Fate of Unbelievers

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8: 24)

These words are very clear and uproot the Hardshell and Universalist notion that affirms that unbelievers, some or all, will be saved, will not "die in sins."  To make the indictment and judgment into a temporal one is a serious misinterpretation of the words. 

"Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." (vs. 19)  "Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world."  (vs. 23)  You "shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come."  (vs. 21)

The unbelievers addressed by Christ are identified as not knowing either the Father or the Son, and who are "from beneath" and "of this world."   They cannot go the heaven, the place where Christ was going.  Clearly then, the unregenerate, lost, dead alien sinner, is the character addressed by Christ.

To "die in sins" is to die guilty of them, to die unpardoned and unforgiven.  To make this destiny strictly temporal and to deny that it is eternal, is a serious error on the text, and cannot be justly claimed to be the actual teaching of Christ, but a perversion of his teaching.  On the phrase "die in your sins," Dr. John Gill wrote: 

"...the sense is, that in the midst of their calamities, which should come upon them, for their sin against him, they should in vain seek for the Messiah, as a temporal deliverer of them; for their nation, city, and temple, and they therein should utterly perish, for their iniquity; and their ruin would not only be temporal, but eternal: since it follows,

whither I, go ye cannot come, signifying, that whereas he was going to his Father, to heaven and glory; to enjoy eternal happiness at his Father's right hand, in the human nature; they should never come there..."  (Commentary)

The denial that the consequences of rejecting Christ are everlasting is a serious error but it is the teaching of the Universalists and Hardshells.  Though Christ clearly condemns all unbelievers, the ones who do not believe in him as Savior, Lord, and Christ, the Universalists and Hardshells, resist Christ's teaching and twist his words by their denial that "die in your sins" denotes eternal punishment, destiny in Hades and in the Lake of Fire (Gehenna).   These heretical groups misrepresent Christ in his intended meaning when they so "re-state" or "interpret" the words of Christ.  Three times in Christ's address to these doomed sinners he says "you shall die in your sins." 

 Why would Christ be threatening them with a mere temporal loss?   The word "die" refers to the death of the body, when the soul separates from the body.  They were already dead spiritually.   They were also already "in sins," and would end their life in such a state and condition. 

So, what does it mean to be "in sin(s)" and to "die in sin(s)"?  Paul speaks of lost, unregenerate souls, as being "dead in sins." (Eph. 2: 1)  Thus, Christ is saying - "you shall die (physically) in your existing state of spiritual death."  For one to be described as "dead in sin" or to have "died in sin," is to be described as a damned soul.  These words describe only the lost, and can never be used to describe any of the chosen and called.  To be "in sin" is to be in a lost unregenerate state.  To be "in Christ" is not to be "in sin." 

Clearly Jesus is focusing on what a man becomes at the end of his life.  He cannot therefore be speaking of a consequence in life, prior to death, or to a temporal loss.  He is not focusing on the state or condition of a man's soul prior to his death, but to his state and condition after he has died.  Thus, he can only be talking about what is eternal, for whatever the state be after death, the same will be the state forever.  There is no change of state, no salvation or condemnation, after death.  Those who die lost cann never be saved, and those who die saved can never be lost.

To not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to fail to trust in him, absolutely seals doom.  This is the obvious teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and to twist the passage, as do the Universalists and the Hardshells, is to be denounced.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3: 36)

Another clear verse that destroys the Universalist and Hardshell affirmation about the salvation of many or all those who are "unbelievers"!  These heretics will affirm that all believers in Jesus will be saved, but deny that all unbelievers will be lost.  Their proposition may be thus stated - "all believers will be saved, and some unbelievers too."

Clearly Jesus is talking about "eternal" things for he first speaks of "everlasting life."  This he promises to those who "believe on the Son."  After first speaking of what is given to believers in the Son, he then speaks of what is denied to those who "believe not the Son." 

Clearly all men are classed in one of these two groups.  There is not a third group.  Men either believe in Christ the Son, or they do not believe.  What is denied to such "unbelievers"?  They "shall not see life."  What, temporal life?  It cannot be, however.  The context will not allow such an interpretation.  Honesty of interpretation forces us to deny that the "not see life" is a merely temporal consequence.  The "life" not seen, possessed, or experienced, is the "everlasting life" that the believer will actually "see," will really possess and experience forever.  The very same thing, "life" or "everlasting life," that is "seen" or obtained by the believer is denied to the unbeliever.  Thus, "shall not see life," the fate of unbelievers, cannot be anything other than an eternal punishment.  Eternal life for believers and eternal death for unbelievers, thus both Universalism and Hardshellism is uprooted.

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (II Thess. 1: 8, 9)

"That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."  (II Thess. 2: 8)

These words cannot be twisted so as to make them to deal with temporal losses and ruin in this life.  They declare that all unbelievers in the gospel, will be finally condemned "with everlasting destruction."  These words are clear to any except those blinded by the Universalist and Hardshell cults.