Text: Luke 16:20-31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”(ESV).
Considerations:
1. What is meant by “endless punishment”?
2. What makes it necessary and why?
3. God’s justice? Why?
4. Is endless punishment fair?
5. What are the characteristics of “endless punishment”?
What makes endless punishment necessary?
I. The Nature of Sin and the Holiness of God:
Sin- being not merely a transgression of law but an affront against the infinite majesty of God, bears a guilt of infinite weight. The heinousness of sin lies in the dignity and office of the one offended. Thus, to sin against the Holy, Holy, Holy God is to commit a crime of such that finite punishment would be altogether insufficient. Scripture declares:
Habakkuk 1:13 – “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity”.
Man is born in ruined condition, and apart from regeneration, he will stay ruined. God is Holy. Unsaved man is not holy. Therefore, the Holy cannot have the unholy draw near, therefore God created a place for them with a chasm between them – making it impossible for each to visit the other place
II. The Justice of God Requires it:
2 Thessalonians 1:6 “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
- God Permits Sin but Ordains Judgment Romans 1:24, 26, 28
- “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections… God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” Here, the apostle Paul makes clear: God does not infuse sin into man’s heart, but removes His restraining grace, allowing men to plunge deeper into their sin. This is not a passive ignorance on God’s part, but a deliberate act of judicial abandonment.
- The Decree of Judgment is Active Romans 2:5-6
- “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds…” Here is God’s active decree: His judgment and punishment is not merely the natural consequence of sin, but a righteous and deliberate act of divine justice.
- Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”
- This verse declares that even the wicked, though left to themselves, are nonetheless part of God’s sovereign decree, which includes the day of destruction. Yet note: He does not create them wicked, but ordains their end in His perfect justice.
- Exodus 9:16 (on Pharaoh) “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
- Pharaoh’s heart was hardened – first by his own pride, and then judicially by God. This shows the interplay of man’s sin and God’s sovereign judgment.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
- This reveals a positive judicial act of God: sending delusion upon those already bent on evil, that they might receive the just reward of their rebellion. These can be considered “offences” or “stumbling blocks”. God presents the stumbling block, the reprobate stumbles – yet God does not make the wicked stumble who are perfectly able to stumble of their own sinful ways.
III. The Testimony of Christ Himself:
“And these (reprobate sinners / non-elect) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46)
IV. The Finality of the Divine Judgment:
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” (Luke 16:26)
V. The Glory of God is Manifest in His Justice:
Romans 9:22 “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”
VI. Is this fair?
Some complain that the decree of eternal punishment, and God passing over those not chosen to election is unfair. Upon whose standard is this judged unfair? Is there unfairness with Holy God? Is it fair to send anyone to hell forever? The real question should be “since man is ruined, why are any saved at all?” Do we “deserve” Christ? If so, upon what merit? What did you do in your life to merit the escape of hell? Take caution in this area as not to charge God with unrighteousness in your own heart. God is always fair.
VII. There will be degrees of punishment:
Matthew 5:21 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Matthew 10:15 – Christ describes those citizens of hell rejecting the Gospel when it was preached – that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those cities in the judgment. This shows again degrees of punishment. Again in Matthew 11:21-22 in the denunciations of the those cities that rejected Christ, 21 “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.”
VIII. Characteristics of endless punishment:
London Baptist Confession Chapter 3:1 “The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies; and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day; besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.”
And LBC 3:3 “The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto honour,
and be made conformable to his own glorious body” Romans 9:22-23 states the vessels of wrath are being prepared for destruction, meaning that the bodies they lived with are unsuitable for eternal punishment, and God is preparing them a body that is not consumed immediately, but will be capable of eternal punishment for the reprobate so they are tormented eternally in body and soul together, thus making their punishment complete. Isaiah 66:22-24 also states the smoke of the torment of the wicked goes up eternally and their worm never sleeps.
- Darkness –
- “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)
- “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” (2 Peter 2:17)
- Fire –
- “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44, repeated vv. 46, 48)
- “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
- Pain –
- “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night.” (Revelation 14:11)
- “And shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
- Memory –
- “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)
- The damned will recall every sermon, every reproof, every kindness of God despised. They will know their damnation is just. Their conscience, like an undying worm, will gnaw ceaselessly.
- Torment –
- “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone… and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
- “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48)
- “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God… and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:10)
- Presence of an Angry God –
- “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” (Revelation 14:10)
- “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
- “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)