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We come this evening to the second of

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four questions that we wish to consider together

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as we think of the Bible doctrine of

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hell.

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And it is simply this, what does the

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Bible teach about hell?

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What does the Bible teach about hell?

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Some biblical doctrines are extremely complex.

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They are difficult to grasp.

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They are elusive, mysterious, far beyond the reach

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of our minds.

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We think, for example, of the doctrine of

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the Trinity, of the three persons in the

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one Godhead.

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We wrestle with that doctrine, and even the

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mightiest human and believing intellect finds it difficult.

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Other doctrines are simple in a sense.

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The doctrine of the atonement, Christ in the

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place of sinners, the Son of God who

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loved me and gave himself for me.

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A child can understand that, and many children

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have believed it to their salvation.

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And yet, although simple on the surface, those

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doctrines have such depths of profundity as to

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be unfathomable, and to fill us with wonder

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and amazement.

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The doctrine of hell is not really in

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either of these categories.

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It is not extremely complex.

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It is relatively plain and straightforward.

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We can state it quite simply.

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One writer defines hell as a place of

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eternal conscious punishment for the wicked.

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That's plain and straightforward.

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Again, a child can understand that.

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A place of eternal conscious punishment for the

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wicked.

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And this is a doctrine which is fortified

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even by the unregenerate human conscience.

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All human beings throughout history, or the vast

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majority, have had a sense of hell.

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Look at heathen religions.

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Islam has a hell.

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Buddhism has a hell.

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Hinduism has a hell.

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There seems to be something imprinted on the

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conscience of human beings, made in the image

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of God, that after this life there is

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a place of judgment and punishment for those

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who have done wrong.

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The doctrine is straightforward.

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It is easy to grasp.

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And it is something that in our inner

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being we agree with.

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And the fact that it is denied by

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so many, and ignored by more, is simply

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because it is so unwelcome.

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Not because it's so complex or so unreasonable.

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In the New Testament church, the doctrine of

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hell seems to have been one of the

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ABCs which was explained and expounded to new

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converts.

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In Hebrews chapter 6, the writer is speaking

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of leaving aside the elementary principles of Christ.

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He says it's time we moved away from

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basic doctrines, from teaching for beginners.

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And he lifts some of those teachings, the

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foundation he calls them.

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He mentions the resurrection of the dead, and

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eternal judgment.

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It was a basic, fundamental truth in which

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every new believer was instructed.

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And I almost feel embarrassed to take time

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over it tonight because it is so plain,

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and clear, and straightforward.

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And yet there is value in that.

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Because it is neglected.

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It is overlooked.

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And there is great value in clarifying our

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understanding.

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And I don't propose to give you a

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complete statement of the biblical doctrine of hell

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this evening.

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What I would like to do is to

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summarize the main truths in the biblical doctrine

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of hell under five propositions.

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And then in the remainder of the time

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to consider several problems which people have with

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the biblical doctrine.

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So let us come first to the biblical

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doctrine of hell, and five simple propositions which

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gather together the main aspects of scriptural truth

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on this topic.

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The first is this.

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Hell is a real place created by God.

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Hell is a real place created by God.

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Many people have heard the statement of the

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French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, no need

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of brimstone or gridiron, hell is other people.

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That was his definition of what hell is,

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the suffering that comes to us by the

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cruelty of our fellow human beings.

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John Robinson, infamous a generation ago for his

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remarkably falsely titled book, Honest to God, writes,

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life can be hell.

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That is really what hell is, the dark

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side of life.

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People pass through dreadful experiences and they say

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I have been through hell.

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They describe their experiences in that way, that

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is not true.

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Hell is a real place.

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It is not a metaphor, it is not

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a symbol, it is not a picture, it

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is not an imaginative way to describe our

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sorrows or our sufferings, it is not a

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description of our state of mind, it is

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a place, it has dimensions, spatial dimensions.

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We don't know where that place is in

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God's universe.

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The characteristic biblical description is outside, to be

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cast out, to be into outer darkness, but

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somewhere, somewhere in God's universe there is a

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place and that place is hell.

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In our Lord's parable of the rich man

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and Lazarus in Luke 16, the rich man

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talks about this place of torment and it

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is the normal Greek word for a place,

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our word topography comes from it, the science

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of describing places.

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We are told that Judas Iscariot went to

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his own place.

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The same word, hell is a place.

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Perhaps the most characteristic name for it in

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the New Testament is Gehenna, translated in our

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Bibles as hell.

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And that word has an interesting history.

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It was used of the valley of Hinnom,

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sometimes called Topheth, a place outside Jerusalem which

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had a history of horror in Israel.

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Centuries earlier, God's people had murdered their children

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in that valley.

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They had burned them to death in the

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worship of the Ammonite God, Molech.

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It was the place of dread, of cruelty,

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of foulness, of desolation, of heart-wrenching grief,

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a place of desecration, a place of devilment.

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By the first century, it had become a

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rubbish dump, a garbage dump, a place where

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offal was burnt day and night.

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And in the valley of Hinnom, there was

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smoke, stench, worms, uncleanness, all that was hideous

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and horrible.

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And it is this term which our Lord

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uses to describe hell.

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He sees it as a suitable picture or

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symbol of the real place, hell.

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And because it's a place, it has been

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created by God.

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We're told in Revelation 4.11 that God

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created all things, and by his will they

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exist and were created.

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And that all things includes hell.

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Hell was made by God.

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He prepared the fire of hell for the

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devil and his angels.

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And we'll see the significance of that later.

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So in the first place, hell is a

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real place created by God.

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Secondly, hell is a place of punishment which

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is just, terrible, and everlasting.

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Hell is a place of punishment which is

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just, terrible, and everlasting.

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Now is there any more idea, is there

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any more unpopular idea today in our society

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than the idea of punishment?

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It's anathema to modern man.

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There should be no punishment in the home.

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There should be no punishment in the school.

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There should be no punishment in the state.

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Punishment is regarded as barbaric, primitive, unworthy, immoral.

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People say we don't believe in punishment.

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And they say that not because they're humane,

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not because they're kind, not because they're tolerant

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or advanced or civilized.

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They say that because of a frightening dark

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shadow right at the back of their souls

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and of their consciousness.

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The shadow of hell.

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That voice which says there is punishment.

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There is punishment.

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And that idea so terrifies them that they

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do everything within their power to remove punishment

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from their world and their consciousness and their

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society in the hope that by so doing

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somehow, because we don't punish, God won't punish.

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Because we don't believe in punishment, God won't

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believe in punishment.

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It's a childish, pathetic, ostrich mentality.

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If we say it isn't so, it won't

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be so.

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If we hide our head under the bedclothes,

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the nightmare will go away.

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No punishment.

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But the Bible says that hell is a

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place of punishment.

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Matthew 25, 46.

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These will go away into everlasting punishment.

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2 Thessalonians 1, 9.

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These shall be punished with everlasting destruction.

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And if people are willing to accept punishment,

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isn't it interesting how they want to water

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it down.

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They will have remedial punishment.

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Punishment that will make people better.

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Now that's fair enough.

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Punishment can be remedial.

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We trust that when we punish our children,

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it will be remedial punishment.

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It will teach them not to do wrong.

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It will bring them to a position where

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we don't have to punish them again.

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It is remedial punishment.

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Or there is preventative punishment.

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To punish one so that others will fear

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and avoid that particular wrongdoing.

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But the punishment in hell is not remedial.

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It does not make anyone better.

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It is not a purgatory.

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It is of no benefit whatever to those

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who are being punished.

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Nor in the absolute sense is the punishment

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of hell preventative.

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Unless to the extent that now to hear

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of the pains of hell will turn people

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to Christ.

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In that sense it is preventative.

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But when judgment has come.

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When the books have been opened.

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When the final destiny of all has been

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proclaimed.

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Then the punishment of hell will not be

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remedial.

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It never was.

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It will not be preventative.

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It will be what people hate and fear

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above all.

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Retributive punishment.

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Punishment purely for wrongdoings sake.

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Punishment inflicted on the evildoer.

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Not to frighten others.

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Not to teach the evildoer the error of

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his or her ways.

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But because it is right that they should

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be punished.

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Because it is just.

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Because that punishment in itself is a good

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and righteous thing.

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Without any benefit whatever accruing to the person

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who experiences the punishment.

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Our society hates and fears the idea of

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retributive punishment.

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It brings nightmares to their soul.

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Hell is a place of punishment.

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This punishment is just.

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It must be just.

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Because it's carried out by the Lord God

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Almighty.

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And his judgments are true and righteous.

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And without expanding on it unduly.

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We can see the justice of the punishment

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of hell.

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Particularly in the way in which the scripture

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tells us that the punishment in hell will

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00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:26,790
be measured precisely to each individual according to

276
00:16:26,790 --> 00:16:32,630
the knowledges and privileges which that individual enjoyed.

277
00:16:33,670 --> 00:16:38,030
In Luke 12 verse 47 the Savior says

278
00:16:38,030 --> 00:16:42,710
the servant who knew his master's will and

279
00:16:42,710 --> 00:16:45,570
did not do according to his will shall

280
00:16:45,570 --> 00:16:48,030
be beaten with many strikes.

281
00:16:49,190 --> 00:16:52,190
But he who did not know shall be

282
00:16:52,190 --> 00:16:54,610
beaten with few strikes.

283
00:16:55,350 --> 00:16:56,530
All will be punished.

284
00:16:57,490 --> 00:16:59,550
All will be punished in hell.

285
00:17:00,090 --> 00:17:02,110
All will be punished justly.

286
00:17:02,430 --> 00:17:04,770
But all will not be punished to the

287
00:17:04,770 --> 00:17:07,890
same degree or to the same extent.

288
00:17:08,890 --> 00:17:10,630
All will deserve punishment.

289
00:17:11,030 --> 00:17:13,730
But some will deserve more punishment.

290
00:17:14,450 --> 00:17:17,250
And they will be given that more punishment.

291
00:17:18,190 --> 00:17:24,150
Precisely measured calculated to their deserts.

292
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,480
Christ says for everyone to whom much is

293
00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,100
given from him much will be required.

294
00:17:35,180 --> 00:17:37,780
And to whom much has been committed of

295
00:17:37,780 --> 00:17:39,660
him they will ask the more.

296
00:17:41,380 --> 00:17:44,360
Remember his words in Matthew 11 21 when

297
00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:46,800
he was speaking to those towns which had

298
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,900
heard his preaching and seen his miracles.

299
00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,380
Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum.

300
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:55,280
He said woe to you.

301
00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:59,040
It will be more tolerable for Tyre and

302
00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,180
Sidon for the land of Sodom on the

303
00:18:02,180 --> 00:18:04,560
day of judgment than for you.

304
00:18:05,380 --> 00:18:06,880
All these cities will be punished.

305
00:18:07,540 --> 00:18:09,140
But some had more privilege.

306
00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:11,280
Some had more opportunity.

307
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,800
Some had more blessing offered to them.

308
00:18:15,180 --> 00:18:17,820
They will be punished more severely.

309
00:18:20,020 --> 00:18:23,500
He speaks regarding the scribes in Mark 12

310
00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:24,060
38.

311
00:18:24,380 --> 00:18:27,660
The scribes who are selfish, hypocritical, greedy and

312
00:18:27,660 --> 00:18:28,380
dishonest.

313
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,400
These religious leaders who knew the Old Testament

314
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,040
from beginning to end.

315
00:18:34,300 --> 00:18:38,880
He says these men will receive greater greater

316
00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,900
condemnation.

317
00:18:43,230 --> 00:18:47,310
A solemn word to those of us who

318
00:18:47,310 --> 00:18:49,310
are teachers in the church.

319
00:18:50,030 --> 00:18:51,790
You remember James's advice.

320
00:18:52,590 --> 00:18:56,170
Don't rush he says into the teaching office.

321
00:18:56,830 --> 00:19:00,490
Greater privilege brings greater responsibility.

322
00:19:01,950 --> 00:19:04,530
Now we're not told how this punishment will

323
00:19:04,530 --> 00:19:05,310
be graded.

324
00:19:06,250 --> 00:19:08,870
We're not told in the Bible if God

325
00:19:08,870 --> 00:19:13,630
will inflict greater pain on some individuals than

326
00:19:13,630 --> 00:19:14,130
on others.

327
00:19:15,550 --> 00:19:19,550
Perhaps it will be a greater awareness of

328
00:19:19,550 --> 00:19:20,910
opportunities neglected.

329
00:19:22,130 --> 00:19:24,270
Perhaps it will be a deeper remorse.

330
00:19:25,530 --> 00:19:28,610
Perhaps the worm of memory, a father, a

331
00:19:28,610 --> 00:19:31,770
mother's prayers will be part of the torture

332
00:19:31,770 --> 00:19:34,030
of the damned in hell.

333
00:19:34,630 --> 00:19:36,570
The Bible doesn't tell us and we must

334
00:19:36,570 --> 00:19:37,390
not speculate.

335
00:19:37,890 --> 00:19:39,390
But what it does tell us is that

336
00:19:39,390 --> 00:19:43,050
the punishment in hell will be utterly fair.

337
00:19:44,150 --> 00:19:44,650
Just.

338
00:19:45,470 --> 00:19:48,330
No one will ever be able to complain.

339
00:19:49,250 --> 00:19:51,090
No one will ever be able to say

340
00:19:51,090 --> 00:19:52,190
this is not fair.

341
00:19:52,510 --> 00:19:53,750
I have not deserved this.

342
00:19:54,010 --> 00:19:55,850
This is more than should be given to

343
00:19:55,850 --> 00:19:56,090
me.

344
00:19:57,650 --> 00:20:01,410
Hell is a place of punishment which is

345
00:20:01,410 --> 00:20:02,070
just.

346
00:20:03,750 --> 00:20:05,490
It is also terrible.

347
00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,420
We're told that it is a place where

348
00:20:10,420 --> 00:20:13,860
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

349
00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:17,200
The worm does not die.

350
00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:20,140
The fire is not quenched.

351
00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,440
Those in hell shall drink of the wine

352
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,400
of the wrath of God which is poured

353
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,100
out full strength into the cup of his

354
00:20:31,100 --> 00:20:35,160
indignation and they shall be tormented with fire

355
00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,340
and brimstone and the smoke of their torment

356
00:20:38,340 --> 00:20:41,720
ascends forever and ever and they have no

357
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:42,940
rest day or night.

358
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,880
Revelation 14 verses 10 and 11.

359
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,660
It is a terrible punishment.

360
00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:49,320
It is not a slap on the wrist.

361
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:55,620
It is something fearsome and it is everlasting

362
00:20:55,620 --> 00:21:00,340
in spite of the false claims today made

363
00:21:00,340 --> 00:21:01,320
about annihilation.

364
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,660
The scripture is abundantly plain.

365
00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:12,460
We're told about everlasting destruction, everlasting fire, everlasting

366
00:21:12,460 --> 00:21:13,280
punishment.

367
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,060
The same Greek word that is used of

368
00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:17,780
everlasting life.

369
00:21:19,910 --> 00:21:23,150
The pains of hell are as eternal as

370
00:21:23,150 --> 00:21:24,450
the joys of heaven.

371
00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:28,150
The same word is used to describe them.

372
00:21:31,940 --> 00:21:34,740
Jude speaks in verse 7 of the vengeance

373
00:21:34,740 --> 00:21:36,760
of eternal fire.

374
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,400
In verse 13 the blackness of darkness forever.

375
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,520
We read in Revelation 20 10 they will

376
00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:52,420
be tormented day and night forever and ever.

377
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,060
I'm not going to expand on this now.

378
00:21:57,940 --> 00:22:00,780
I hope God willing tomorrow evening to speak

379
00:22:00,780 --> 00:22:02,920
on the pains of hell.

380
00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:06,400
Let us simply note at this point how

381
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,640
fearsome this punishment will be.

382
00:22:09,700 --> 00:22:13,800
Just, terrible and everlasting.

383
00:22:15,340 --> 00:22:18,240
John Calvin says there can be no doubt

384
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:23,360
but that by such expressions the Holy Spirit

385
00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:29,020
intended to confound all our faculties with horror.

386
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:35,520
To confound all our faculties, our minds, our

387
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:40,480
emotions, our wills, everything to be confounded with

388
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:40,960
horror.

389
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:49,960
Thirdly, hell is for the devil, his angels

390
00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,060
and the unsaved.

391
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:57,500
Hell is for the devil, his angels and

392
00:22:57,500 --> 00:22:58,260
the unsaved.

393
00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:03,780
George Bernard Shaw the Irish playwright commented flippantly

394
00:23:03,780 --> 00:23:08,620
and blasphemously that all the interesting people will

395
00:23:08,620 --> 00:23:09,380
be in hell.

396
00:23:11,420 --> 00:23:12,840
That's not what the Bible says.

397
00:23:15,170 --> 00:23:20,370
Christ speaks of the everlasting fire prepared for

398
00:23:20,370 --> 00:23:22,530
the devil and his angels.

399
00:23:23,710 --> 00:23:26,990
The devil we're told was cast into the

400
00:23:26,990 --> 00:23:28,890
lake of fire and brimstone.

401
00:23:31,150 --> 00:23:34,770
The demons cowered before Jesus of Nazareth.

402
00:23:35,330 --> 00:23:36,550
What have we to do with you?

403
00:23:36,870 --> 00:23:38,490
Did you come to destroy us?

404
00:23:38,950 --> 00:23:40,010
Mark 1 24.

405
00:23:41,910 --> 00:23:45,570
Luke 8 31 they begged him that he

406
00:23:45,570 --> 00:23:47,810
would not command them to go out into

407
00:23:47,810 --> 00:23:48,390
the abyss.

408
00:23:49,930 --> 00:23:51,550
They knew the place for which they were

409
00:23:51,550 --> 00:23:52,330
destined.

410
00:23:54,550 --> 00:23:57,030
Jude verse 6 we're told of the evil

411
00:23:57,030 --> 00:23:59,310
spirits who rebelled in heaven.

412
00:24:01,210 --> 00:24:05,010
That God has reserved them in everlasting chains

413
00:24:05,010 --> 00:24:08,050
under darkness for the judgment of the great

414
00:24:08,050 --> 00:24:08,490
day.

415
00:24:09,770 --> 00:24:13,630
Hell is for the devil and for his

416
00:24:13,630 --> 00:24:14,070
angels.

417
00:24:15,210 --> 00:24:16,210
That is their place.

418
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:20,780
It is also for the notoriously wicked.

419
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,140
In Revelation 21 verse 8 we read that

420
00:24:26,140 --> 00:24:33,320
the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,

421
00:24:33,420 --> 00:24:38,120
idolaters and all liars shall have their part

422
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:41,620
in the lake which burns with fire and

423
00:24:41,620 --> 00:24:42,200
brimstone.

424
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:45,560
These are George Bernard Shaw's interesting people.

425
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:51,760
The abominable murderers, immoral, idolaters and liars.

426
00:24:52,180 --> 00:24:56,020
These wicked people, these evil people will be

427
00:24:56,020 --> 00:24:57,840
cast into hell.

428
00:24:59,580 --> 00:25:02,480
But hell is also for those who are

429
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:08,840
outwardly moral and decent, upright and respectable who

430
00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,400
have never trusted Christ as their savior.

431
00:25:14,180 --> 00:25:17,980
Paul describes them in 2nd Thessalonians 1 8.

432
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,580
He says that God will take vengeance in

433
00:25:22,580 --> 00:25:24,820
flaming fire on whom?

434
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:28,420
The Hitlers?

435
00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:31,020
The Stalins?

436
00:25:32,060 --> 00:25:35,880
Who are these people on whom God will

437
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,480
take vengeance in flaming fire?

438
00:25:39,780 --> 00:25:42,940
What monsters of depravity are they?

439
00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:47,080
Paul says those who do not know God

440
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,540
and who do not obey the gospel.

441
00:25:52,340 --> 00:25:57,020
Some of you tonight are refusing to obey

442
00:25:57,020 --> 00:25:58,060
the gospel.

443
00:25:58,920 --> 00:25:59,720
Simple as that.

444
00:26:01,140 --> 00:26:02,320
You say that's all I've done.

445
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:04,480
I've never done anything really bad.

446
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:06,980
But you're not obeying the gospel.

447
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,040
The gospel says believe on the Lord Jesus

448
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:11,540
Christ.

449
00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:13,240
And you're not doing that.

450
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,260
You're not obeying the gospel.

451
00:26:16,260 --> 00:26:18,820
The bible says that God will take vengeance

452
00:26:18,820 --> 00:26:22,480
in flaming fire upon you if you never

453
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,700
did another bad action as long as you

454
00:26:24,700 --> 00:26:27,460
lived, but if you didn't obey the gospel.

455
00:26:30,460 --> 00:26:34,140
He who does not believe the Son shall

456
00:26:34,140 --> 00:26:37,220
not see life but the wrath of God

457
00:26:37,220 --> 00:26:39,660
abides on him.

458
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,820
The only human beings who will escape hell

459
00:26:43,820 --> 00:26:46,520
are the elect, Christ's people.

460
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,320
He who hears my word and believes in

461
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,700
him who sent me has everlasting life and

462
00:26:54,700 --> 00:26:57,920
shall not come into condemnation but is passed

463
00:26:57,920 --> 00:26:59,660
from death into life.

464
00:27:00,380 --> 00:27:04,020
Hell is for the devil, his angels and

465
00:27:04,020 --> 00:27:04,840
the unsaved.

466
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,500
Fourthly, hell is where the souls of the

467
00:27:11,500 --> 00:27:16,200
wicked go at death and where their bodies

468
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,920
are rejoined with their souls at the last

469
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:20,320
judgment.

470
00:27:21,740 --> 00:27:24,000
Hell is where the souls of the wicked

471
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,980
go at death and where their bodies are

472
00:27:28,980 --> 00:27:31,960
reunited with their souls at the last judgment.

473
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,500
In other words, there is no neutral place

474
00:27:35,500 --> 00:27:39,340
in the universe between heaven and hell.

475
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,380
There is no third state.

476
00:27:43,380 --> 00:27:47,000
There is no waiting room until the second

477
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,060
coming of Christ.

478
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,620
There is no such thing as soul sleep

479
00:27:51,620 --> 00:27:56,360
or a period of unconsciousness or oblivion.

480
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:01,520
There is only this life, this world, and

481
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,120
then heaven or hell.

482
00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:10,740
We know that when the believer dies, his

483
00:28:10,740 --> 00:28:14,840
or her soul goes immediately to be with

484
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:15,200
Christ.

485
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,700
The Westminster short ecstaticism puts it beautifully.

486
00:28:18,980 --> 00:28:22,860
The souls of believers are at their death

487
00:28:22,860 --> 00:28:27,320
made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass

488
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,340
into glory and their bodies being still united

489
00:28:31,340 --> 00:28:34,860
to Christ do rest in their graves till

490
00:28:34,860 --> 00:28:35,460
the resurrection.

491
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,460
Christ said to the dying thief, today you

492
00:28:40,460 --> 00:28:42,820
will be with me in paradise.

493
00:28:43,260 --> 00:28:46,040
Paul wanted to depart and to be with

494
00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,300
Christ which is far better.

495
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,480
That's what happens to the believer at death.

496
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:59,970
And conversely, as the unbeliever dies, there is

497
00:28:59,970 --> 00:29:06,940
a gloating whisper from the devil, today you

498
00:29:06,940 --> 00:29:10,020
will be with me in hell.

499
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:12,500
Those are the only two voices.

500
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,380
You will be with Christ or you will

501
00:29:16,380 --> 00:29:16,980
be with Satan.

502
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,600
The 1689 Baptist confession of faith puts it

503
00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:22,100
this way.

504
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,780
After death, the souls of the wicked are

505
00:29:26,780 --> 00:29:31,740
cast into hell where they remain in torment

506
00:29:32,260 --> 00:29:36,380
and utter darkness reserved to the judgment of

507
00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:37,100
the great day.

508
00:29:39,370 --> 00:29:41,890
I think some confusion has arisen in people's

509
00:29:41,890 --> 00:29:47,690
minds because the Old Testament word Sheol and

510
00:29:47,690 --> 00:29:51,470
the New Testament word Hades are used in

511
00:29:51,470 --> 00:29:53,450
scripture with different meanings.

512
00:29:54,570 --> 00:29:58,750
Sometimes they refer to the grave to which

513
00:29:58,750 --> 00:29:59,910
we all go.

514
00:30:01,210 --> 00:30:05,330
Sometimes they refer to the place of punishment

515
00:30:05,330 --> 00:30:08,890
to which believers do not go.

516
00:30:09,610 --> 00:30:12,350
So sometimes you will see a statement in

517
00:30:12,350 --> 00:30:15,810
the Bible, I will go to Sheol.

518
00:30:16,670 --> 00:30:18,750
Sometimes you will see a statement, I will

519
00:30:18,750 --> 00:30:20,370
not go to Sheol.

520
00:30:20,830 --> 00:30:22,290
And that has confused people.

521
00:30:22,730 --> 00:30:25,090
And they said, what is this Sheol?

522
00:30:25,570 --> 00:30:27,230
Is it an intermediate state?

523
00:30:28,010 --> 00:30:30,230
But the words are being used in different

524
00:30:30,230 --> 00:30:31,050
senses there.

525
00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:34,490
And though the scripture has far more to

526
00:30:34,490 --> 00:30:38,390
say about the immediate destiny of believers, its

527
00:30:38,390 --> 00:30:42,190
teaching is quite plain regarding those who die

528
00:30:42,190 --> 00:30:43,130
without Christ.

529
00:30:43,490 --> 00:30:46,450
Perhaps clearest of all in the Lord's parable

530
00:30:46,450 --> 00:30:48,410
of the rich man of Lazarus.

531
00:30:48,530 --> 00:30:52,570
That is clearly referring to the intermediate state.

532
00:30:53,510 --> 00:30:55,610
The rich man has five brothers.

533
00:30:56,410 --> 00:30:57,830
They are still alive.

534
00:30:58,410 --> 00:30:59,390
They are on the earth.

535
00:30:59,990 --> 00:31:01,930
The end of the world has not come.

536
00:31:02,650 --> 00:31:04,110
The Lord has not returned.

537
00:31:05,010 --> 00:31:07,470
He has died but his brothers have not

538
00:31:07,470 --> 00:31:08,010
died.

539
00:31:08,490 --> 00:31:11,930
They have still opportunity to repent and believe.

540
00:31:12,570 --> 00:31:15,430
And what are we told about this man

541
00:31:15,430 --> 00:31:19,710
who has died before the general resurrection?

542
00:31:20,250 --> 00:31:23,090
We are told in Luke 16.23, the

543
00:31:23,090 --> 00:31:27,050
rich man died and was buried and being

544
00:31:27,050 --> 00:31:32,210
in torment in Hades, he lifted up his

545
00:31:32,210 --> 00:31:32,810
eyes.

546
00:31:33,710 --> 00:31:35,010
His body was in the ground.

547
00:31:35,870 --> 00:31:39,010
His body was going into corruption but his

548
00:31:39,010 --> 00:31:41,270
soul was in torment.

549
00:31:42,090 --> 00:31:45,670
I am tormented they said in this flame.

550
00:31:47,330 --> 00:31:51,710
Again 2 Peter 2.9, the Lord knows

551
00:31:51,710 --> 00:31:55,790
how to deliver the godly out of temptations

552
00:31:55,790 --> 00:32:01,530
and to reserve the unjust under punishment for

553
00:32:01,530 --> 00:32:02,550
the day of judgment.

554
00:32:02,970 --> 00:32:08,010
Literally in Greek, to keep the unrighteous continually

555
00:32:08,010 --> 00:32:11,710
being punished till the day of judgment.

556
00:32:12,670 --> 00:32:15,450
Even now they are being punished.

557
00:32:15,870 --> 00:32:18,550
There is no such place as purgatory.

558
00:32:19,010 --> 00:32:20,650
There is no second chance.

559
00:32:21,170 --> 00:32:22,790
There is no future hope.

560
00:32:23,210 --> 00:32:25,690
There is no point in praying for the

561
00:32:25,690 --> 00:32:26,070
dead.

562
00:32:27,270 --> 00:32:29,290
They are beyond our prayers.

563
00:32:29,630 --> 00:32:32,210
Our prayers cannot help them.

564
00:32:33,010 --> 00:32:36,570
We may say it reverently, even almighty God

565
00:32:36,570 --> 00:32:39,430
himself will not help them.

566
00:32:40,130 --> 00:32:41,830
That is the urgency of the gospel.

567
00:32:42,670 --> 00:32:44,690
That is why God says believe today.

568
00:32:45,210 --> 00:32:47,850
For once you die, it is too late.

569
00:32:48,710 --> 00:32:51,230
You cannot pay for masses to be said.

570
00:32:51,510 --> 00:32:54,250
You cannot give all your possessions to bring

571
00:32:54,250 --> 00:32:56,650
your beloved out of some purgatory.

572
00:32:56,650 --> 00:32:57,790
They are lost.

573
00:32:58,250 --> 00:32:59,390
They are gone forever.

574
00:33:00,790 --> 00:33:04,770
They await the general resurrection, the day of

575
00:33:04,770 --> 00:33:06,710
judgment when our Lord returns.

576
00:33:07,850 --> 00:33:11,030
When the souls and bodies of believers are

577
00:33:11,030 --> 00:33:12,930
reunited and pass into glory.

578
00:33:13,950 --> 00:33:16,670
When the souls of wicked are reunited with

579
00:33:16,670 --> 00:33:20,350
their bodies and consigned to hell forever.

580
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,900
And then fifthly and lastly in this section

581
00:33:25,900 --> 00:33:29,080
of our study, we can say that the

582
00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,420
Bible teaches that hell is ruled by God

583
00:33:33,420 --> 00:33:36,900
and exists for his glory.

584
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:42,440
Hell is first of all ruled by God.

585
00:33:43,260 --> 00:33:45,040
Now we need to stress that because there

586
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,180
is a popular idea in people's minds that

587
00:33:48,180 --> 00:33:54,680
hell is somehow outside God's presence and God's

588
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,320
reach and God's power.

589
00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:00,340
That it is some sort of garbage dump,

590
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,340
some sort of repository for nuclear waste where

591
00:34:04,340 --> 00:34:08,020
God puts everyone in and seals it and

592
00:34:08,020 --> 00:34:11,360
buries it and puts it away and forgets

593
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:11,800
about it.

594
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,600
And they just govern their own affairs in

595
00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,480
that dreadful place of torment.

596
00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:21,380
It is a community beyond God's reach people

597
00:34:21,380 --> 00:34:21,780
think.

598
00:34:22,219 --> 00:34:25,260
Perhaps John Milton is partly to blame for

599
00:34:25,260 --> 00:34:25,460
that.

600
00:34:25,580 --> 00:34:28,239
Some of you may know his great poem

601
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:29,800
Paradise Lost.

602
00:34:30,900 --> 00:34:33,179
And in that poem he gives a great

603
00:34:33,179 --> 00:34:36,239
deal of attention to Satan, the chief angel.

604
00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,560
And here is what Satan says according to

605
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,340
Milton, the great Puritan that he was, as

606
00:34:42,340 --> 00:34:44,400
he is about to enter hell.

607
00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:49,139
The devil says, here at least we shall

608
00:34:49,139 --> 00:34:49,800
be free.

609
00:34:51,100 --> 00:34:55,080
Here we may reign secure and in my

610
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,400
choice to reign is worth ambition though in

611
00:34:59,400 --> 00:34:59,780
hell.

612
00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:04,120
Better to reign in hell than serve in

613
00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:04,460
heaven.

614
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:09,260
You see that was Milton's understanding of Satan.

615
00:35:09,340 --> 00:35:10,860
Now perhaps that is what Satan thought.

616
00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:13,960
Perhaps that is what he hoped for.

617
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:18,320
Better to reign in hell than serve in

618
00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:18,540
heaven.

619
00:35:18,780 --> 00:35:21,020
I may be wretched but I'll be my

620
00:35:21,020 --> 00:35:21,700
own master.

621
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,000
I may be miserable but at least I'll

622
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,400
have got away from God.

623
00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:32,920
Even John Gerstner, great theologian, writes in one

624
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:37,420
of his works, hell is where Satan rules.

625
00:35:38,620 --> 00:35:40,240
My friends that is not true.

626
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,960
Hell is where God rules, where God alone

627
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:45,460
rules.

628
00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:48,640
It is not a demonic colony which is

629
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,840
declared unilateral independence.

630
00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:56,180
Jesus says, fear him who has power to

631
00:35:56,180 --> 00:35:57,440
cast into hell.

632
00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,100
That is God, the ruler of hell.

633
00:36:00,380 --> 00:36:02,380
He has prepared the fires of hell.

634
00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,340
The everlasting torment we are told in Revelation

635
00:36:07,340 --> 00:36:11,060
14.10 is in the presence of the

636
00:36:11,060 --> 00:36:14,900
holy angels and in the presence of the

637
00:36:14,900 --> 00:36:15,320
Lamb.

638
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,820
What an awful and mysterious statement.

639
00:36:19,180 --> 00:36:21,460
We'll come back to it again tomorrow evening.

640
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:23,840
The devil does not reign in hell.

641
00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,240
The devil suffers the worst punishment in hell.

642
00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:31,160
And there is a danger you see of

643
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,680
making the devil into a sort of a

644
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,560
James Dean type figure.

645
00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:39,440
A sort of a tragic heroic rebel.

646
00:36:39,980 --> 00:36:44,600
The outsider, the man who stands by himself

647
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,760
and shakes his fist at God.

648
00:36:47,620 --> 00:36:49,140
Let me quote Milton again.

649
00:36:49,820 --> 00:36:51,200
Here is Satan speaking.

650
00:36:52,100 --> 00:36:55,440
What though the field be lost, all is

651
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:56,200
not lost.

652
00:36:56,940 --> 00:37:01,560
The unconquerable will, the courage never to submit

653
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:02,260
or yield.

654
00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:07,000
God's glory never shall his wrath and might

655
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:11,340
extort from me to bow and sue for

656
00:37:11,340 --> 00:37:15,800
grace with suppliant knee and deify his power.

657
00:37:16,820 --> 00:37:20,180
That were an ignominy and shame beneath this

658
00:37:20,180 --> 00:37:21,020
downfall.

659
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,180
Satan says, I have never kneeled to God,

660
00:37:28,130 --> 00:37:31,530
but at the name of Jesus every knee

661
00:37:31,530 --> 00:37:32,710
shall bow.

662
00:37:33,390 --> 00:37:37,650
Of those in heaven and those on earth

663
00:37:37,650 --> 00:37:42,330
and those under the earth and every tongue

664
00:37:42,330 --> 00:37:47,790
shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to

665
00:37:47,790 --> 00:37:50,350
the glory of God the Father.

666
00:37:51,090 --> 00:37:55,670
Satan will be a whipped, crawling, cowering cur

667
00:37:55,670 --> 00:37:56,690
in hell.

668
00:37:57,350 --> 00:37:59,170
He'll not be a dark prince.

669
00:37:59,790 --> 00:38:03,450
He'll not be a majestic Lord, magnificent in

670
00:38:03,450 --> 00:38:04,010
his evil.

671
00:38:04,530 --> 00:38:06,690
No, he'll be a contemptible thing.

672
00:38:07,550 --> 00:38:08,390
He'll be a worm.

673
00:38:09,190 --> 00:38:13,730
He'll be a miserable, pathetic object cowering down

674
00:38:13,730 --> 00:38:17,350
before the mighty King and Lord of all.

675
00:38:17,930 --> 00:38:22,510
God rules in hell as he rules in

676
00:38:22,510 --> 00:38:22,890
heaven.

677
00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:27,640
It will not take time to develop it,

678
00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:30,520
but hell is also for God's glory.

679
00:38:31,020 --> 00:38:32,140
I want to come back to that.

680
00:38:32,540 --> 00:38:35,360
Properly understood, it is not an embarrassment.

681
00:38:36,300 --> 00:38:37,840
It is not something we regret.

682
00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,840
It's not something we speak about in whispers.

683
00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:44,460
It's not something we're hesitant or reluctant about.

684
00:38:47,030 --> 00:38:50,230
In hell, and I say it, I trust

685
00:38:50,230 --> 00:38:54,950
reverently and tremblingly, in hell the glory of

686
00:38:54,950 --> 00:38:59,310
God will be unveiled in a new and

687
00:38:59,310 --> 00:39:00,190
amazing way.

688
00:39:01,410 --> 00:39:05,350
More of God's authority will be seen than

689
00:39:05,350 --> 00:39:06,890
has ever been seen before.

690
00:39:07,690 --> 00:39:14,130
God's holiness, God's justice, God's anger will be

691
00:39:14,130 --> 00:39:15,590
revealed in hell.

692
00:39:16,290 --> 00:39:19,550
And he will be glorified through hell.

693
00:39:21,010 --> 00:39:23,970
It's significant that the holy ones in the

694
00:39:23,970 --> 00:39:29,070
book of Revelation praise God for hell and

695
00:39:29,070 --> 00:39:31,210
thank him for hell.

696
00:39:32,250 --> 00:39:33,690
It's not a fearsome thought.

697
00:39:34,390 --> 00:39:38,350
Revelation 11, 17, the 24 elders, we give

698
00:39:38,350 --> 00:39:42,250
you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, because you

699
00:39:42,250 --> 00:39:45,150
have taken your great power and reigned the

700
00:39:45,150 --> 00:39:48,170
nations where angry and your wrath has come.

701
00:39:49,030 --> 00:39:50,890
At the time of the dead, that they

702
00:39:50,890 --> 00:39:53,270
should be judged, thank you Lord.

703
00:39:55,670 --> 00:39:59,750
Revelation 16, 5, the angel of the waters,

704
00:39:59,930 --> 00:40:03,150
you are righteous, O Lord, because you have

705
00:40:03,150 --> 00:40:05,490
judged these things and you have given them

706
00:40:05,490 --> 00:40:08,270
blood to drink, for it is their just

707
00:40:08,270 --> 00:40:08,830
due.

708
00:40:10,950 --> 00:40:16,470
Like everything else, hell exists for God's glory.

709
00:40:17,650 --> 00:40:19,910
So that's a brief, a very brief and

710
00:40:19,910 --> 00:40:23,430
inadequate outline of some of the major themes

711
00:40:23,430 --> 00:40:25,570
in the biblical doctrine of hell.

712
00:40:27,660 --> 00:40:29,560
But I would like, for the remainder of

713
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:34,060
the time, to turn comparatively briefly to two

714
00:40:34,060 --> 00:40:37,020
problems with the biblical doctrine.

715
00:40:38,180 --> 00:40:41,600
And these are the result of mistaken thinking,

716
00:40:42,020 --> 00:40:45,020
but we're not talking about arrogance, we're not

717
00:40:45,020 --> 00:40:47,900
talking about unbelief, we're not talking about a

718
00:40:47,900 --> 00:40:51,920
weak evasion of scriptural truth, we're talking about

719
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:56,420
genuine problems which godly people sometimes have.

720
00:40:57,140 --> 00:41:00,540
Issues with which they wrestle, which are a

721
00:41:00,540 --> 00:41:03,200
problem and a difficulty to them and we

722
00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:05,800
want to try to help them with them

723
00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:06,780
if we can.

724
00:41:07,100 --> 00:41:09,880
The first one is this, is hell not

725
00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:14,100
a punishment which is disproportionate to the offense?

726
00:41:15,220 --> 00:41:19,620
Is hell not a punishment which is disproportionate

727
00:41:19,620 --> 00:41:20,780
to the offense?

728
00:41:20,780 --> 00:41:25,280
In its severity and its duration, is it

729
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:29,980
not a fearsome thing that human beings should

730
00:41:29,980 --> 00:41:37,520
be tormented so unbelievably, horribly and dreadfully, forever

731
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:41,400
and forever and forever and forever.

732
00:41:42,220 --> 00:41:45,640
Even the best of us, even the most

733
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,520
knowledgeable of us from time to time may

734
00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:50,880
have wondered, is it just?

735
00:41:51,740 --> 00:41:53,120
Is it terrible?

736
00:41:54,140 --> 00:41:59,840
Is it unfair that such an awful punishment

737
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:04,480
forever should be inflicted on human beings?

738
00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:06,620
What can we say?

739
00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:09,720
Let us make several brief points.

740
00:42:10,740 --> 00:42:13,100
The first is that we have no concept

741
00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:15,800
of the horror and guilt of sin.

742
00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:20,160
Even the best, even the holiest, even the

743
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,980
most godly of believers has little idea of

744
00:42:23,980 --> 00:42:27,240
what a foul and ghastly thing sin is.

745
00:42:27,500 --> 00:42:31,980
Charles Hodge says, we are incompetent judges of

746
00:42:31,980 --> 00:42:34,320
the penalty which sin deserves.

747
00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:39,160
We have no adequate apprehension of its inherent

748
00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:43,320
guilt of the dignity of the person against

749
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,780
whom it is committed, of the extent of

750
00:42:46,780 --> 00:42:50,380
the evil which it is capable of producing.

751
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:56,420
A mortal being sets his or her will

752
00:42:56,420 --> 00:42:58,080
against the creator.

753
00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:03,540
We arrogantly reject the authority of the God

754
00:43:03,540 --> 00:43:04,280
who made us.

755
00:43:05,020 --> 00:43:08,060
We refuse to fall down and worship.

756
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:13,780
You see, the gravity of the offense depends

757
00:43:13,780 --> 00:43:17,460
on the dignity of the being which is

758
00:43:17,460 --> 00:43:18,800
injured by the offense.

759
00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,020
If we were to go out this evening

760
00:43:22,020 --> 00:43:25,780
and see a small child tromping on a

761
00:43:25,780 --> 00:43:29,880
worm or pulling a worm to pieces, we

762
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:30,940
would be annoyed.

763
00:43:31,100 --> 00:43:32,860
We would say, don't do that, that's a

764
00:43:32,860 --> 00:43:33,720
creature of God.

765
00:43:33,820 --> 00:43:35,740
Unless of course the worm was in an

766
00:43:35,740 --> 00:43:36,800
inconvenient place.

767
00:43:37,260 --> 00:43:38,680
But we would say, well that's something you

768
00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:39,160
shouldn't do.

769
00:43:39,240 --> 00:43:41,240
Don't be cruel even to the insects.

770
00:43:42,300 --> 00:43:44,460
But we wouldn't be appalled by it.

771
00:43:44,740 --> 00:43:47,740
We wouldn't say, you evil wicked little boy,

772
00:43:48,220 --> 00:43:50,340
how could you do such a dreadful thing?

773
00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:53,220
We wouldn't lie sleepless all night to think

774
00:43:53,220 --> 00:43:55,740
of that child torturing that worm.

775
00:43:58,090 --> 00:44:02,730
If a child was torturing a cat, it

776
00:44:02,730 --> 00:44:03,430
would not be worse.

777
00:44:05,170 --> 00:44:06,850
We would think that really was cruel.

778
00:44:07,670 --> 00:44:08,730
That was perverse.

779
00:44:09,670 --> 00:44:13,050
Because in our scale of understanding, a cat

780
00:44:13,050 --> 00:44:14,990
we think is a nobler animal than a

781
00:44:14,990 --> 00:44:15,210
worm.

782
00:44:16,870 --> 00:44:19,770
Or if it was torturing a human being,

783
00:44:20,490 --> 00:44:23,210
now that would shake us.

784
00:44:23,570 --> 00:44:24,970
That would fill us with horror.

785
00:44:25,270 --> 00:44:27,410
That is a truly dreadful thing.

786
00:44:27,730 --> 00:44:30,350
It's the same action in every case.

787
00:44:31,290 --> 00:44:34,890
But it's against a different creature, a different

788
00:44:34,890 --> 00:44:35,450
being.

789
00:44:35,830 --> 00:44:38,010
And it is that which gives it its

790
00:44:38,010 --> 00:44:38,590
guilt.

791
00:44:39,410 --> 00:44:42,090
To pull a worm in two is not

792
00:44:42,090 --> 00:44:44,170
as bad as pulling a human being in

793
00:44:44,170 --> 00:44:44,450
two.

794
00:44:45,690 --> 00:44:49,390
But what then must be an offense against

795
00:44:50,830 --> 00:44:52,510
God?

796
00:44:53,810 --> 00:44:58,350
Who is so much above all other creatures,

797
00:44:58,510 --> 00:44:59,370
all creatures?

798
00:44:59,650 --> 00:45:01,790
For He is the Creator, the Uncreated.

799
00:45:04,350 --> 00:45:06,790
Nor has the guilt of a sin any

800
00:45:06,790 --> 00:45:08,890
connection with its duration.

801
00:45:08,890 --> 00:45:13,330
You could murder someone in a second.

802
00:45:14,990 --> 00:45:18,050
It could take you ten years to defraud

803
00:45:18,050 --> 00:45:20,490
someone of their life's savings.

804
00:45:20,970 --> 00:45:23,410
One crime is committed in a second.

805
00:45:23,970 --> 00:45:26,350
The other crime takes ten years.

806
00:45:29,620 --> 00:45:33,540
Does the longer sin require a longer punishment?

807
00:45:33,540 --> 00:45:34,160
No.

808
00:45:35,020 --> 00:45:36,780
It bears no relationship.

809
00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:40,360
People say, why should I be tormented forever

810
00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:43,080
for a sin which only takes a few

811
00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:43,460
moments?

812
00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:45,140
That's irrelevant.

813
00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:47,380
That has nothing to do with the guilt

814
00:45:47,380 --> 00:45:47,880
of the sin.

815
00:45:50,150 --> 00:45:54,830
People don't understand the heinousness of sin.

816
00:45:55,330 --> 00:45:58,330
Our society is numb with regard to sin.

817
00:45:59,790 --> 00:46:01,570
I wonder, do any of you smoke tobacco?

818
00:46:03,130 --> 00:46:03,890
I hope you don't.

819
00:46:04,930 --> 00:46:06,490
I think if you do, you're very foolish.

820
00:46:07,370 --> 00:46:08,570
You're injuring your body.

821
00:46:08,930 --> 00:46:10,710
You're breaking the sixth commandment.

822
00:46:12,670 --> 00:46:14,850
I'm not making a plea for the smoking

823
00:46:14,850 --> 00:46:15,550
of cigarettes.

824
00:46:16,210 --> 00:46:18,210
But isn't it strange?

825
00:46:19,330 --> 00:46:25,570
The persecuting mania which our society has against

826
00:46:25,570 --> 00:46:27,910
people who smoke tobacco.

827
00:46:28,370 --> 00:46:29,690
They're banned.

828
00:46:30,090 --> 00:46:30,970
They're banished.

829
00:46:31,410 --> 00:46:32,610
They're frowned on.

830
00:46:32,870 --> 00:46:34,590
They are the lepers of society.

831
00:46:34,790 --> 00:46:35,850
There are notices up.

832
00:46:36,070 --> 00:46:37,530
You could be put out of a restaurant.

833
00:46:38,090 --> 00:46:39,710
That is one of the worst things you

834
00:46:39,710 --> 00:46:40,930
could do to smoke tobacco.

835
00:46:40,930 --> 00:46:42,570
Abortion fine.

836
00:46:43,170 --> 00:46:44,530
Perversion fine.

837
00:46:44,890 --> 00:46:45,630
You name it.

838
00:46:45,850 --> 00:46:48,410
But don't you dare to light a cigarette

839
00:46:48,410 --> 00:46:49,430
in my presence.

840
00:46:50,410 --> 00:46:54,150
You see, people's values are all skewed.

841
00:46:55,110 --> 00:46:57,130
They don't know right and wrong.

842
00:46:57,370 --> 00:47:00,070
They don't know great evil and small evil.

843
00:47:01,390 --> 00:47:06,210
We're not in a position to say what's

844
00:47:06,210 --> 00:47:07,490
terribly bad.

845
00:47:08,290 --> 00:47:10,270
Only the Bible can help us.

846
00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:14,320
Hasn't it been interesting recently to hear people

847
00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:15,780
talking about capital punishment?

848
00:47:16,900 --> 00:47:18,600
People said, oh I don't agree with capital

849
00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:19,100
punishment.

850
00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:20,360
Oh no, it's cruel.

851
00:47:20,580 --> 00:47:21,220
It's terrible.

852
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:23,320
To put another human being to death.

853
00:47:25,900 --> 00:47:27,280
And then after Oklahoma City.

854
00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:30,260
Oh, that's a different thing.

855
00:47:30,980 --> 00:47:32,700
Such a crime as that.

856
00:47:33,020 --> 00:47:34,080
Such a heinous thing.

857
00:47:34,380 --> 00:47:36,620
All those lives taken away.

858
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,580
The man who does that deserves punishment.

859
00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:41,640
Normally I don't agree with it.

860
00:47:41,820 --> 00:47:46,100
But when it's something really bad, then of

861
00:47:46,100 --> 00:47:46,580
course.

862
00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:48,300
But that's the point.

863
00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:52,240
Sin is really bad.

864
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,720
Sin is the worst thing imaginable.

865
00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:01,220
That's why we cannot say that it's unfair.

866
00:48:03,230 --> 00:48:05,110
Oh, we remember again that those who are

867
00:48:05,110 --> 00:48:07,310
in hell continue to sin.

868
00:48:08,710 --> 00:48:13,210
They keep on sinning and incurring more guilt

869
00:48:13,210 --> 00:48:15,750
forever and forever and forever.

870
00:48:16,830 --> 00:48:20,450
In Revelation 22.11 we have the solemn

871
00:48:20,450 --> 00:48:24,110
statement, he who is unjust, let him be

872
00:48:24,110 --> 00:48:25,730
unjust still.

873
00:48:26,070 --> 00:48:28,730
He who is filthy, let him be filthy

874
00:48:28,730 --> 00:48:29,170
still.

875
00:48:31,770 --> 00:48:34,970
I owe many debts to you Reformed Baptist

876
00:48:34,970 --> 00:48:35,430
friends.

877
00:48:36,290 --> 00:48:39,270
And one of the not inconsiderable debts I

878
00:48:39,270 --> 00:48:42,410
owe you is introducing me to the writings

879
00:48:42,410 --> 00:48:44,770
of John Ledley Dagg.

880
00:48:45,570 --> 00:48:48,170
And he's a manual of systematic theology.

881
00:48:48,690 --> 00:48:51,710
In today's world it's a very unimpressive looking

882
00:48:51,710 --> 00:48:51,990
book.

883
00:48:52,170 --> 00:48:53,990
There is no bibliography.

884
00:48:54,390 --> 00:48:56,470
There are no learned footnotes.

885
00:48:56,730 --> 00:48:59,070
It just looks very simple and straight forward.

886
00:48:59,190 --> 00:49:01,170
But if you haven't got that book, get

887
00:49:01,170 --> 00:49:02,150
it and read it.

888
00:49:02,270 --> 00:49:04,050
Use it in your private devotions.

889
00:49:04,910 --> 00:49:09,390
He has a most marvelous, simple, warm, practical

890
00:49:09,390 --> 00:49:11,490
way of teaching us theology.

891
00:49:11,490 --> 00:49:13,450
Here's what Dagg has to say.

892
00:49:13,750 --> 00:49:18,850
A sinner cannot become innocent by being confirmed

893
00:49:18,850 --> 00:49:19,730
in sin.

894
00:49:21,270 --> 00:49:24,650
The future condition of the wicked is chiefly

895
00:49:24,650 --> 00:49:28,730
terrible because they are abandoned by God to

896
00:49:28,730 --> 00:49:33,070
the full exercise and influence of their unholy

897
00:49:33,070 --> 00:49:38,850
passions and consequent accumulation of guilt forever and

898
00:49:38,850 --> 00:49:39,110
ever.

899
00:49:39,110 --> 00:49:43,150
In other words, in hell they become more

900
00:49:43,150 --> 00:49:47,270
guilty and more guilty and more guilty forever

901
00:49:47,270 --> 00:49:49,290
and forever and forever.

902
00:49:50,490 --> 00:49:53,670
And after millions and millions of ages they

903
00:49:53,670 --> 00:49:56,570
have just accumulated more sin to be punished.

904
00:49:57,730 --> 00:50:01,730
They don't become innocent by being confirmed in

905
00:50:01,730 --> 00:50:02,210
sin.

906
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:08,760
The cross of Christ shows us the seriousness

907
00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:09,340
of sin.

908
00:50:10,910 --> 00:50:12,410
Listen to Dagg again.

909
00:50:13,310 --> 00:50:18,170
If wrath and damnation had been trivial things,

910
00:50:19,290 --> 00:50:22,590
the sending of God's only Son into the

911
00:50:22,590 --> 00:50:25,950
world, the laying of our sins upon Him,

912
00:50:26,870 --> 00:50:31,330
and the whole expedient adopted to deliver us

913
00:50:31,330 --> 00:50:34,970
from these inconsiderable evils, we would have been

914
00:50:34,970 --> 00:50:39,060
unworthy of infinite worship.

915
00:50:39,060 --> 00:50:41,960
Sin is such a trivial thing, such a

916
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:43,140
small matter.

917
00:50:44,140 --> 00:50:47,700
What a waste to shed the blood of

918
00:50:47,700 --> 00:50:51,540
God's only begotten Son to atone for it.

919
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:53,600
Dagg goes on.

920
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:58,240
The power of God's anger, finite intelligence cannot

921
00:50:58,240 --> 00:51:01,620
conceive, but God understands it well.

922
00:51:02,220 --> 00:51:05,040
And the full estimate of it was regarded

923
00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:09,540
in the deep counsels which devise the scheme

924
00:51:09,540 --> 00:51:10,280
of salvation.

925
00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:16,200
William Shedd says, It is incredible that the

926
00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:20,580
eternal Trinity should have submitted to such a

927
00:51:20,580 --> 00:51:26,740
stupendous self-sacrifice to remove a merely finite

928
00:51:26,740 --> 00:51:28,900
and temporal evil.

929
00:51:30,340 --> 00:51:32,680
And he goes on to make an exceedingly

930
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:33,900
profound statement.

931
00:51:33,900 --> 00:51:42,480
The doctrine of Christ's vicarious atonement stands or

932
00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,980
falls with eternal.

933
00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:53,800
If we lose this, he said, we lose

934
00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:54,380
the cross.

935
00:51:56,580 --> 00:51:57,260
Isn't that awesome?

936
00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:00,460
Would not be another reason that we could

937
00:52:00,460 --> 00:52:01,560
have thought of last night.

938
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:07,240
If we lose hell, sooner or later we

939
00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:07,920
lose the cross.

940
00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:09,180
There is no point to the cross.

941
00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:11,380
No reason for it.

942
00:52:12,460 --> 00:52:14,560
Jesus didn't need to come and do all

943
00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:14,940
that.

944
00:52:16,200 --> 00:52:17,620
He stand or fall together.

945
00:52:17,960 --> 00:52:21,020
Hell is extreme, but that is because sin

946
00:52:21,020 --> 00:52:21,540
is extreme.

947
00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:25,340
Are we going to stand at the foot

948
00:52:25,340 --> 00:52:29,320
of the cross and tell God that hell

949
00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:31,600
is an inappropriate punishment?

950
00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:35,320
But then another question, a problem.

951
00:52:36,100 --> 00:52:39,780
Is hell not contrary to the character of

952
00:52:39,780 --> 00:52:40,180
God?

953
00:52:42,330 --> 00:52:45,930
Is hell not contrary to the character of

954
00:52:45,930 --> 00:52:46,150
God?

955
00:52:46,270 --> 00:52:47,270
God is love.

956
00:52:49,290 --> 00:52:51,410
God delights in mercy.

957
00:52:52,050 --> 00:52:56,830
How then can a loving God bear to

958
00:52:56,830 --> 00:53:02,270
send some of his creatures to everlasting torment?

959
00:53:02,950 --> 00:53:05,130
That is one of John Stott's difficulties.

960
00:53:05,930 --> 00:53:09,210
How can a loving God bear to send

961
00:53:09,210 --> 00:53:12,360
some of his creatures to everlasting torment?

962
00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:14,160
Would you do it to a child?

963
00:53:15,340 --> 00:53:17,700
You who are human beings, would you send

964
00:53:17,700 --> 00:53:18,100
a child?

965
00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:19,240
Would you do it to a dog?

966
00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:23,600
Of course you wouldn't.

967
00:53:25,040 --> 00:53:27,020
You wouldn't put a dog in the flames

968
00:53:27,020 --> 00:53:27,780
of hell forever.

969
00:53:27,900 --> 00:53:28,420
I wouldn't.

970
00:53:29,240 --> 00:53:29,880
You wouldn't.

971
00:53:30,980 --> 00:53:32,100
How can God do it?

972
00:53:33,100 --> 00:53:34,140
Isn't he a God of love?

973
00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:36,780
What can we say?

974
00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:41,440
Let me give several strands of argument to

975
00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:41,700
you.

976
00:53:43,140 --> 00:53:45,400
We'd want to say first of all that

977
00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,220
God's attributes do not oppose each other.

978
00:53:49,140 --> 00:53:51,080
They do not fight against each other.

979
00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:54,760
One does not override the others.

980
00:53:55,780 --> 00:53:57,520
They're not at war, there's not a battle

981
00:53:57,520 --> 00:53:58,120
between them.

982
00:53:58,500 --> 00:54:00,740
God is loving and he's merciful, but he's

983
00:54:00,740 --> 00:54:01,540
also holy.

984
00:54:02,620 --> 00:54:06,280
And he's also righteous of purer eyes than

985
00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:07,120
to behold evil.

986
00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:12,620
And all his attributes are exercised in the

987
00:54:12,620 --> 00:54:14,260
fullness of their perfection.

988
00:54:15,180 --> 00:54:16,980
And none of them can be cancelled.

989
00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:20,720
For that would mean that God was denying

990
00:54:20,720 --> 00:54:21,380
himself.

991
00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:24,180
And that is what he will never do.

992
00:54:26,590 --> 00:54:30,130
It is right for God to hate sin.

993
00:54:30,950 --> 00:54:32,230
You would agree with that.

994
00:54:33,050 --> 00:54:35,410
And it is right for him to hate

995
00:54:35,410 --> 00:54:37,890
sin with an infinite hatred.

996
00:54:37,890 --> 00:54:42,170
And that infinite hatred is good.

997
00:54:42,450 --> 00:54:43,350
We'd agree with that.

998
00:54:43,710 --> 00:54:45,430
It's good that he should hate sin.

999
00:54:48,760 --> 00:54:50,280
Well if it is good, should it not

1000
00:54:50,280 --> 00:54:51,200
be expressed?

1001
00:54:52,640 --> 00:54:55,280
Is it not right for God to express

1002
00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:56,420
what is good?

1003
00:54:57,360 --> 00:54:58,840
He expresses his love.

1004
00:54:59,820 --> 00:55:01,360
He expresses his holiness.

1005
00:55:02,180 --> 00:55:03,680
He expresses his wrath.

1006
00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:05,800
He expresses his justice.

1007
00:55:06,420 --> 00:55:07,500
Are we going to question that?

1008
00:55:07,500 --> 00:55:10,140
Are we going to say that God should

1009
00:55:10,140 --> 00:55:13,520
stump himself and cripple himself and give us

1010
00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:15,840
a partial picture of his glory?

1011
00:55:18,610 --> 00:55:23,090
Or again, we could ask, would indifference to

1012
00:55:23,090 --> 00:55:24,610
sin be a virtue?

1013
00:55:27,630 --> 00:55:30,290
Would indifference to sin be a virtue?

1014
00:55:30,750 --> 00:55:34,470
Do we admire people who have no moral

1015
00:55:34,470 --> 00:55:35,370
sense?

1016
00:55:38,220 --> 00:55:43,200
When the citizens of a great nation are

1017
00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:49,520
asked in a poll Do you believe that

1018
00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:53,520
the rumors regarding the morality of a politician

1019
00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:57,260
who is running for chief office in that

1020
00:55:57,260 --> 00:56:00,380
nation Do you believe that those rumors have

1021
00:56:00,380 --> 00:56:01,160
foundation?

1022
00:56:03,660 --> 00:56:06,300
And over 70% of the citizens of

1023
00:56:06,300 --> 00:56:09,620
that nation whose identity you can probably guess

1024
00:56:10,140 --> 00:56:13,780
over 70% of the citizens say Yes,

1025
00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:17,440
we do believe that those rumors have foundation

1026
00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:22,240
and are probably true And they're then asked

1027
00:56:22,240 --> 00:56:26,340
Would that affect the way you vote in

1028
00:56:26,340 --> 00:56:26,880
any way?

1029
00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:31,670
And they say, not in the least We

1030
00:56:31,670 --> 00:56:34,610
believe the man has probably done these things

1031
00:56:34,610 --> 00:56:38,790
We believe the rumors are true Nevertheless, we

1032
00:56:38,790 --> 00:56:42,530
intend to give him our support Is that

1033
00:56:42,530 --> 00:56:44,790
a sign of health in a nation?

1034
00:56:46,250 --> 00:56:48,490
It would be healthier if they believed the

1035
00:56:48,490 --> 00:56:51,870
rumors were false At least they'd be acting

1036
00:56:51,870 --> 00:56:55,790
out of some conviction Indifference to sin, is

1037
00:56:55,790 --> 00:56:56,430
that a virtue?

1038
00:56:58,110 --> 00:57:00,690
If someone was willing to be poly with

1039
00:57:00,690 --> 00:57:05,110
a multiple unrepentant child murderer And say, well

1040
00:57:05,110 --> 00:57:06,910
I just like to be friendly with people

1041
00:57:06,910 --> 00:57:08,610
I like to get on with people, you

1042
00:57:08,610 --> 00:57:10,410
know I'm a good natured sort of a

1043
00:57:10,410 --> 00:57:13,090
person Would you say, what a wonderful guy

1044
00:57:13,090 --> 00:57:13,670
that is?

1045
00:57:14,210 --> 00:57:16,590
Oh, what a big heart What an admirable

1046
00:57:16,590 --> 00:57:20,870
man No, you wouldn't You would say, where's

1047
00:57:20,870 --> 00:57:21,970
his thinking gone?

1048
00:57:24,570 --> 00:57:28,410
R.L. Dabney gives a powerful illustration from

1049
00:57:28,410 --> 00:57:32,430
life of two people he knew A woman,

1050
00:57:32,910 --> 00:57:37,110
a godly, saintly woman Who trusted the Lord,

1051
00:57:37,230 --> 00:57:39,190
who lived a life of holiness and love

1052
00:57:39,190 --> 00:57:42,710
Who was plagued by pain and illness All

1053
00:57:42,710 --> 00:57:47,550
her days, and died in agony And a

1054
00:57:47,550 --> 00:57:53,730
wicked wretch Profligate, immoral, cruel Who had taken

1055
00:57:53,730 --> 00:57:57,510
human life Who spent his days in health

1056
00:57:57,510 --> 00:58:00,630
and happiness And was taken from this world

1057
00:58:00,630 --> 00:58:04,450
suddenly Without an ache or pain And Dabney

1058
00:58:04,450 --> 00:58:07,570
says, let us suppose That these two persons

1059
00:58:07,570 --> 00:58:11,250
Appearing so nearly at the same time In

1060
00:58:11,250 --> 00:58:15,390
the presence of God Were together introduced To

1061
00:58:15,390 --> 00:58:19,970
the same heaven If this is God's justice

1062
00:58:19,970 --> 00:58:23,850
Then he is more fearful Than the prince

1063
00:58:23,850 --> 00:58:29,150
of darkness To believe that our everlasting destiny

1064
00:58:29,150 --> 00:58:34,310
Is in the hands of such unprincipled omnipotence

1065
00:58:34,310 --> 00:58:38,050
Is more horrible Than to dwell in the

1066
00:58:38,050 --> 00:58:41,290
crust of a volcano What sort of God

1067
00:58:41,290 --> 00:58:41,830
would he be?

1068
00:58:42,990 --> 00:58:45,470
He would be the devil He would be

1069
00:58:45,470 --> 00:58:48,130
the devil If God could look at sin

1070
00:58:48,130 --> 00:58:52,130
and say It doesn't matter Never worry, come

1071
00:58:52,130 --> 00:58:57,470
into heaven He would be the devil Or

1072
00:58:57,470 --> 00:59:01,270
again we could say The objection proves too

1073
00:59:01,270 --> 00:59:04,570
much People say how can a God of

1074
00:59:04,570 --> 00:59:10,630
love Inflict endless misery On his creatures But

1075
00:59:10,630 --> 00:59:12,630
we could equally ask How can a God

1076
00:59:12,630 --> 00:59:15,050
of love Inflict any misery on his creatures

1077
00:59:16,570 --> 00:59:20,830
But he does The world is full of

1078
00:59:20,830 --> 00:59:24,950
misery And unhappiness It's quite clear that God

1079
00:59:24,950 --> 00:59:27,950
judges sin He has done since the fall

1080
00:59:27,950 --> 00:59:32,850
In Eden One writer says his judgments Are

1081
00:59:32,850 --> 00:59:36,170
frequent enough To let us know he judges

1082
00:59:37,050 --> 00:59:40,490
But seldom enough To let us know that

1083
00:59:40,490 --> 00:59:45,050
there must be Judgment to come Frequent enough

1084
00:59:45,050 --> 00:59:48,670
To show us that he judges Seldom enough

1085
00:59:48,670 --> 00:59:55,030
To point to a judgment to come This

1086
00:59:55,030 --> 00:59:59,630
argument would also mean That mercy Is compulsory

1087
01:00:01,510 --> 01:00:04,570
Pastor Hendricks wouldn't need To preach to us

1088
01:00:04,570 --> 01:00:06,890
on the grace of God Because there wouldn't

1089
01:00:06,890 --> 01:00:10,550
be any Grace of God If God is

1090
01:00:10,550 --> 01:00:16,970
bound to forgive If his love Requires him

1091
01:00:16,970 --> 01:00:21,190
To show mercy And to receive into heaven

1092
01:00:21,190 --> 01:00:25,670
Then there is No grace Then we are

1093
01:00:25,670 --> 01:00:28,410
not indebted to him In any way at

1094
01:00:28,410 --> 01:00:31,610
all He is so controlled by His love

1095
01:00:31,610 --> 01:00:36,310
that he cannot Punish That he must forgive

1096
01:00:36,790 --> 01:00:41,010
That the cross is a supreme Irrelevance And

1097
01:00:41,010 --> 01:00:45,550
nonsense That redemption is not of grace It

1098
01:00:45,550 --> 01:00:49,950
is the fulfilment of Obligation You have to

1099
01:00:49,950 --> 01:00:53,170
throw away Your Bibles If a God of

1100
01:00:53,170 --> 01:00:58,310
love Cannot send to hell Then what does

1101
01:00:58,310 --> 01:01:05,230
John 3 16 mean And of course most

1102
01:01:05,230 --> 01:01:09,910
of all How can God Be merciful And

1103
01:01:09,910 --> 01:01:14,530
condemn to hell But my friends the truth

1104
01:01:14,530 --> 01:01:18,810
is That there is mercy There is mercy

1105
01:01:19,370 --> 01:01:24,970
In Christ God demonstrates His own love toward

1106
01:01:24,970 --> 01:01:27,210
us In that while we were still sinners

1107
01:01:27,210 --> 01:01:30,770
Christ died for us Now tell me this

1108
01:01:30,770 --> 01:01:34,190
How is it reasonable For people to hear

1109
01:01:34,190 --> 01:01:37,030
of the love of God And be pleaded

1110
01:01:37,030 --> 01:01:39,650
with To accept the love of God And

1111
01:01:39,650 --> 01:01:41,590
turn their backs On the love of God

1112
01:01:41,590 --> 01:01:44,570
And reject and refuse the love of God

1113
01:01:44,570 --> 01:01:47,810
And then complain That God is not loving

1114
01:01:47,810 --> 01:01:52,890
He is loving But they don't want His

1115
01:01:52,890 --> 01:01:56,650
love They spurn it They despise it They

1116
01:01:56,650 --> 01:01:59,570
trample upon it And then they have the

1117
01:01:59,570 --> 01:02:04,470
sheer Gall to criticise Him To stand at

1118
01:02:04,470 --> 01:02:07,590
the foot of Calvary On which His only

1119
01:02:07,590 --> 01:02:12,550
begotten Son bled and died And say Oh

1120
01:02:12,550 --> 01:02:17,430
well I've got doubts About God's love One

1121
01:02:17,430 --> 01:02:19,670
of those theologians could speak of it last

1122
01:02:19,670 --> 01:02:26,380
night As profoundly immoral How How can any

1123
01:02:26,380 --> 01:02:29,980
man Dare to say In the light of

1124
01:02:29,980 --> 01:02:33,220
the cross of Christ That God is unloving

1125
01:02:35,870 --> 01:02:37,670
Do you remember those words That must have

1126
01:02:37,670 --> 01:02:39,970
cut our Saviour's soul That night in the

1127
01:02:39,970 --> 01:02:44,150
boat On the sea of Galilee Lord do

1128
01:02:44,150 --> 01:02:50,450
you not care That we perish I wonder

1129
01:02:50,450 --> 01:02:52,770
did Jesus think to Himself Oh my friend

1130
01:02:54,410 --> 01:02:58,910
If you knew What your words mean Why

1131
01:02:58,910 --> 01:03:09,530
am I here No God

1132
01:03:09,530 --> 01:03:13,230
is the Father of our Saviour And to

1133
01:03:13,230 --> 01:03:16,090
suggest in any way That the existence of

1134
01:03:16,090 --> 01:03:19,850
hell Is contrary to His love Is blasphemy

1135
01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:23,600
I want to take a few minutes in

1136
01:03:23,600 --> 01:03:28,190
closing To say just a word or two

1137
01:03:28,190 --> 01:03:32,630
About the purpose Of the biblical doctrine We've

1138
01:03:32,630 --> 01:03:35,230
looked at it in summary We've considered one

1139
01:03:35,230 --> 01:03:37,930
or two objections Now then what is its

1140
01:03:37,930 --> 01:03:41,530
purpose Why is it given In the scripture

1141
01:03:41,530 --> 01:03:46,130
It is horrible It's alarming It's disturbing It's

1142
01:03:46,130 --> 01:03:50,610
frightening Why has God put these Very very

1143
01:03:50,610 --> 01:03:56,630
disturbing Awful statements In His word Why does

1144
01:03:56,630 --> 01:04:02,230
He upset us so Let me suggest that

1145
01:04:02,230 --> 01:04:06,430
That is not the key issue Supposing tonight

1146
01:04:06,430 --> 01:04:10,270
About 3 or 4 am Someone were to

1147
01:04:10,270 --> 01:04:13,650
run down The corridor Of the building where

1148
01:04:13,650 --> 01:04:18,050
you're staying You're peacefully asleep You're tired after

1149
01:04:18,050 --> 01:04:20,910
a busy day And suddenly someone runs Down

1150
01:04:20,910 --> 01:04:25,470
the corridor shouting FIRE FIRE The building is

1151
01:04:25,470 --> 01:04:30,170
in flames Awake Escaped for your life And

1152
01:04:30,170 --> 01:04:31,950
you jump out of bed And you're sleepy

1153
01:04:31,950 --> 01:04:34,050
And you bang your leg on the chair

1154
01:04:34,050 --> 01:04:36,570
And it's sore And the children are frightened

1155
01:04:36,570 --> 01:04:38,970
And crying And you feel sick And you

1156
01:04:38,970 --> 01:04:41,190
rush out into the corridor That's a very

1157
01:04:41,190 --> 01:04:47,150
upsetting statement It's very disturbing And annoying But

1158
01:04:49,360 --> 01:04:55,220
what would be the reality If there is

1159
01:04:55,220 --> 01:05:02,390
no fire That's a piece of irresponsible Foolishness

1160
01:05:02,390 --> 01:05:05,970
But if there is a fire That is

1161
01:05:05,970 --> 01:05:10,170
an act of love And kindness The issue

1162
01:05:10,170 --> 01:05:13,670
is not the loud voice The inconvenient hour

1163
01:05:13,670 --> 01:05:18,130
The frightening words The upset to yourself And

1164
01:05:18,130 --> 01:05:22,290
your children The issue is this Is it

1165
01:05:22,290 --> 01:05:26,710
true Or is it false And if it's

1166
01:05:26,710 --> 01:05:30,470
true Then the louder and more Upsetting it

1167
01:05:30,470 --> 01:05:34,750
is The better And you see people criticise

1168
01:05:34,750 --> 01:05:38,970
the bible All this language Bloodthirsty, upsetting You

1169
01:05:38,970 --> 01:05:41,110
have passages you couldn't read to children They

1170
01:05:41,110 --> 01:05:44,530
have nightmares Why has God put all this

1171
01:05:44,530 --> 01:05:48,630
Into his words That's not the issue The

1172
01:05:48,630 --> 01:05:52,210
issue is, is there a hell Or is

1173
01:05:52,210 --> 01:05:55,910
there not And if there is And there

1174
01:05:55,910 --> 01:05:59,850
is Then surely This is an act of

1175
01:05:59,850 --> 01:06:03,830
supreme kindness Supposing the bible Had told us

1176
01:06:03,830 --> 01:06:06,970
nothing of hell Supposing it had satisfied The

1177
01:06:06,970 --> 01:06:09,270
modernists and the liberals And there wasn't a

1178
01:06:09,270 --> 01:06:12,470
single word in this book About any condemnation

1179
01:06:12,470 --> 01:06:14,470
to come Would that be a loving thing

1180
01:06:16,050 --> 01:06:18,070
I was speaking To someone at lunch today

1181
01:06:18,070 --> 01:06:20,710
Who serves God working in the hospice movement

1182
01:06:21,390 --> 01:06:23,610
She was telling me That the holy thought

1183
01:06:23,610 --> 01:06:26,790
of the movement is Don't alarm the dying

1184
01:06:28,790 --> 01:06:33,230
Don't cause them any anxiety Or worry Assure

1185
01:06:33,230 --> 01:06:34,810
them that they are going to a better

1186
01:06:34,810 --> 01:06:38,810
place All will be well Nothing to trouble

1187
01:06:38,810 --> 01:06:41,250
them Let them slip out of this world

1188
01:06:41,250 --> 01:06:44,570
Easily and comfortably We want to be kind

1189
01:06:44,570 --> 01:06:47,410
We want to be caring That's not kind

1190
01:06:47,410 --> 01:06:54,210
That's not caring That's dreadfully dreadfully cruel And

1191
01:06:54,210 --> 01:06:58,050
people you see complain That God warns us

1192
01:06:58,050 --> 01:07:00,670
But it's in his love he warns us

1193
01:07:00,670 --> 01:07:03,930
It's in his grace he warns us Because

1194
01:07:03,930 --> 01:07:07,450
hell is a reality And it's in love

1195
01:07:07,450 --> 01:07:10,230
That we've chosen this topic For this conference

1196
01:07:10,230 --> 01:07:11,670
For those of you who are on your

1197
01:07:11,670 --> 01:07:16,250
way to hell This morning Jesus was described

1198
01:07:16,250 --> 01:07:21,590
As the theologian of hell We sometimes overlook

1199
01:07:21,590 --> 01:07:24,470
The point of that We say well hell

1200
01:07:24,470 --> 01:07:27,510
must be true For Christ taught it That's

1201
01:07:27,510 --> 01:07:32,090
correct We say hell is not inconsistent With

1202
01:07:32,090 --> 01:07:35,190
God's love For Christ taught it That's correct

1203
01:07:35,190 --> 01:07:40,130
But what is the chief point The chief

1204
01:07:40,130 --> 01:07:42,510
point is that he who tells us About

1205
01:07:42,510 --> 01:07:45,470
hell Is the one who can save us

1206
01:07:45,470 --> 01:07:48,890
from hell He who brings us The warning

1207
01:07:48,890 --> 01:07:53,530
Is the one who can help us That's

1208
01:07:53,530 --> 01:07:55,650
the beauty of it And the grace of

1209
01:07:55,650 --> 01:08:01,230
it What more Could we ask The very

1210
01:08:01,230 --> 01:08:05,810
person Whom God sends to warn us He

1211
01:08:05,810 --> 01:08:09,610
himself Is the person who can deliver us

1212
01:08:09,610 --> 01:08:14,330
He brings the warning And the deliverance Together

1213
01:08:18,100 --> 01:08:23,850
Some of you here today Are unconverted You've

1214
01:08:23,850 --> 01:08:28,850
heard about hell Many times And you're resisting

1215
01:08:28,850 --> 01:08:33,069
it And I warn you now That if

1216
01:08:33,069 --> 01:08:36,649
you continue In your unbelief You will end

1217
01:08:36,649 --> 01:08:43,350
up in that dreadful place And those of

1218
01:08:43,350 --> 01:08:47,790
us here who are Christians Will witness against

1219
01:08:47,790 --> 01:08:52,880
you At the day of judgment On Friday

1220
01:08:52,880 --> 01:08:54,580
my wife and I hope to be driving

1221
01:08:54,580 --> 01:08:57,279
Off on holiday for a few weeks Courtesy

1222
01:08:57,279 --> 01:09:00,200
of some of the friends here And I'm

1223
01:09:00,200 --> 01:09:02,819
driving Let's say along the highway Driving at

1224
01:09:02,819 --> 01:09:05,160
70 miles an hour I won't be but

1225
01:09:05,160 --> 01:09:08,500
let's assume I were And a highway patrolman

1226
01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:10,920
Pulls me over and he says Sir the

1227
01:09:10,920 --> 01:09:13,580
speed limit in this state is 65 You're

1228
01:09:13,580 --> 01:09:15,979
breaking the law And I would say Well

1229
01:09:15,979 --> 01:09:18,340
I'm sorry officer I didn't know I wasn't

1230
01:09:18,340 --> 01:09:22,700
aware I'm a visitor here And he would

1231
01:09:22,700 --> 01:09:24,700
say well you should have known It was

1232
01:09:24,700 --> 01:09:26,680
your business to know You could have found

1233
01:09:26,680 --> 01:09:29,000
out I'm going to have to fine you

1234
01:09:29,479 --> 01:09:31,160
But he would be lenient I think I

1235
01:09:31,160 --> 01:09:32,939
think he would be understanding And if he

1236
01:09:32,939 --> 01:09:34,680
had to give me a penalty He would

1237
01:09:34,680 --> 01:09:35,979
do it with a smile I would hope

1238
01:09:35,979 --> 01:09:38,180
And a degree of graciousness I didn't know

1239
01:09:39,720 --> 01:09:42,960
But supposing that Same officer stops me again

1240
01:09:42,960 --> 01:09:46,040
An hour later And I'm still driving at

1241
01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:48,600
70 miles an hour He's going to have

1242
01:09:48,600 --> 01:09:50,880
a different Attitude then he says Sir I

1243
01:09:50,880 --> 01:09:53,500
spoke to you about this I warned you

1244
01:09:53,500 --> 01:09:57,220
I explained the position His whole attitude towards

1245
01:09:57,220 --> 01:10:00,260
me is going to be changed And many

1246
01:10:00,260 --> 01:10:02,880
of you Have heard of hell Again and

1247
01:10:02,880 --> 01:10:06,900
again and again And again What will you

1248
01:10:06,900 --> 01:10:10,400
say What will you say young people When

1249
01:10:10,400 --> 01:10:13,460
you stand before God God says you were

1250
01:10:13,460 --> 01:10:18,240
warned You were told You were urged To

1251
01:10:18,240 --> 01:10:21,860
flee the wrath to come But you trampled

1252
01:10:21,860 --> 01:10:25,800
The son of God Under your feet You

1253
01:10:25,800 --> 01:10:30,400
insulted the spirit of grace You will be

1254
01:10:30,400 --> 01:10:37,770
damned And you will deserve to flee The

1255
01:10:37,770 --> 01:10:49,700
wrath to come Let

1256
01:10:49,700 --> 01:10:59,470
us pray Thank you Father For warning us

1257
01:11:00,760 --> 01:11:10,000
So clearly Movingly Powerfully And repeatedly Thank you

1258
01:11:10,000 --> 01:11:15,800
Lord For sending that warning Chiefly Through the

1259
01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:22,670
Savior Himself Who came Full of grace And

1260
01:11:22,670 --> 01:11:27,590
mercy And life That the warning was brought

1261
01:11:27,590 --> 01:11:30,850
To us By the one who delivers from

1262
01:11:30,850 --> 01:11:37,370
it Lord our God Thank you that Christ

1263
01:11:38,190 --> 01:11:40,950
Stands in our midst this evening By His

1264
01:11:40,950 --> 01:11:45,370
Spirit And warns us each one again Of

1265
01:11:45,370 --> 01:11:51,600
hell And offers Himself To be our Savior

1266
01:11:54,130 --> 01:11:58,570
Lord if there is someone here now Resisting

1267
01:11:58,570 --> 01:12:03,870
you Fighting against you Longing for this Meeting

1268
01:12:03,870 --> 01:12:07,230
to be over Shuffling in their seat Trying

1269
01:12:07,230 --> 01:12:10,910
to think of something else Lord break through

1270
01:12:10,910 --> 01:12:16,270
Their indifference Terrify them Overwhelm them oh God

1271
01:12:16,990 --> 01:12:19,230
Help them to realize That it is the

1272
01:12:19,230 --> 01:12:21,870
voice of the Son of God Who is

1273
01:12:21,870 --> 01:12:27,430
truth Calling on them Warning them And grant

1274
01:12:27,430 --> 01:12:30,390
that by your mercy They may take heed

1275
01:12:30,390 --> 01:12:34,250
And be saved We pray in Jesus name

1276
01:12:34,250 --> 01:12:35,670
Amen