Thursday, December 14, 2017

Fate of those who "live ungodly"?

"And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (I Peter 4:18 kjv)

Questions:

1) Who is denoted by "the ungodly" and by "the sinner"?
2) Who is denoted by "the righteous"?
3) What is the destiny of "the ungodly and the sinner"?

I find it hard to believe that most modern Hardshells will contend

1) that many of "the ungodly and the sinner" will be "saved" along with "the righteous"
2) that many believers in false gods and religions are "saved" and not a part "the ungodly"
3) that eternal salvation or damnation are not under consideration in the text

Nevertheless, the clear teaching of the text is that "the righteous" are not of the class designated as "the ungodly" and "the sinner," and that the one class will be "saved," both now and forever, while the other class will not be saved, but will suffer punishment forever. It is also clear that "unbelievers" are not in the class of "the righteous" and that "believers" are not in the class of "the ungodly and the sinner." This is acknowledged by all, except the Hardshells and Universalists.

Wrote Dr. Gill in his commentary on this verse (emphasis mine):

"where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? the profane sinner, the Christless, impenitent, unbelieving, and unregenerate man; otherwise all men are sinners, in themselves; but here it means such as are destitute of the sanctifying grace of the Spirit, and the justifying righteousness of Christ, and that live and die in their sins: where shall such appear? not in the congregation of the righteous; nor at the right hand of Christ; nor in heaven, into which no defiled sinner shall enter..."

The Ungodly

"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked..." (II Peter 2:4-7 kjv)

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1: 4-7)

Notice the clear fate of those who "live ungodly." The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God in wrath is "an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly," said Peter. Those who live ungodly "are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire," said Jude.

Why do the Hardshells of today teach that many of "those who live ungodly" will not suffer eternal vengeance? Why do they say - "how people live matters not in the matter of salvation"? Why do they call unbelievers "godly"?

Notice these verses that help us to see the character and destiny of those who are, because of having no love and faith in Christ, "ungodly."

"To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:15 kjv)

"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (II Peter 3:7 kjv)

It is clear that the "judgment" that will be executed upon "all that are ungodly" is that which results from the second coming of the Lord and "the day of judgment and perdition."

If one rejects Christ and the gospel, is he not "ungodly"?

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." (I Cor. 16:22 kjv)

All non Christians, or all those who do not become Christians, are to be declared "anathema" at the second coming of Christ ("maranatha").

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