May 17, 2022

Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you . . . in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. 2 Peter 3:15-17

The wise disciple of the Bible makes it a practice to check scripture against scripture. The Word interprets and illuminates itself. The Holy Spirit’s leading will never lead anyone to believe that scripture contradicts itself. Such a leading is the spirit of antichrist.

There are two vastly different teachings in the world about what happens to the unrepentant: one is death, and the other is an eternal life of torment. Let us look at several verses to see if they are in harmony with either of these doctrines:

But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. Psalm 37:20

Sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. James 1:15

The soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20

For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch . . . You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under your feet on the day that I do this,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1,3

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:20-23

The death of the wicked is an act of mercy on the part of God, for those who cling to their sin instead of choosing to let go of it will never become a citizen of heaven. His work and the work of His Son are diligent toward saving us from the consequence of sin, which is death, and from sin itself, which requires our cooperation through obedience to His word. The Lord’s work is of a divine nature: namely, the power to recreate our hearts, rendering a character transformation into heavenly citizenship.

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7