Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

The idea of departed spirits being in an unconscious state is as absurd as it is unscriptural. Has Paul been unconscious for nearly 2000 years? If there were any truth in this notion, could he have said, “To die is gain?” Would it be gain to be unconscious? Would it be “far better” than to enjoy Christ here and serve Him in the gospel and in the Assembly? When the Lord said to the dying thief, “Today, shalt thou be with Me in paradise,” did He mean that he was to be unconscious? Why then say “with Me in paradise?” If he was to be unconscious, what difference would it make where he was to be? When the blessed apostle says, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord,” does he mean a state of unconsciousness? Had Stephen nothing but a state of unconsciousness before him when he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit?” It is most deplorable to find professed Christians holding such a miserable theory. Excuse our strong language. It is hard to speak in measured terms of such a baseless absurdity as a ransomed spirit asleep in the presence of Christ! May the Lord deliver His people from all vain and foolish notions!

Luke 23:43; Acts 7:59; 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:23 clearly prove that the moment the spirit of a saint leaves the body it is with Christ in Paradise. The “leading man” to whom you asked for information must be deplorably ignorant of the New Testament. Your letter shows that your mind has been sadly darkened by the cloud of skepticism which seems to be overshadowing thousands.

We have referred previously to the question of “everlasting punishment.” We believe it so connects itself with the truth of the immortality of the soul and the infinite nature of Christ’s atonement, that you cannot touch it without disturbing the entire arch of divine Revelation. The word “everlasting” occurs about seventy times in the New Testament and is applied to the life of the believer, to the Spirit of God, to the inheritance of the saints and to the punishment of the wicked. On what authority, therefore, can the word be said to mean eternal in one case and not eternal in another? All this reasoning is the fruit of positive infidelity, from which may God, in His mercy, deliver the children of His people! We believe that “hell-fire” is an awful and an eternal reality, nor should we be shaken in our belief by the absurd reasonings of ten thousand “leading men.” “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Dear friend, ask God to guide you by His Word and Spirit, and place no confidence whatever in “leading men.”

The last clause of John 3:36 is as simple as it is solemn. It tells us plainly that the wrath of God abides on all who refuse to believe on the Son. We have been much struck with the power of this entire verse as meeting and completely demolishing two fatal errors of the day, namely, universal restoration and annihilation. “Shall not see life.” Here the universalist gets his divine answer. “The wrath of God abides on him.” Here the annihilationist gets his. If the unbeliever shall not see life, it is evident he cannot be restored. And if the wrath of God abides on him, it is evident he cannot be annihilated. What living power, what overwhelming force in Holy Scripture!

You are absolutely right, dear friend, not to reason on the solemn subject of eternal punishment, but simply take Scripture as it stands. As to the statement that the word “everlasting” does not mean “forever” in the Greek, there are about 70 passages in the Greek Testament in which the word “aionios” occurs. It is applied to the “life” which believers possess, to the “habitations” into which they are to be received, to God, to the Spirit, to the kingdom of our Lord, and to the punishment of the wicked in hell. Now on what principle can anyone mark off seven or eight of these passages and say that in them the word does not mean forever, but in the remaining 62 passages it does?

Is it not most evident that if we deny the eternity of punishment we must deny the eternity of life, the eternity of God, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit? It is a serious thing to tamper with the truth of God or to mar the integrity of Holy Scripture. Truth is like a magnificent arch: if you touch the smallest stone in that arch, you mar the integrity of the whole. We feel persuaded, dear friend, that this question has a moral bearing as well as a theological. The denial of eternal punishment indicates a wrong condition of soul altogether. The will is at work; reason has not been subjugated; the heart is not broken; there is no real subjection to the authority of the Word. It is more “I think” than “Thus says the Lord.” All this is most serious and should lead us into deep exercise of soul and earnest prayer.