The Gospel: Eternal Punishment - Glorification — Peter Simms

Well, just to say a few things about what would have been said last night. Let's look in Matthew's gospel. Matthew's gospel chapter 25. Matthew's gospel chapter 25. And reading the verse the last verse and These shall go away into everlasting punishment.

But the righteous into life eternal. The last night our subject would have been eternal punishment not a pleasant subject, but nonetheless, it's in the Word of God and we have to deal with it. And even the Word of God Wants to curtail as much as he can the spirit can about of all the good things that God has done.

Eternal Punishment and the Fear of God

The fall of man was a disaster. But eternal punishment Is in a horrific event and the possibility of people experiencing the eternal wrath of God. Most people believe in hell because you hear them telling each other to go to hell all the time.

So it's not that people don't know about hell. Even though the devil has has deadened and took in the edge off of it. So it's just a just a word. Just like the name of God the blaspheme God's name. They want God to damn this and God to damn that and and the Lord Jesus Christ his name.

They have no respect for that. It's just a terrible situation. That the devil is created out there amongst our people by deadening their their respect and their fear for God. That's one of the accusations that God had in Romans chapter 3 we looked at the night we looked at the fall.

There's no fear of God before their eyes. That word fear doesn't mean to be scared in the sense you're afraid of meeting a lion in that sense. But it's that reverential respect and fear. For God it's gone and the world don't seem to really care about that don't seem to mean anything to them.

They like to hear about the love of God. Yes, and. So we're going to talk a little bit just for a few minutes now. I want to just Look at the extreme expression of the love of God the extremity the extreme the immense display of God's love.

For the wretched world that lives in sin and has no fear of God God knows what's going to happen to them. He's the one that created the lake of fire so he knows what's going to happen to them and He has come to their aid and made it possible that not one sinner has to go to hell not one.

Christ's Death and the Wrath of God

But to make that possible God had to do one of the most tremendous. Well the most tremendous event in the history of mankind and probably eternity. When God sent his son into this world to die for these ungodly people upon that cross and On that cross Jesus Christ the Son of God not only died.

But he died for their sin and the wrath of God was poured out upon him. Jesus Christ died for our sins. God made him to be sin he who knew no sin. That we might be made the righteousness of God in him now.

It's not just that the Lord Jesus died a physical death. No, no, no. He bore all the punishment. That a world of ungodly men and women would endure in the lake of fire forever. He endured it in three hours.

God poured his wrath out upon his son and The Lord Jesus because of who he was he was not just a man. He's God manifest in flesh. So he incorporates in his being two natures. He's God and man in one person.

Therefore because he is God he was able to absorb that wrath. We're no human being Who goes to hell will ever absorb the wrath of God? That's why it'll be eternal. Because he can't he can't absorb it.

He can't. He just can't exhaust it but the Lord Jesus did and after the three hours of The wrath of God being poured out upon him when it was over. He cried out it is finished and Then he gave up his spirit.

For he said while he was alive to his disciples. No man takes my life from me. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. That's what he did. So he wasn't murdered by the human by the human family.

Those is one way you may look at it that way and They were accused on the human level of doing so but he gave his life. He voluntarily died and then on the third day rose again from the dead and that man Jesus Christ is alive tonight.

He's in heaven. He is the Savior of the world. Now people say to me and They rationalize it and even we Christians we rationalize things and we say Why is the wrath of God? So extreme. Why is it eternal?

Why? Why is it? I have to I have to fear about my children. I have to fear about my mother fear about my father fear about people of going to that place. Recognizing it's such a terrible place and the extremity of God's Justice and wrath is Infinite there's no end to it.

Some people rationalize they say listen if your child does something wrong you give them weapon. But you only weapon for two minutes and that's over. You let him go. But God never lets him go. He's in hell and you'll never get out.

Why. So why is it so extreme? Well, listen, why was God's love so extreme? Why did God pour his wrath out upon his only beloved son who never once sinned? He bore the stroke of God's wrath to save sinners from hell and If that guy and all the rest of them like him turned their back on one Jesus Christ did at that cross that they might live then this this the very same extreme Nature of God that showed his love here.

His wrath is just as extreme no difference. He loved man so much That he had his son die and made him a curse and then poured his wrath upon all the fury and vengeance of God fell upon his son and His son was able to absorb it and it was all over.

He rose he died was buried and rose again from the dead and is alive tonight. But you died my friend in your sins those people in the cross. Those Canadians whoever they are in the world. Who died in?

Unbelief in refusing. What Jesus Christ done for them at the cross? Then they will experience the wrath of God. Only they won't be able to absorb it. That's why it's eternal. It's the nature of God. We could liken it to electricity.

The Holiness of God and Human Rebellion

Electricity is a wonderful thing. Look we wouldn't have lights tonight. It wasn't for electricity. Industrialized countries couldn't couldn't survive with their electricity. It's in our homes. It's in our cars wherever you go.

We're using. Electricity is serving us in a tremendous wonderful way. We can't get along without it yet. If you take a spoon take a screwdriver. Go to that outlet. Young man in the Caribbean. He had electric guitar.

He was a good player. He could make that guitar sing. But that electric guitar got a short in it and down there it's 220 volt and So what he did he took a little dime and bridged the short with a dime and it worked quite a few times but then this one time he put that dime in there that penny in there and He started up the guitar and he took a hold of it and 220 volts started going through his hand and arm.

And he couldn't let go. And it began to shake and vibrate. His mother found him dead in the floor. You see if we use electricity properly. It's a wonderful servant. But if we put ourselves on a wrong relationship to electricity, it'll kill us.

Now what can you what are you going to say? Electricity is bad. We got to get rid of electricity. I mean, we just got to shut the whole place down and find a new way. No, I'm wrong of electricity. It's fine.

That's its nature. It was just doing what it normally is does and it's supposed to do but the guy put himself on wrong Relationship with electricity and it killed him. It's not electricity fault. It's his fault.

Now listen God is holy. He's absolutely holy and if a person puts themselves on The wrong side of God by disbelieving him and disobeying the reaction of God is just as he's loved was Expressed here at the cross in mercy in an extreme way.

You despise that and the wrath of God because he's just as holy as he is loving. He's just as holy as he is merciful and that's his nature. So when you think of it now about the eternal punishment of God, I Know it's frightening, but that's just the way it is.

God is God. We can't change him. That's his nature and Nobody has to experience the wrath of God. Nobody has to go to hell. Not one person. The Lord Jesus died for a God so loved the world That he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever red and yellow black and white They are precious in his sight.

Jesus Christ died for all and All can be saved because of God's mercy and love expressed at the cross. But reject it my friend. Our friends out there. We have to tell them plainly. We can't let them we can't let them have the idea that God's not such a bad guy and and you know, he won't do us any damage in that hellfire business.

That's just a thing to scare people. No. No, it scares you good because John the Baptist said flee from the wrath to come. So we're going to finish our meeting though with Glorification and we'll read our verses as we go rather than read them all and then try and pick up along the way.

Called to Eternal Glory

Okay, the first one we're going to read is found in 1st Peter chapter 5. 1st Peter chapter 5 and verse 10. But the God of all grace Who have called us unto his eternal glory in? Christ Jesus. After that you have suffered a while make you perfect establish strengthen settle you.

But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus. We're going to look at five steps. I Put the title over my little message the route to glory. The pathway to glory. The first one is here now glory is.

Is a display of the excellency of something or somebody? It's a display of the excellency for instance creation. Sam 19 and verse 1 the heavens declare what the glory of God see and There's many ways that the word glory is used in the Bible to display an excellence.

That's what it's doing. Glory is manifest excellence some wonderful virtue of That somebody has and it's seen but we'll settle just for this one the heavens declare the glory of God and Affirmament his handiwork.

Now we are called by God's grace unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus. We've been called to glory by the grace of God. Now I hope that As we talk about these things you think about them. You know the Proverbs talked about the man who went out and he hunted like those Osborne boys.

Do what would be the point in going out and shooting the big Tom? Hunt all morning track this thing down shoot him. And then leave him there to rot. What's the point? Well, that's what the Proverbs says.

We Christians are not to be like a hunter goes out and gets his kill and then leaves it. But he takes it home and roasts it and eats it. So it's like studying our Bible. We study the bite the Word of God and then we come across some wonderful truths.

What do we do shut the Bible and forget about it, no, we're to take it home and Meditate and digest it. We hunted it down. We got the nugget now. Let's feast upon it now. We've been talking a lot About being in Christ.

That's where every Christian is. No, no unsaved person is in Christ. He's over here in Adam. And what he needs is to get out of Adam into Christ, but everybody that's in Christ God by his grace has called you on to his eternal glory in Christ.

God in Christ is going to manifest the glories That he sees in his son and appreciates him now as we go down the list of them. We're going to see what they all mean at least try to. But the first one is we've been called By the grace of God into this Eternal glory in Christ Jesus.

Preparation for Glory Through Regeneration

Now, what do you think God has planned for his son? You think he just sent him into the world to die for us and he died was buried rose again. We're back to heaven he's gonna come back maybe for a little bit and Settle problems in the earth and set up a kingdom and that's it.

You see we have little projects and our little project, you know, we have planned. It's it maybe has a month in it or maybe two months or our project might even involve a whole year but our projects are small and limited.

That's a short Timespan, but listen what God has planned for his son is eternal. Has no end and you and I have been called to his eternal glory in Christ. Think about it when the Millennium's run this course and the thousands of years run and roll and then they turn into the Millions of years billions in years trillions of years and it's still not begun.

It's eternal. God's called you to something in Christ. That is Eternal that ought to make us want to know, you know, just what's involved in all this. I was going to say that's a long time, but then eternity don't have time in it.

It's it's infinite don't have no end. It's as far as the East is from the West. That's why it's so horrible to think of a man here Despising that and then going into hell forever. He gets nothing. Nothing, but the wrath of God because he despised the love of God.

But those of us who have put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that are in Christ. We're going to share with him what God has planned for him forever. You know, I think it's worth thinking about. Trying to figure it out.

Go to the Word of God and try now. I have four things here and five things here now called on to glory first Peter chapter 5 and verse 10. Then the next one we're going to look at is found in Romans chapter 9 22 to 24 prepared unto glory.

Romans chapter 9 verse 22 of Romans chapter 9 what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long sufferings the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction and. That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy.

Which he hath for hath before prepared unto glory. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles also. How did he call us and how did he prepare us? Well, the call is in the gospel, you know, that's like like Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 is it.

Come on to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That's the call of God in the gospel. But he wants to prepare us unto glory and he does this through. Which one of these doctrines do you think would do be that?

Prepare us unto glory. Well, it's this one here Regeneration we talked about that one night how a man is born again and What's the purpose in God having us born again? Well because he's going to prepare us for Position and a work and Our existence with the Lord Jesus forever.

He's got to prepare us and the first thing he has to do is make us sons. So he called us in the gospel and he prepares us unto glory by our new birth making us sons. Now there's two ways man has looked at in the Bible.

He's a son of God or he's a son of the devil. He's a child of God or a child of the devil. You know, we might ask all ourselves here tonight. Whose child are you can't be a child of both. You were born a child of the devil.

And to become a child of God you have to be reborn. That's what Regeneration means. Jesus said to the religious man Marvel not that I say unto thee Nicodemus. You must be born again, or you'll never see the kingdom of God.

One thing about the Lord Jesus he made things plain simple and the statements weren't long. Theological arguments. Nicodemus. I know you're a religious man. I know you're the master in Israel the top teacher in your religion.

I know all that. I know that you're not bad morally and the thief and all that. I know that but Nicodemus you are associated with this guy. You're a child of Adam and therefore you must be born again.

Final period. Nicodemus went into a confusion. He couldn't understand that while Nicodemus finally got saved became a child of God and That was the way Nicodemus was prepared onto glory. He had to be born again.

God prepares people for glory. You just can't enter into the glory of God without first being prepared. First you're called. You respond to the gospel, then you're born again. That's your preparation.

You are now prepared. To enter into and enjoy the got the glory of God now in Ephesians 2 and fast 15. Well, let's read that verse. That's an important verse Ephesians 2 and 15. Ephesians 2 verse 15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in contained in ordinances for to make that word make means create.

For to create in himself of twain that is of to one new man so making peace a new birth. And now he talks about a new man. The Lord Jesus out of the Jew and the Gentile created in himself one new man.

When he knew man for. Well, because the old man destroyed everything he ruined everything. So God can't continue with this fella. He has to get us out of that fella because everybody there is condemned.

Rebels slaves criminals dead and sins their God will judge him and send them to hell so he's got to get out of Adam and into Christ and that happens by faith in. The Lord Jesus who died for the mud not cross was buried and rose again the third day.

Those who believe that are associated with Christ in his death burial and resurrection. So now they're in Christ and Christ is a new man. Because the Lord Jesus in his death Created out of Jew and Gentile.

Leviticus chapter 23 verse 16 and 17 out of the two. He created himself one new man. What's one new man for? Well everything he had planned and hoped for in this man. It was all lost. He was to rule for God.

Dominion for God, but he threw everything away and give it to the devil walked out on God and. So he's condemned now. But God hasn't finished with his purpose. He still determined there's going to be a man rule over his kingdom and over the whole of his universe and that new man is Christ and Those who put their faith in him if you're in Christ.

You're a part of that new man. And God has a purpose for that new man that spans eternity. With God, it's not it's not short term. No part-time stuff with God. God saves us. He gives us eternal life.

He calls us to his eternal glory. It's eternal. He prepares us for that eternal glory by giving us a new birth. Destroying the old and creating us new and Out of the Jew and the Gentile. He the Lord Jesus created in himself one new man.

That's why the Bible talks about an old man a new man. The old man is everything associated with this guy. The new man is everything we have in Christ. So if any man be in Christ He is a brand new creation.

Well, the Lord Jesus said he created in himself One new man, so there's been a new man created. That's here the Lord Jesus and the Jew and the Gentile who have embraced him as their Savior so we've been called on to glory prepared on to glory and Now we have to be skilled to serve in glory skilled to serve.

Building Character to Serve in Glory

Now you stop and think I'm going to heaven. I'm identified with Jesus Christ. I'm one of God's sons. So I'm an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. I Means I'm gonna reign with Christ. But am I skilled for that?

You you skilled equipped for that. Skilled to reign in glory. Well Peter. He didn't really think that naturally, you know. We're we're skilled for that. We have to do some work. Equip ourselves for that day.

Why do you think why do you think God left us here when he saved us and now we're saved the child of God. Why didn't just take us to heaven as each person gets saved rapture him up take him to heaven.

Why leave us here? Why? What's the purpose why all these terrible experiences and and stuff that we have in life. Disappointments and trials and difficulties and sorrows and so on. What's all for. What's it for?

Well, you have a personality that personality is defined by will. Intellect and Sensitivity or another way of looking at it. The Lord Jesus said when asked what's the greatest commandment? He said this is the greatest commandment that you love the Lord your God with all your heart.

With all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength. That's your personality your whole personality. God demands you love him with all your being. Your personality. Now your personality makes you what you are.

We recognize you for what you are by your personality. Some people have a nice personality to some light person. People have a rough personality and. In first Peter, let's look at it first Peter second Peter rather chapter one and down that verse Seven I believe we know let's go up to verse.

Okay, read in a verse five now Peter's going to talk about is it six or seven moral building blocks. That he tells us we should build into our personalities here. It is verse five second Peter 1 verse 5 and besides this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and To knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful. But in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lack of these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling an election sure for if you do these things you shall never fail. For so and up for so and an entrance shall be ministered on to you abundantly for so and entrance shall be ministered on to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The verse 11 could be. Done a little work on it to make it a little simpler. But we leave it as it is. That you may have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now getting into the kingdom. You don't need these these moral building blocks to get into the kingdom. You get into the kingdom by rebirth. Except the man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God once you're saved born again.

You're in the kingdom and you're in the kingdom because you have faith in Jesus Christ. And that's what brings you into the kingdom. So there's no danger of a Christian not being in the kingdom. But to have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom.

To go into it full Vibrant. Entering into it with understanding purpose Acceptance. And God welcome you welcoming my welcoming us there in a wonderful way with open arms. How is that going to happen? Well, that's going to take place.

Because if you're going to be somebody and I'm going to be somebody in that kingdom. Then I have to be skilled to serve. That's just like a doctor you're gonna let somebody put the knife to you that doesn't know what he's doing.

No, you want somebody who's got a lot of experience with using the surgeon's knife. Then you're willing to but if you know, the man has had no experience with the surgeon's knife. You're going to be slow to let him work on you.

All right. You're going into the kingdom of God. You're going in there's a son a joint heir and an heir of God to Administrate in the inheritance with Jesus Christ. Are you equipped? To administrate in that kingdom.

Are you fit? That's what the guy said to me most of the things I know about the Bible. Somebody challenged me on it and then I had to go and do some work on It to see if it was all. And most of the time they're right.

He said to me he said what moral right. Does God have to give you the right to rule over somebody else's spirit if you can't rule over your own? Wow, I went home did a lot of thinking on that one if I can't rule my own spirit on.

What moral grounds can God? Allow me to rule over the spirits of others think about it might take a little of your sleep away. You should lay at night wonder. What am I doing with my personality my intellect.

Am I trying to? Think properly. Think the way the Word of God tells me to think. Whatsoever things are pure whatsoever. Things are clean whatsoever. Things are honorable and so on. Think on these things.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God thought it not Robert to be equal with God? But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of the servant and was found in fashion as a man and then Again humbled himself.

But this mind being you get your intellect working. How are we doing? Intellect will. Hmm. What was your will. Do we always want will? To will the will of God. Or do we often will? To do my will. Which is not the will of God.

Sensitivity. Am I sensitive to the feelings of other people. Am I sensitive to the feelings of God? After all God did for me in Christ at that cross and saved me from all this wretchedness and Blessed me with all this abundant blessings.

And now I'm just half-hearted. Not much interested. Am I sensitive to the feelings of God? Well, that's why Peter says here now. Listen, you all have faith. That's good. Now he says no, I want you now to think about these things in your own leisure.

Besides this faith he says Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue that's courage. Courageous and to virtue knowledge. Get to know your God and how you're supposed to live as a Christian. Knowledge not knowledge arithmetic and science and all that that's alright for the world and so on but that's not going to be any good in being equipped to serve in glory.

What God is looking for in that day is moral worth? Not intellectual add to knowledge. Temperance self-control and to Self-control. Patience and to patience. Godliness and to godliness. Brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness.

Charity. Those are the things were to add Into our personnel to build up our personality. To make us fit. To serve in glory. We're going to glory. We're called to glory. And we're prepared for glory. We're born again.

We're in the chill. We're in the family of God. We're in the new man. We're a part of the new man. Whom God has prepared now to govern the universe for him for all eternity. And are we fit to serve? With him in glory.

Will you ask yourself that question? I'd asked myself Can God? Morally allow me like the talents. The man gave out the talents. He gave one one five. He gave one two and the other one I think that's the way it went.

There was a ten and five and two anyway he gave them and he said no you go and you use them and make gain with them and. So the guy that got ten towns he come back and said here I have gained ten more talents with the ten.

You gave me he said good. Well done now good and faithful servants. You can reign over So much cities. The guy with five come back and said to the master. Here's the five. I gained five with the five.

Well, that's good. Well done now good and faithful servant. They'll be faithful over a few things. I'll make you faithful over many so many cities. You see we're going to rain and what you do with your personality is going to determine what the Lord Jesus will allow you to do in his kingdom from he that's faithful over a few things can be faithful over many.

But if you can't be faithful. Like the guy he brought back his one. He said I heard you were a rough master. He said and and he said I knew you sold where you didn't reap and so on. He said here you can have your pound back.

The master said you wicked guy. He took the one pound away and give it to the guy that had ten brothers and sisters. We're going somewhere. We're going to glory. We're going to be there forever. There's a brand new man.

God has created to administer administrate the affairs of the universe forever and He wants us to be fit to serve in that atmosphere of glory. He can't entrust to us position in place if we don't do anything for him now.

We don't build into our personality anything. Just let it ride. No. Okay. Skilled to serve and now equipped to function in that Kingdom of glory. Let's read Ephesians 1 and 22 now. I call this one equipped to function in glory as kings and priests.

Because we've been called to be a king and a priest a king rules and a priest teach us spiritual Values. Okay now Let's read in Ephesians 1 we'll read in at verse 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his mighty power.

Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world.

But also in the world which is to come now just in passing pick that up in the world that is to come. This isn't the final. This is just the preparing ground. There's another to come that was just to come and have put all things under his feet now listen and gave him Take out the word to be there in italics and gave him the head over all Take away things.

To the church, which is his body the fullness. Take that word fullness and put beside it Reservoir, which is his body the reservoir of him that filleth all things with all things necessary for their function.

You know just as it sits there it's difficult to know and so you got you're gonna have to listen to my Interpretation of it now, and if you want to look at things for yourself very good. That's no no problem in that but how am I going to function in that state of glory as an administrator.

Over the affairs of the works of God we are heirs of God joint heirs with Christ. That means the whole thing God has made is coming into our hands. We're heirs of God. God didn't make the creation just for himself the glory in.

No, he wants to use that to manifest himself in it and so on but he's going to administrate the affairs of the universe through us that new man and We have to be fit for that occasion. We have to be equipped for that.

How are we going to be equipped? Just suppose I know this is true or not. This is just what one man suggested. He suggested that the universe is so vast that God could give a milky way to every one of his children his sons.

Okay, be that as it may or not. But just suppose He gives me a milky way. How could I possibly Administrate all the affairs in that now we're going to come down here in the next one. We're going to see that it's just not a dead universe out there.

There's nothing out there. There's nothing to administrate over. But how would I do it? How would you do it? Are you equipped for such a tremendous responsibility and work? I'm afraid a lot of you are like me we get so tangled up with this present.

That we forget we're called to glory eternal glory. And this little 80 I might get 80 years, I don't know Kyle doesn't. Cal told me you don't know how long his family don't live very long and dick said they don't live very long on his.

And I might have about 10 years left. That's all it's all over. It's finished and if I haven't done something with myself now I can't do it over there. So why am I? Meddling around and doing this and doing that and worrying about this and worrying about that when all that is Irrevelent don't matter the circumstances of life my friend God Brought you into those circumstances.

For you to develop your personality you got a bad boss. He's rough. Okay in that circumstance You can display and build into your life Patience you got somebody that's done. You're wrong. I mean write down dirty nasty things do you?

That's your opportunity to show love. Forgiveness you see the circumstances of life those circumstances were sent to us so that in those circumstances We could build our moral beings. Build up our personalities.

With a view to service and we are being equipped now. How are we equipped so we can do it if a Milky Way was given to us to you me? And it was a million subjects out there over which we were to govern.

Well, here's what it says here. Now I'm gonna change it a little bit. I had to change a little bit to make sense for me and so I'm gonna put it that way for you now I'm in good company. I hadn't just wrote on my own, but there'll be some who will disagree.

So I sorry now He Which Is to come and have put all things under his feet so the whole Universe is put under his feet, and he gave him head over all things to the church. So Christ is given to the church, which is his body and his body is the reservoir of him.