Unevangelized

One of the things critics of eternal punishment do is attempt to force the Christian who believes such verses to pronounce judgment beforehand.

Christians should be careful not to step in and conduct the last judgment pre-maturely. Christians do not always able to know whether a sinner has crossed the line of an irreclaimable state of rejecting God which cannot be reversed.

Some verses will be examined to demonstrate the unknowns in the Bible that give rise to caution that we might erroneously put beyond the ability to be saved.

Jesus told scolded the people of three cities Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum that on some future judgment, it would be worse for them then for cities which God judged in the Old Testament Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom.

His teaching was like this: Had those Old Testament cities had the opportunity to be evangelized in the way these latter cities were, they would have repented.

This seems to tell us that God knows the potential of people to believe or repent had they had the same opportunity. Or at least it shows we who know the Gospel message cannot push out of possibility to be saved so easily.

"I say to you that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in that day for that city.

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaide! For if the works of power which took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Yet it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment then for you." (Luke 10:11-14)

G.H. Lang writes -

"We have seen that those who in this life seal their eternal doom are those who have so resolutely hardened their heart as to become irreclaimable. Will the justice or the mercy of God alow that any created being be declared for ever lost until that irreversible state has been reached? Must there not be likeness in condition before there can justly be equality of doom?"

The Christian is often urged by the skeptical of eternal punishment, to make decree and sentence in place of God as to some who we don't know if the possibility of repentance still exists.

Does the Bible give any indication that there could be the possibility of salvation after death? That is if God has not pronounced that person beyond the state that His grace could reach them. Can repentance exist after death?

The passage of Luke 10:11-14 does show that had the sinners of Sodom, Tyre and Sidon had had in their day the knowledge of Christ that had afforded Capernaum "they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

It is not entirely clear to me. But when the Lord Jesus says that it will be "more tolerable" for some who lacked opportunity to witness more definite outreach to their souls, lacking that blessing, God has not pronounced them irreclaimably hardened against Him.

Christians must beware that critics of eternal punishment do not push them to be eager to know with certainty whose name will and will not appear in the book of life.

Ie "Here's a non-christian. Conduct the last judgment today instead of God and pronounce their eternal fate."

"Here's a deaf mute who cannot hear. Pronounce how your system will decide for him."

"Here's one mentally retarded. Pronounce God's judgment today."

"Here's one who only knew rank religious hypocrisy all their life. Being raped by a priest - is the only Christianity they know. Judge them today. "

Concerning if there is repentance possible after death G.H. Lang wrote:

"It is true that we do not know this to be fact, but neither do we know that the contrary so as to warrant our passing upon them sentence of eternal damnation, which in any case is not our province to do. Does not the possibility accord with the longing of God that "all should be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4) "

[my bolding - The Last Assize, G.H. Lang, Conley & Schoettle Publishing, pg. 77 ]

Luke 10:13 and Matt. 11"21 make clear that so very wicked men of the ancient time were judged. God terminated their lives. But we do not know of their eternal destiny.

Genesis 13:13 says the men of Sodom were "wicked, and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly" . Though they were slain for their sins Jesus implies that they had not yet reached a moral condition beyond repentance.

It will be more tolerable for the men of Sodom then for cities contemporary with Jesus who witnessed miracles in His name in evangelism.

Though they were slain for their sins, the point of no return must not have been reached by perhaps some of them. With more spiritual influence then, might have some of them repented? I cannot say definitely Yes or definitely No.

But Jesus said in some judgment it would be more tolerable for them then for some other for whom gospel evangelization operated.

@sonship said
One of the things critics of eternal punishment do is attempt to force the Christian who believes such verses to pronounce judgment beforehand.

Christians should be careful not to step in and conduct the last judgment pre-maturely. Christians do not always able to know whether a sinner has crossed the line of an irreclaimable state of rejecting God which cannot be rev ...[text shortened]... in the Bible that give rise to caution that we might erroneously put beyond the ability to be saved.

@sonship said
One of the things critics of eternal punishment do is attempt to force the Christian who believes such verses to pronounce judgment beforehand.

Christians should be careful not to step in and conduct the last judgment pre-maturely. Christians do not always able to know whether a sinner has crossed the line of an irreclaimable state of rejecting God which cannot be rev ...[text shortened]... in the Bible that give rise to caution that we might erroneously put beyond the ability to be saved.

@Rajk999

Nobody needs any Witness Lee or GL Lang or whoever.

@sonship said
@Rajk999

Nobody needs any Witness Lee or GL Lang or whoever.

But everybody needs YOU though, right?
Every thread.
Every discussion.
Every topic. Any topic.

Everybody needs Rajk999! Right, hypocrite?

@sonship said
@Rajk999

Nobody needs any Witness Lee or GL Lang or whoever.

But everybody needs YOU though, right?
Every thread.
Every discussion.
Every topic. Any topic.

Everybody needs Rajk999! Right, hypocrite?

@sonship removed their quoted post

@sonship said
Never anyone except a lot of your sick self Rajk999, whoever you are.

In between juvenile insults and ad homs, there may be a quote from the NT here and there which you mess with.

You still think everybody needs you.

I'd send no one to you to learn anything pertaining to Christ.

Don't feed the troll.

@sonship said
Don't feed the troll.