu.be/lupFft2GqOc
Sola Scriptura is Totally Medieval!
https://youtu.be/3NuskiZmfb0
Did Protestants Remove Books From the Bible !
https://youtu.be/WnzbNkIKwUQ
No, Jerome Didn't Accept a Larger Canon
https://youtu.be/rpHUeTZjeuQ
Origen on Praying to Saints: FINAL Response to Joe Heschmeyer
https://youtu.be/fayEcMfouOc
Proto-Protestantism [Wikipedia article]
We all know that Wikipedia isn't infallible and in fact makes mistakes. Nevertheless, here's an interesting Wiki article on Proto-Protestants. Meaning, people prior to the Protestant Reformation who taught (often in bits and pieces) similar things that the Protestant Reformers taught.
Friday, January 17, 2025
The Horrors of Hell by Steve Schlissel
Recently the controversial Messianic Jew and pastor Steve Schlissel died. One of his most memorable sermons of his to me was his sermon "No Rest" which I listened to and read in the early 2000s. It was in contrast to his sermon titled [if I recall correctly] "Rest." At present I can't find the audio of that sermon "No Rest" online, but I think I found a transcript of the same sermon under the title "The Horrors of Hell." If it's not the same exact sermon I originally heard, then it's the same or similar sermon preached at a different time. It's reminiscent of Jonathan Edwards' sermons on hell. I'm open to Annihilationism/Conditional Immortality, and I used to hold it. But I returned to the traditional view of Eternal Conscious Torment with respect to hell in the mid 1990s and still lean toward it being the correct view. At present I'm about 75% confident of the Traditionalist view, and only about 25% confident of Annihilationism. Here's the transcript of Steve's sermon:
The Horrors of Hell
August 4, 2000
Text: Hebrews 4:1-11
1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For also the gospel was preached (to us), as well as to them. But the word (preached) did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard (it).
3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh (day) in this way: And God rested the seventh day from all His works.
5 And in this place again, They shall not enter into My rest.
6 Since then it remains that some must enter it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief,
7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today, (after so long a time). Even as it is said, Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterwards have spoken of another day.
9 So then there remains a rest unto the people of God.
10 For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
The author is here stressing two ideas; the first is that there is a hope of entering God's rest that is ever present; when God rested at the creation, that rest into which He entered did not exhaust the idea rest in Scripture; Nor did the rest into which Joshua brought the Israelites exhaust the idea of rest in Scripture, for many years later under King David , God continued to speak about a rest into which people would not enter if they hardened his heart. Therefore the creation rests; even the reoccurring Sabbath as well as the rest in the land of Canaan were typical of a rest that is yet to be accomplished. A rest that we can enter into today, in principle, that is in truth and reality but yet awaiting a greater fulfillment in the great Kingdom of God and the consummation of all things. The rest that we enter into by means of believing the Gospel. That's his first point. There is a rest of God that remains always. Its always today that people enter into that rest.
And secondly, he says that we should fear falling short of entering into it. Though we are in the Covenant, though we count ourselves among the people of God, we must always be careful the we persevere in that faith. The doctrine that we believe is Calvinist is called perseverance of the Saints and this means perseverance of the Saints, not of the profligates, not of those who despise the Word of God. Be sure that you are continuing in the Word of God as you have received it. We noted that the Sabbaths of Scripture are pictures and foretastes of that eternal rest into which we will enter after our labors and battles here are done. We look forward to a complete rest from all the labor of this life. We noted the you really cannot have a Sabbath unless you first work during the week. We enjoy the Lord's day because there is six days of work that follow it until the next Lord's day; and then we enter into the beautiful rest of God which is a foreshadowing, a taste of heaven, a day of fellowship and communion with God and with fellow believers.
Yet, even now we have a rest each seventh day, that is, the first day of the week, as Gilder has so well summarized it. The Sabbath is eschatological. That means the truth of it is found in the end times; not the end times that people talk about, with 666 etc., but the end of the whole plan of God. From its very beginning it was a symbol of the rest that remains for the people of God. Under the Old Covenant the Sabbath pointed forward to Him who was to come and bring rest. Thus the rest followed toil and the Sabbath was the seventh day, the closing day. The weary laborer was given a day of rest lest he die.
Under the New Covenant, a remarkable change took place. Based upon the Mediator, who in principle has brought rest, who has risen from the dead, who henceforth reigns and lives through all eternity. Therefore the Sabbath of the New Testament falls on the first day of the week. It means our rest has come. It is a change in principle. Under the older economy, the laborer struggled toward the day of rest. Under the new economy he begins with rest. He no longer needs to seek rest lest he die; he has been richly endowed. An anointed partaker of God's feasts performing works of gratitude the rest of the days of the week. It is very important that the day be celebrated on the first day of the week. This is God's way. Never-the-less, the Lord's Day remains as a sign and seal of that greater and final rest which is to come. It is a guaranty sign which now occurs at intervals every seventh day; but eventually there will be a day without intervals. We will be in Christ, ushered into the eternal rest which is depicted in Scripture as a wedding feast, which is the epitome of happy community; the consummation of the covenant God and His people in the most intimate and loving union; joy everlasting and full of glory. That is the rest that we look forward to. The rest that encourages us as we labor through the trials of this life. As we face so many difficulties, emotional, physical, and spiritual, we look forward to deliverance from them all at the great consummation, the joyous feast, the true and ultimate Sabbath in God.
Quite a different portion belongs to all who fail to enter that rest.. now. Their end is described this way in the book of Revelation. They will be tormented in the presence of the Holy Angels and of the Lamb and the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. For them there is no rest day or night. The Scripture teaching about hell is exceedingly dreadful, even in its contemplation. The thought of this reality fills the sensitive soul with horror. Thus most orthodox treatment of this doctrine contain sentiments such as the following expressed by Bucer in the book, The doctrine of Eternal Punishment The author says, This book is not written because the author takes delight in the subject. The thought of Hell terrifies. It ought to make us all shudder, but it is a fact taught in God's Word and to deny or to ignore any Scriptural teaching is a serious matter. Or in the words of another theologian, Dr. Edward Morris, The doctrine that there will finally be a universe of human beings that have passed at the day of judgment into an estate of authoritative and righteous condemnation as a consequence of sinful living on the earth has been held, painful beyond expression that such a thought must ever be, by the Christian Church universally on the basis of Holy Scripture. It may be added that those who hold to such conclusions, would rejoice as heartily as any if the Word of God were found on fair investigation to disclose any other brighter view; but they reverently accept the doctrine with all the mystery and awfulness of it simply because God's Word so unquestionably teaches it. Even as we look into the Scripture doctrine of Hell (as it begins to gain the slightest place in our minds consideration) we recoil from it and we wish it were not so; but we have no choice; except to attribute that very harm to our own sin and to our own basic rebellion against the Wisdom and the Holiness of God.
Since the Word of God teaches it; so must the Church; but I am afraid that the Church has wandered far from its appointed path when it comes to warning people plainly about hell. I can tell you one reason; Church Growth is not well served by the preaching of hell as it is understood by the devotees of that movement today. I think they are wrong, but they believe it drives people away. Hell has virtually dropped out of American pulpits with devastating spiritual consequences. One sign of its disappearance is the use of this word hell in everyday conversation. Hell is mentioned too casually, too often, today. It is with good reason that people were once afraid to use the word hell and would have been blipped out of public communication. Its casual use was rightly viewed with deep offense. If people thought rightly about hell as often as they mention the word, it would be mentioned less frequently and only with fear. Further, as one man observed, when hell drops out of religion. justice drops out of politics. A profound observation. When the ultimate judgment and the consequences of that judgment are denied by omission, then all subordinate judgments are then lessened in a culture. Rushdoony adds, when hell drops out of religion, justice also drops out of religion; where justice belongs just as much as it does in the civil arena. Justice and a whole lot more. Perhaps most notably the Antithesis is blurred (in this life) because hell is not preached and taught; for you see at the end, after the judgment, there are only two compartments, as it were, two destinies, two places, Heaven and Hell. One, A place of joy and fellowship and communion. The other a place of conscious torment and punishment, and both Eternal. Only two, and when we keep this in mind, the distinction of the people of God in this world is something that is treasured and maintained but when that distinction is blurred so is the distinction between the people of God and the people of the world.
There is a downplaying of the Holiness of God. A distortion of His love expressed in the notion, that I don't believe a God of love can ever send somebody to hell. Well, this only reveals the ignorance of the person uttering that, who neither knows God nor hell. We see a lack of fear of God, a lack of reverence for the Judge of all the earth. a cheapening of the message of salvation so that it is something that is not declared but something that is hawked and pushed by salesmen and not by ministers called by God. We see a degradation of the cross of Christ, emptied of its values, for how could you measure the sacrifice and the benefits that come to us as a result of it unless we see what befalls those who are not included in that sacrifice. Christ has delivered us from hell. We see much more. The refusal to preach the Scripture truth about hell results in weak, vacillating Christians, accommodating Christians who may be deluding themselves of their true estate. Also, we see depressed Christians, as a result of not knowing and meditating on what they have been delivered from, and above all, I think I see ungrateful Christians. Ingrates, who think that God is their servant to do their bidding and to demand this or that or the other thing, when, if they understood what they have been delivered from they would fall before God and say, Lord, that you spared me from hell. I ask nothing. That you spared me from hell. Let me serve you. I don't ask for riches. I don't ask for personal fulfillment. Let me serve you and honor you in view of what you have done in Christ. Ingratitude finds no place in such a spirit.
The revelation of hell in Scripture is one of the most needful doctrines imaginable. It affects every other doctrine. And if it weren't so needful it would not be so ubiquitous. It is taught throughout the Old and New Testaments, and to the surprise of many no one preached about it more than the Son of God, incarnate, Himself. No one, no prophet, taught more about hell and eternal retribution than Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us consider some of what our Lord has said on this most solemn truth. In Matt. Chpt 5. The one who knew God and who alone perfectly reveals God and reality , this one who has come to us, to make the truth known, this one speaks, the Son of God cannot err, and what He speaks is truth and must be attended to. Our Lord Jesus Christ in the 5th Chapter of Matthew said at verse 27, You have heard that it was said to the ancients, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your right eye offends you , pluck it out and throw (it) from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell. And if your right hand offends you, cut it off and throw (it) from you. For it is profitable for you (that) one of your members should perish, and not (that) your whole body be thrown into hell.
In Matthew the 7th Chapter at verse 13 Our Lord said, Go in through the narrow gate, for wide (is) the gate and broad (is) the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. Because narrow (is) the gate and constricted (is) the way which leads to life and there are few who find it. He said that destruction awaits many.
In Matthew Chapter 8 verse 11. And I say to you that many shall come from the East and the West, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. (That Great Marriage Feast) But the sons of the kingdom ( those that have failed to enter into that rest) the subjects of the kingdom, will be cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In Matthew Chapter 10 verse 28 the Lord said, And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew Chapter 18 verses 8 & 9. And if your hand or your foot causes you to offend, cut them off and throw (them) from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed , rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if your eye offends you, pluck it out and throw (it) from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire. Which is called eternal fire. The consequence of our sin.
In Matthew Chapter 25 at verse 28. In the conclusion of a parable Jesus says, Therefore take the talent from him and give (it) to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, (more) shall be given, and he will abound. But from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. And throw the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
If you have deluded yourself into thinking God will not judge you, that God will not send you into hell because God is a God of love, simply consider, apart from the sacrifice of Christ and your personal interest in that sacrifice, you will be very much mistaken and very sad for all eternity. For Jesus Christ has revealed another matter all together.
In Matthew Chapter 25 verse 41 Jesus said, Then He also shall say to those on (the) left (hand), Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. The very same fire, the very same judgment that will come upon the Devil and the demons is that which awaits those who do not believe.
And in verses 42-46. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? The He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do (it) to one of the least of these, you did not do (it) to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.
You see how the two are contrasted. Eternal life; eternal punishment.
In Luke the 16th Chapter, our Lord Jesus Christ shows us that this judgment of hell begins at death. And the rest of Scripture teaches us, as we just saw, at the resurrection, at the final judgment, the consummation of hell. Jesus says in this story of the rich man and Lazarus. Beginning at the 22nd verse. And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he may dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented.
And in verse 26 He adds, And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between you and us, so that they desiring to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they pass over to us from there. The NIV Study Bible rightly points out that the suffering in the intermediate state between death and the resurrection includes the torment that characterizes the final hell; that is fire, agony, and separation.
You see, as Christians, death for us is an advancement. It is a move toward that final eschaton, that final Sabbath. We are brought, (in our souls) into the presence of God. And then at the resurrection our bodies are united with our souls once again to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and to be welcomed into the Eternal Kingdom in our bodies.
But for those who died impenitent unbelievers, death, for them, is a step downward into torment. But even that torment is intermediate, until their bodies are reunited with their souls at the resurrection of the wicked and they are then cast into hell to suffer unspeakable agony forever and ever.
The Scriptures speak of hell, as it does of heaven in metaphor. Its revelations are indeed closed, as they must be, in imagery drawn from our earthly life. The realities are beyond our comprehension. Eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has in store for those who love Him. Nor is it comprehensible what He has in store for those who hate Him and refuse to bow before His Son. Whether these are descriptive of woe or blessedness this imagery, it should be noted, is the strongest, the most vivid and impressive which life can supply. And the manner in which such symbolic representations are introduced and used always suggest the momentous truths, that the realities which they seek to represent are, in themselves, incomparably greater.
Do you realize what this means? I confess that I cannot bear the contemplation of hell. Many times in my Christian life, I have tried to think about it. I cannot bear it. I cannot bear the thought of another human with no hope; Suffering countless ages without end; with no hope; sinking eternally under the wrath of God. I cannot bear it. But the Scriptures teach that the reality is worse than our imagination can provide. Even informed by the Scripture figure. Far worse than we can imagine because no description can do justice to the severity of the Divine vengeance on the damned; if suffering and torment are pictured to us by means of physical things such as darkness, howling, and gnashing of teeth, undying fire, or under the image of the worm which gnaws endlessly. For it is certain the Holy Spirit, by such modes of speech, has aimed at overwhelming all our senses with fear.
Jonathan Edwards asked, If a man were brought to the mouth of the great furnace to be cast into the midst of it. If at the same time he knew he should suffer torment but for one minute, yet that minute would be so terrible to him, that fearfulness should surprise and astonish him, would it not? How much more if you were to be cast into a fire much fiercer; The fire in which wicked men are hereafter to be tormented. And if the thought of suffering this devouring fire for one minute would be enough to fill one with such surprising fearfulness, what will seize them when they shall know they shall bear it not for one minute; not for one day; not for one year; not for one age; not for a hundred ages; nor for a million of ages, one after the other, but for ever and ever without any end!. And never! never! to be delivered! They shall know that the fire itself will be everlasting fire. Fire that never shall be quenched. To go into hell into the fire that never shall be quenched, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched sayeth the Lord. And they shall know that their torment in that fire will never have an end. They shall know that they shall for ever be full of quick sense, feeling within and without. Their heads, their eyes, their tongue, their hands, their feet and their loins and their vitals shall for ever be full of glowing, melting, fire fierce enough to melt the very rocks and elements and also that they shall eternally be full of the most quick and sense to feel the torment. They shall know that they shall never cease restlessly to plunge and to roll in that mighty ocean of fire. They shall know that those billows of fire which are greater than the greatest mountains will never cease to billow over them, one following after the other for ever and ever.
Hell is not where your bodies are! As fools so flippantly speak of it! In one instant that thought will be banished, forever! Oh yes, let me go to hell, they say, defiantly, I'll see my friends there. You'll see no one there! Hell, is not, as some say, here on earth. This is hell! Hell is not merely separation from God and heaven and privative or negative. It is not merely that. It is eternal, conscious torment! It is everlasting punishment! And those in hell have no rest! No interval!
In this life rest comes to the suffering, The prisoner in his cell lies down on his bed and though it may be hard, he sleeps. The overworked slave also has intervals of sleep. The eyes of those who mourn are locked in repose and for a moment if not hours they can forget their sorrows. No pain that we endure on earth can be so certain and prolonged that nature will not sooner or later find the luxury of sleep or will find rest from it in the grave, but it will be one of the bitterest ingredients in the cup of woe in the world of despair, that this luxury will be denied forever. And that they who enter that gloomy prison sleep no more. Never know the respite of a moment. Never even lose the consciousness of their heavy doom. Oh, how different from the conditions of sufferers here. And oh how sad that any of our race will persevere in sins and go down to those unmitigated and unending sorrows.
Hell is everlasting shame! It is everlasting contempt! It is everlasting sorrow! It is everlasting isolation!. It is the consummation of covenant breaking! You would not have God to rule over you! You would not be in fellowship with your fellow man through God and His Word in Christ! You have broken covenant. You have denied community in principle. Instead of community you have established yourself as god! You want to live by your law! You want to do things your way! You want to be supreme!
Therefore, God will give you that isolation. Instead of light, black is darkness forever! Instead of life and glory, endless death, pain and contempt! Hell is the fulfillment of unbelief. It is the just desserts that befall those who rebel against their Creator and despise His Redeemer whom He has sent! Who is in hell? Who is experiencing this now and will even more so at the resurrection of the just and the unjust? The Bible tells us.
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone who is not a Christian is thrown into that lake. In the next chapter of Revelation it says the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murders, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, all liars, their place will be the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Why are they in hell? Because they hate God. And let it be known, God hates them! You would fear to know that someone very powerful hated you. Do you fear to know that as you remain in your sin outside of Christ that God Almighty, Creator of this vast universe hates you and will call you to account and will blow you away in and instant into that lake for your sin? Do you not fear to have God as your enemy, yet you fear the kid or the man down the block?
Brothers and sisters! The wonder of all Scripture teaching is not that any are in hell. The wonder is that any escape it! The problem that we face philosophically is not the problem of pain. The problem that we face is the problem of pleasure. Being what we are in our selves, how could God be so kind to us, as to allow us pleasure? How could God deliver us from hell? As Wescott put it, The great mystery of religion is not the punishment but the forgiveness of sin. That's the mystery that will be our contemplation forever. Those in hell will know that they are getting what they deserve and they will hate God forever for it! They will never repent! Never yield! Never bow! But will for ever increase their sin and their judgment and their own torment!
The Larger Catechism is correct when it says that every sin, even the least, because it is against the Sovereignty, the Goodness and Holiness of God and against His righteous Law, every sin deserves His wrath both in this life and in that which is to come and cannot be expiated, that means cannot be paid for, except by the blood of Christ. Our view of sin is so cheap! We wink at it. We forgive ourselves for all that we do without regard to whether God will forgive us. Every sin deserves hell!
To escape from the consciousness of this reality, men have resorted to all sorts of devices, which I think, we can reduce to three falsehoods. Each contradicted by the Word of God. The first doctrine they have invented to refute this is called Universalism. Universalism teaches everyone will eventually be saved. And there are all varieties of this teaching. It has been advocated even within the CRC I am sorry to report. Universalism.
Another way around this doctrine, this truth, is called annihalationism. That is, there are various forms of annihalationism but generally, they hold, at the resurrection, the righteous will be ushered into eternal life but the wicked will be annihilated so that they exist no longer. They are destroyed, kaput, there is nothing left of them. They're gone.
And a third doctrine that many of you have heard of is called purgatory, where people can atone for their own sins and so eventually attain to the beatific vision, the blessed vision. But all three of these heresies are buried by one single verse. One single passage from the lips of Christ. They will go away to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life.
He puts away universalism by showing that not everyone will be saved, there will be those that will be eternally punished. He puts away annihalationism by saying that it is not a temporary punishment. Not a punishment the effects of which will last for ever but the punishment itself is eternal. And He puts away purgatory by showing that there are only two categories at the judgment. No third, that we would wait for their purification as they come out of the flames of purgatory which is from the word to purge or cleanse from their sins and somehow come into heaven.
As a murderer seeks to escape the police, so sinners seek to escape from the terrifying reality of the final judgment, but to no avail. It stands as the Word of God and it will come to pass. We have seen what hell is. We have seen who is consigned to it. We have seen why they are consigned to it. For their sins and for the Glory of God and the manifestation of His justice. We have noted when they will be cast into it, at death. The sentence is final. And again, finally at the resurrection and the judgment it is executed. And for how long they will remain in it, that is, for all eternity.
It remains only for us to make a few applications. First, seeing what awaits those who walk in the broad way which leads to destruction. Should you not make every effort to enter in by the narrow? Can any of God's commandments seem burdensome to those who know what awaits those who defy those commands? Can the commandment seem like a burden compared to what awaits those who defy the Commander?
Secondly, Since, my will be done, is the creed of those who will be cast into hell forever, for there God says, go ahead , your will be done, depart from Me ye cursed. Since that is their creed, should not our creed be now and always, Thy will be done? At that last judgment sinners shall get a new and horrible sight of the use they made of their tongue in profane swearing, cursing, mocking at religion, lying, reproaching, cruel and unjust threatening, etc. In undue silence when God's honor and their own soul's interest and their neighbors good require them to speak. They will get a new insight into the use they made of their bellies in gluttony and drunkenness and pampering their flesh, of their bodies in uncleanness, lasciviousness and wantonness. On their hands in pilfering, stealing, unjust beating and abusing their fellow creatures. Immoderately busying them in the things of this life to the neglect of their souls. In a word, of the use they made of their whole body and every member thereof with the qualities and endowments thereof. Even its use, its beauty, comeliness, health and strength, all misused. They even misuse the memorials of dying that God has put to us. As hurts and wounds and weakness, sickness and old age, all of which are to be improved for God, for the good of man and for our own eternal welfare. Oh, says Thomas Boston, if men could look upon these things now, as then they will appear, the sweet morsel of sin would be accounted as the poison of asps and we would run far from it!
Thirdly. Should we not earnestly warn sinners what awaits them if they do not sincerely repent and flee to Christ? Now, I am not saying that you should run out of here and broadcast the fires at some great volume on every street corner. I don't know that that is the better part of wisdom, but in earnest conversation should we not make known to those we seek to bring to Christ, what awaits them if they refuse His Lordship and His redemption? Should we not warn them?
Fourth. Should we not ourselves give earnest heed to the exhortation found in our text in Hebrews? After hearing what awaits those who fail to enter the rest, can we not take more sincerely, the verse, Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience and unbelief.?
Fifth. Should we not worship, love and adore our Savior, who in enduring hell in His infinite person, infinite sufferings, eternal because of who He is, banished from the presence of God, and God's favor and God's warmth, God's love, who entered into hell on our account, should we not love Him? Should we not adore Him? The One who rescued us from this fate? The One who took us from the clutches of the Devil? The One who brought us to His own bosom? The One who secured us in His hands so that we can never perish? How should we love Him who has made us, instead of objects of wrath, children of the living God? That is what you are! Let none of you delay. Make your peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Enter into His rest! The only alternative is no rest, ever!
Let us pray.
O God, deliver us. You have delivered us once, continue to deliver us and accomplish that in us which You have begun in Christ Jesus. O Lord, search hearts. Cause us to be honest with ourselves and our condition. Cause us to flee to Christ even now. To be found in Him, not having a righteousness of our own but clothed in His glorious Righteousness. Thank you, oh Lord God that You have made a way. And this the way is sure and certain. Thank you that You have revealed that hell does await the impenitent. We need to know that. It moves us to greater obedience and more fervent devotion. Forgive us if our lips have casually uttered this word. That we have not taken it seriously, perhaps in our lives, that we have not warned others of it. Grant us O Great God Almighty, that we might glimpse you, who was to us once a consuming fire but now in Christ You have been made to us our Eternal Father who loves us and will never turn away from us for the sake of Christ. It is in His name that we pray. Amen
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20071012133939/http://www.messiahnyc.org/articlesDetail.asp?id=122
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)