John 15:22-24

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ~ John 15:22

Have you ever seen people get belligerent just because they know you are a Christian, even if you have not yet said anything to them about sin? I have seen this several times. People that live for the world know they are sinning and they love it more than knowing the one who can redeem them. But they take it further because they will verbally attack you for no reason. I am not sure why they do this? Maybe it makes them feel better.

The Pharisees could not stand to be around Jesus I think for the very same reason. John MacArthur said in his commentary on verses John 15:22-24.

 

“They would have no sin. He did not mean that if He had not come, they would have been sinless. But, His coming incited the severest and most deadly sin, that of rejecting and rebelling against God and His truth. It was the decisive sin of rejection, the deliberate and fatal choice of darkness over light and death over life of which He spoke. He had done so many miracles and spoken innumerable words to prove He was Messiah and Son of God, but they were belligerent in their love of sin and rejection of the Savior.

I have also been around people who are living in sin and they are very nice people just rough around the edges and most of them will treat you well if you treat them well. I believe this is because they do not know the bible and therefore are not as convicted of sin. I said this to say that for those that know the bible and what it says are really trending in dangerous water. The bible says: How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ~ Hebrews 10:29-31

John MacArthur Commentary says: “This warning passage deals with the sin of apostasy, an intentional falling away, or defection. Apostates are those who move toward Christ, hear and understand His gospel, and are on the verge of saving belief, but then rebel and turn away. This warning against apostasy is one of the most serious warnings in all of Scripture.”

Well I know I will keep praying for them to repent and come to know the only one that can set them free and pay their sin debt. I am going to try instead of getting angry at them just take it that it is a plea for help.

Plow on, plow on…
David Campbell

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• Belligerent

One view of hell that seems to be making a strong resurgence today among evangelicals is Annihilationism. There are slight variations, but it essentially teaches God will eventually snuff every unbeliever out of existence. Some Annihilationists make room for divine wrath, but they don’t allow it to extend beyond the lake of fire. In other words, they won’t allow God the full force of His judgment, which is eternal, conscious torment. For them, the lake of fire is what completely consumes and finally destroys sinners. Whether they see death as the end, or whether they see hell’s torments as limited in duration, the result is the same—a denial of the endlessness of hell.

“Wait a minute,” you protest, “what about all the biblical references to eternal flames and everlasting punishment? Doesn’t Matthew 25:46 say the wicked will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life?” Good question. For no good exegetical reason, some Annihilationists have understood the word “eternal” to refer, not to a duration of time, but to the quality of God’s judgment. It’s eternal in quality, even though it has an end. Other Annihilationists say “eternal” refers to the effect of divine judgment. That is to say, God’s judgment results in death—as in extinction, annihilation—which is a state of non-being that lasts eternally.

If you’re having a hard time bending your mind around that, you’re not alone. It’s hard to conceive of a sinner experiencing an eternal quality of judgment without it lasting forever. Matthew 25:46 clearly teaches that the duration of punishment and life are alike, both eternal. John MacArthur has said,

Punishment in hell is defined by the word aionios, which is the word eternal or everlasting. There are people who would like to redefine that word aionios and say, "Well, it doesn't really mean forever." But if you do that with hell, you've just done it with heaven, because the same word is used to describe both. If there is not an everlasting hell, then there is not an everlasting heaven. And I'll go one beyond that. The same word is used to describe God. And so if there is not an everlasting hell, then there is not an everlasting heaven, nor is there an everlasting God. It is clear that God is eternal; and, therefore, that heaven is eternal, and so is hell. (John MacArthur, “A Testimony of One Surprised to Be in Hell, Part 2”)

Augustine put it simply more than 1,500 years ago: “To say that life eternal shall be endless, [but that] punishment eternal shall come to an end is the height of absurdity.”

To say passages like Matthew 25:46 refer to eternality as a quality of judgment but say nothing about the duration, especially without exegetical support, is simply to beg the question. The meaning of “eternal” in that passage is clear—it’s everlasting.

Annihilationists sometimes explain “eternal” in the sense of an eternal effect. They say words like destruction and death refer to some kind of disintegration or consumption. God doesn’t torment the wicked for all eternity, He simply ends their existence, and the effect of that singular act of judgment lasts forever. As we noted above, they will allow God to be wrathful, but only for a time. To say divine punishment is everlasting is going way too far; it’s a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Eventually, they believe God will snuff the wicked out of existence, and that condition of non-existence lasts forever.

Apart from the metaphysical problem (How can something that no longer exists be said to last forever?), there’s a very serious problem with the “cessation of existence” view—it fails to account for a Lawgiver who is infinite and eternal by nature. The severity of an offense is measured, not merely by the nature of the act itself, but also in relation to the one offended. For example, if one man punches another man on a street corner, he may suffer some consequences—charges of disturbing the peace, assault, or battery. But to punch the President of the United States ups the ante; when the Secret Service finishes with him, he’ll be doing some serious prison time.

It’s like that with offenses committed against a holy God. Since an offense against a finite lawgiver is finite, the punishment to satisfy the offense is also finite. That’s the principle behind Exodus 21, an eye for an eye (Exodus 21:23-25). But an offense against an infinite, eternal Lawgiver is not finite; it’s infinite and eternal. It is up to the Judge to determine the severity of the infraction itself—i.e., telling a “white” lie versus committing homicide—but the nature of the infraction is measured against the nature of God who is holy and eternal. Likewise, God, who is perfect in righteousness, determines the justice an infraction demands. According to His Word, the punishment for an offense against a holy God is everlasting torment in hell.

On a human level, it’s understandable when people recoil from the Bible’s teaching about eternal torment. It’s an absolutely horrible, terrifying doctrine. It’s impossible for us to conceive of a crime so severe—even the crimes of notorious people like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, and Osama bin Laden—as to merit the everlasting, excruciating agony described in the Bible. But that shows just how little we understand the sinfulness of sin on the one hand, and the holiness of God on the other.

God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts—we cannot fully comprehend Him (Isa. 55:8-9). In an uncomfortably poignant and penetrating way, the doctrine of eternal hell confronts our loyalty, reveals our true authority, and demands that we set aside what seems reasonable to us and trust in the righteous judgment of a holy God. When we embrace the hard doctrines of the Bible, it becomes one of the most significant evidences of true, God-given faith.

The biblical doctrine of an eternal hell gives us yet another reason to praise God for the gospel. It took an eternal person to satisfy an eternal penalty against sin, which disqualified the entire human race, except one Person—Jesus Christ. He is the Son of man and the eternal Son of God. When Jesus laid down His life, His sacrifice satisfied every requirement of divine justice. For those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Substitute, His death has satisfied the eternal wrath of an eternal, righteous God. He bore our punishment in His body, absorbing God’s eternal wrath. But for those who do not embrace Christ, they are left to themselves—they bear the guilt of their offenses against an eternal God, and they will suffer for it eternally, never able to satisfy His eternal wrath.

I hope the doctrine of eternal torment sobers you. May it fill you with praise to God for saving you from eternal punishment, for giving you eternal life instead. May it humble you when you realize you’re not getting what you deserve. And may it ignite in you a passion to proclaim the gospel to those poor souls who are unaware of the terror that awaits them outside the mercy of God.

Travis Allen
Director of Internet Ministry

From: https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B110506/Is-Hell-Really-Endless  

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Is hell real? Is hell eternal?

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• Hell

I have asked many people if they are afraid of dying. When they say they are, I know they are being honest and humble, and from that point they almost always listen to what I have to say. The reason I know they're being honest is that the Bible says all of us are tormented by the fear of death all of our lifetime (see Hebrews 2:14,15). Some people dismiss this fear by believing they will be reincarnated and simply come back to earth as someone else. However, the Bible says, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27) Others believe they will just go to the grave and cease to exist. But God has put eternity in our hearts so we intuitively know there is something beyond this life.

Knowing that we have to die is like standing at the door of a plane 10,000 feet up and waiting to jump without a parachute. It is horrific. But imagine if someone gave you a parachute that you know was expertly packed by someone who loved you. What now is your attitude toward the jump? It has completely changed. Now you know that you’re not going to hit the ground at 120 mph on your face. Rather, you are going to land gently at 15 mph on your feet. Your faith in the parachute has allowed you to control your fears. You are no longer tormented by fear, because you know that the law of gravity no longer has power over you. God has provided a parachute in the Savior. But you’re not going to want to completely trust in Him. . . unless you realize you have to face a law that is far harsher than gravity.

As we look at this law, you may become a little fearful. Unpleasant though it may be, it will be good for you. Think of why you would put on a parachute—it’s because you will have to jump, and the fear makes you want to trust it. Fear, in that case, becomes your friend. That’s a very important point, so please keep that in mind. Do you know what death is, according to the Bible? It’s wages. Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Sin is so serious to God that He gives sinners the death sentence. It’s like a judge in a court of law who sentences a criminal to death for raping and viciously murdering three young girls. The criminal has earned the electric chair. This is what he deserves; it’s his wages. Let’s see what wages you will earn.

Do you think you are a good person? No doubt, like most of us, you do. How many lies do you think you have told in your life? Have you ever stolen something, even if it’s small? If you’ve done these two things, then you are a lying thief. Have you ever used God’s name in vain, either flippantly (including “OMG”) or as profanity? If you have, let me ask you if you would ever use your mother’s name as a cuss word. I’m sure you wouldn’t because that would show you don’t respect her in the slightest. And yet you have used God’s holy name as a cuss word. That’s called “blasphemy,” and it’s very serious in God’s eyes. He promises that whoever takes His name in vain will not be guiltless. One more question. Jesus said that if we look with lust we commit adultery in our hearts. Have you ever looked with lust at someone? If you’re normal, you have.

So here is a summation of your court case. You have admitted to being a lying, thieving, blasphemous adulterer at heart. So on Judgment Day, when God judges you by the Ten Commandments, are you going to be innocent or guilty? Guilty, of course. Will you, therefore, go to Heaven or Hell? The answer is that if you die in your sins, you have God’s promise that you will end up in Hell. The wages you’ve earned is the death sentence. The Bible says that all liars will be cast into the lake of fire, and no thief, no adulterer, and no blasphemer will inherit the kingdom of God.

Does that make you fearful? If it does, that is good. Fear is doing its beneficial work. It’s being your friend, not your enemy, by showing you that you need God’s mercy. You need a “parachute” before you pass on into eternity. It’s also humbling you so that you will be able to understand the good news of the gospel—that God offers you a parachute in Jesus Christ, the Savior. Here now is the good news: The Ten Commandments are God’s “moral Law.” You and I broke the Law, but Jesus paid the fine in His life’s blood. That’s what happened when He died on the cross. That’s why He said just before He died, “It is finished!” In other words, the debt has been paid in full. If you’re in court and someone pays your fine, the judge can let you go even though you are guilty. In doing so, he still does what is legal, right, and just. Does that make sense? Even though you are guilty, you are free to walk out of the courtroom, because someone has paid your fine. The Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God proved His great love for you through the cross. Then Jesus rose from the dead, and defeated the power of the grave.

It is because Jesus paid the fine for sin on the cross that God can dismiss your case. You can walk out of His courtroom on Judgment Day. He can commute your death sentence and legally let you live forever, all because Jesus paid the fine for sin in full on that cross. Does that make sense? He paid the fine, so you can be free from the penalty of death. God has made the way to find everlasting life so simple that a child can understand it. All you need to do is be honest and humble. You simply have to repent of your sins and trust in Jesus alone. Repentance means to turn from sin. You can’t say you’re a Christian and continue to lie, steal, and blaspheme God’s name. That would be to deceive yourself and play the hypocrite. Your repentance must be sincere to be genuine. Then you trust in Jesus alone, as you would trust in a parachute. You do what the Bible says to do—“put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (see Romans 13:14).

Remember, the moment you trusted in that parachute, you knew the law of gravity no longer had any power over you. In the same way, the moment you put your trust in Jesus for your eternal salvation, the moral law has no power over you: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) Does that make sense? If it doesn’t, reread what I’ve written until it does because this is so important. It’s where you will spend eternity. It’s the salvation of your soul, which is far more precious than your eyes. So today, repent and trust in Jesus, because the reality is, you may not have tomorrow. If you’re not sure how to repent, here is a model prayer of repentance, given to us in Scripture when King David had his sin exposed: Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:1–4)

Whatever you do, don’t trust in your goodness to save you, as most people do. That’s like clapping your arms when you jump out of a plane. It’s not going to work. You’re not a good person; you’re like the rest of us. Transfer your trust from yourself to the Savior. We trust doctors and pharmaceutical companies when we take pills, cables when we step into an elevator, and pilots when we fly on planes. Doctors can make mistakes, elevators can let us down, and pilots sometimes make deadly mistakes. But God will never let you down. He is without sin, and because of that, the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for Him to lie. Therefore, trust Him with all of your heart, right now. Please, don’t put it off for another second. Then make sure you pick up a Bible and read it daily, and obey what you read. Prayer is us talking to God, but reading the Bible is God speaking to us, and we need to be swift to hear and slow to speak. May God bless you and keep you.

Sincerely,
Ray Comfort

From:  http://store.livingwaters.com/how-to-be-free-from-the-fear-of-death.html  

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“Not surprisingly, the overwhelmingly left-wing cancel culture has aimed its most vicious verbal darts squarely at Christians who hold a Biblical worldview founded on the authority of God’s uncompromising Word.”

Madness is sweeping across our country. 

I am referring to the ever-widening spread of what has been dubbed cancel culture, the suppression and intolerance of people whose viewpoints differ from what our godless society has deemed fitting and appropriate. 

Not surprisingly, the overwhelmingly left-wing cancel culture has aimed its most vicious verbal darts squarely at Christians who hold a Biblical worldview founded on the authority of God’s uncompromising Word. 

Let me give you just a few examples, though there are many. 

In the city of Boston, a Chick-fil-A food truck serving the campus of Boston University has been targeted by editors of the student newspaper who are offended by what they say is the company’s “deep-seated homophobia.” What that means is that the company, founded on Christian principles by Truett Cathy and now run by my friend Dan Cathy, has been attacked simply because Cathy has affirmed the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Chick-fil-A’s charitable giving program, which in the past has donated to Christian organizations such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, also came under fire for their “discriminatory and homophobic practices.”

Read the entire article here: https://decisionmagazine.com/franklin-graham-the-voice-of-god-can-never-be-canceled/ 

 

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