The Eternal Destiny of Our Loved Ones

All Christians have loved ones who show no Scriptural evidence of being eternally saved. Our loved ones may be good people, as men judge goodness, but yet show no love for the Lord Jesus Christ, His word, His church, or His service. We may have tried to witness to them only to find them indifferent, resistant, or downright hostile to our efforts. They love us and we love them. We may have or have had a close relationship with them. But we wonder where they go when they die. For some, this causes great distress. I, too, have had loved ones, dearly loved ones, who have passed on. I do not know whether they are in heaven or hell. Yet I do not worry about this. Let me tell you why.

First of all, only God knows the hearts of all men.

1 Kings 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)

Observe how Solomon in this prayer emphasizes that only God knows the hearts of all the children of men. We judge men by what they outwardly manifest in words and deeds. That is all we have to go on. But God, and only God, can see into someone’s heart. And it is in the heart that God begins His work of grace. If God has given a person a new heart, He sees that heart even though we may not. That changed heart can be within even though it may scarcely manifest itself without. Have you ever met someone that even though they were generally very worldly and ignorant of spiritual things, they showed at times what seemed to be a glimmer of spirituality? Maybe that glimmer was a little ray of light from an enlightened heart shooting out from beneath mounds of years of rebellion, resistance to past abuses, accumulated fears, and God knows what all. Or maybe it wasn’t a glimmer of spirituality at all. How do you know? You don’t! Only God knows.

Then our Saviour gave us the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). The parable presents a field with wheat and tares growing together. The wheat represents the children of the kingdom and the tares represent the children of the wicked one. The servants suggested to the householder that they go and gather the tares from among the wheat. But the householder rejected that suggestion. Let’s read what the householder said.

Matthew 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Our Lord then went on to explain that the harvest is the end of the world. It is at that time that the wheat and tares will be finally separated. If we try to distinguish them now, then we are apt to mistake wheat for tares. You see, sometimes the children of the kingdom can act so much like the children of the wicked one, that we might assume they are the children of the wicked one. So from this I think it wise to defer this judgment unto the harvest.

And then let us remember that we are still in this world very much caught up in the relationships and affections of this world. That is why it grieves us so much to think of our loved ones not being eternally saved. Have you ever noticed that you do not grieve so much over the unsaved loved ones of others? After all, how much sleep do you lose grieving over Esau, or Judas Iscariot, or the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah being in hell? That is because you do not have the natural affection for them that you have for your own. Consider these words of our Lord Jesus:

Luke 20:34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Our earthly family relationships in this world result from the marriage of men and women. At least that is the Biblical norm for these relationships. But the marital relationship of this world does not carry over into the next world. We will not be related to one another there as we are here. Every child of God will be equally my brother in that world, whether or not he was my father, my spouse, my child, my brother, or my cousin in the flesh in this world. We get a glimpse into this relationship in the relationship we have with our brothers and sisters in the church, even though we have no tie to them by our earthly family. So when we get to the other world, we will not be related as we are here. Our relationships and affections will be totally transformed and we will view everyone saved or unsaved with the mind and affections of the glorified Son of God. Indeed, we will be like Him!

God is absolutely just in all that He does. If he sends one of my loved ones to hell, He is just in doing so. For that matter, if He sends me to hell He is just in doing so. And considering how completely I will be conformed to the image of the just God in that great day of His judgment, I am confident that I will have absolutely no problem with anything He does with any soul in that day. I’ll just be shouting “Allelujah” that I am on His side in the judgment (Revelation 19:1-4).

Lastly, let us ever remember that eternal salvation is by grace and not by works of righteousness that we or our loved ones have done (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:4-5). The salvation of a soul was determined in God’s election of grace. It was secured in the death of Christ for the elect by the grace of God. And it is applied by the Holy Spirit to the elect in regeneration by God’s effectual grace. Nothing but nothing that we do or fail to do has any effect on God’s saving grace. I have preached funerals of people I did not know. I had no evidence that these people were children of God. In these cases I preach the same gospel of grace that I preach over the most devout believers. I tell people that if God wants to save this soul, his bad works will not prevent God from saving him. And if God does not want to save this soul, his good works will not make God save him. Salvation is all of grace and none of works. On such occasions I refer to this verse:

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord (not you, not I, but the Lord) knoweth them that are his.

Well may we rest all of our concerns for our loved ones on this sure foundation. Did this meditation bless you?

When Enemies Preach the Gospel, Part 4

The last gospel sermon from Christ’s enemies that we will consider in this series is the one preached by the chief priests and the scribes, who mocked our Lord as he hung upon the cross.

Mark 15:31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

The chief priests and scribes were joining in the mockery of those who were challenging Christ to prove Himself by coming down from the cross. It was in connection with this challenge that they mocked our Lord saying: “He saved others; himself he cannot save.” Christ indeed had saved others during His ministry on this earth. His miracles were miracles of salvation, saving men from physical, emotional, circumstantial, and spiritual calamities. But now in the time of His dire calamity, Christ could not save Himself.

Little did these chief priests and scribes realize that it was in order to save others that Jesus did not save Himself. Had he saved Himself, we all would have perished in our sin. It was absolutely necessary that He suffer and die on that cross, because that was the means God had determined to make satisfaction for the sins of His people and thus to secure their salvation from sin and all its consequences. Had Christ not suffered and died on that cross, He would not have obeyed His Father.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The very determinate counsel of God was being fulfilled in that crucifixion death.

Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain….

Had Christ come down from that cross, Christ would have disobeyed His Father and the counsel of God would have come to nought. This would never be. This could never be. Had Christ come down from that cross, His whole ministry would have been a lie and His miracles a cheat. It was because He was God’s Christ appointed to die on that cross that He had been able to save others. Indeed, the chief priests and scribes had it right: “Himself he cannot save.” Unbeknown to themselves, they were proclaiming the gospel.

And not saving Himself, our Lord has saved others, yea, a multitude no man can number, a multitude redeemed by the blood He was shedding on that cross.

Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation….

Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

It fascinates me that the life and ministry of our Lord was such that even some of the criticisms leveled against Him were testimonies to the truth of His mission. Thank God, He did not save Himself. In not saving Himself, He saved me!

When Enemies Preach the Gospel, Part 3

We now come to the next enemy of our Lord Jesus Christ who unwittingly preached the gospel. He was Pontius Pilate, who issued the decree to have our Lord crucified.

Before we get to his words that express the gospel, let’s establish that Pilate was indeed an enemy of Christ. During the trial of our Lord, Pilate sought to release Jesus as the following verses prove.

John 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Pilate could find no fault in Jesus. Hence, he tried to persuade the people to release Him. But the pressure of the crowd to eliminate Jesus was so great that Pilate capitulated and gave the decree to have our Lord crucified. Pilate’s cowardice in the face of public pressure placed him in the list of the enemies of Christ as the following passage makes clear.

Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together….

And you will be in that list as well, if you allow the fear of man to move you to act contrary to the truth of Christ. This calls to mind these words of Christ:

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me….

It was during the trial that Pilate uttered the following words that express the gospel of Christ:

John 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

Notice Pilate’s reason for delivering Christ up to be crucified: “For I find no fault in him.” According to Pilate’s decree, Christ was condemned to die a criminal’s death because he had committed no crime. This is the very heart of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The reason Christ could bear our sins and suffer the condemnation they deserve was because He had no sin of His own. Had He had any faults, He would have had to die for His own sin and, therefore, could not have died for ours. Hence, it was precisely because there was no fault in Him, that He was delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to be crucified, to be nailed to a tree to be made a curse for us.

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree….

This agreed with the Law of Moses that required the sacrifice of innocent beasts in the place of guilty sinners to make atonement. This was also according to that vivid prophecy of the sufferings and death of Christ given in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Our Lord died, and that violently, “because he had done no violence.” “Take ye him and crucify him.” But why? “Because he has done no violence.” Or, to put it in Pilate’s words, “For I find no fault in him.”

Don’t you see the gospel in Pilate’s decree? Christ was crucified in the place of sinners because He Himself had no sin. What a sermon Pilate preached that day! As a gospel preacher Pilate did a good job. But given what a compromiser he was, I would also not recommend him for your pastor.

When Enemies Preach the Gospel, Part 2

Today we will consider another example of an enemy of Christ preaching His gospel. That enemy was Caiaphas, the high priest, who was a ringleader in the conspiracy to have our Lord Jesus killed. In the following account we find Caiaphas quite unbeknown to himself preaching the gospel.

John 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

The particular event that sparked the gathering of this council was the raising of Lazurus from the dead by our Lord. As might be expected, this miracle gained our Lord a considerable amount of notoriety. The chief priests and Pharisees feared a mass conversion to Jesus that would threaten their place of prestige and power. They also feared that the Romans might feel threatened by the popularity of Jesus and would come and destroy their nation. So they consulted among themselves as to how to deal with this threat. It was in response to their fear that Caiphas spoke these words that express the very gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First of all, notice the arrogance of Caiphas in telling the others that they knew nothing at all. After all, he was the high priest and he should know best. Being the high priest, they would not dare gainsay him. It is not uncommon for those in places of authority to use their position to intimidate others. The message is clear: “What do you know? I am Mr. Big Shot. Listen to me.” However, he was correct in saying that they knew nothing at all. For when it came to Jesus, they were in gross ignorance. But so was Caiphas. He did not even know what he was saying when he said it.

Caiphas’ opinion was that it was expedient that one should die for the people with the result that the whole nation would not perish. Commenting on his statement the Holy Spirit informs us that Caiphas did not speak this of himself, but that being high priest that year he prophesied regarding the death of Jesus. The high priest in Israel was supposed to be a messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Quite without intending it, Caiphas was being God’s messenger proclaiming the gospel of the substitutionary death of Christ. He prophesied that Christ would die for the people so that they would not perish. His words were right in harmony with the proclamation of our Lord Jesus regarding His crucifixion death.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Caiphas did not speak this of himself. To preach Christ’s gospel was the furthest thing from his mind. Of himself he was suggesting a way to secure his own place and his nation from the wrath of Rome. However, his suggested method was according to the divine plan to save men from the wrath of God.

Furthermore, Caiphas taught the gospel of limited atonement. That is, that Christ would die for the elect to save them from perishing rather than dying for all mankind. He preached that Christ would die “for the people, that the whole nation perish not.” He saw Christ’s death as saving the nation, not the entire mass of mankind. Of course, being a Jew, he believed his nation was the chosen people of God. The Holy Spirit gives a commentary on Caiphas’ prophecy and points out that Jesus would not die for that nation only, “but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” This is precisely the doctrine of the substitutionary death of Christ. Christ died for the children of God, those given to Him by the Father to save.

Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Those who make up the children of God are God’s elect from among the Jews, called in our passage that nation, and God’s elect from among the Gentiles, who are scattered abroad. Paul shows who makes up God’s elect children in that great election chapter, Romans 9.

Romans 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

That verse 24 of Romans 9 sounds a lot like the Holy Spirit’s commentary on the words of Caiphas. Caiphas didn’t know it, but he was preaching Paul’s doctrine. And because of Christ’s death on the cross, all of God’s children, Jew and Gentile, will be gathered together in one, which will mark the culmination of the salvation of all of God’s elect.

Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Because Christ died for the people, the whole nation or all of God’s elect, shall never perish. Yes, Caiphas, the archenemy of Jesus Christ, preached a great gospel sermon that day. As a preacher, Caiphas did a good job. But I would not recommend him for your pastor.