RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

Chapter 20: The Earthly Lives of Those Sentenced to Hell

Those sentenced to hell rejected the message of John 3:16, and as a result continued to live sinful lives.

Does scripture describe the earthly lives of those who are sentenced to hell? Is it clear what they were like in this world? Were there certain attitudes, activities, behaviors and beliefs that characterized them? The answer to these questions is a definite “Yes,” and it is best understood in the profound statement of our Lord Jesus Himself, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

Scripture clearly teaches the identifying marks of those who are sentenced to hell. They are people who rejected the good news of Jesus Christ. And because of their rejection, God never endowed them with a righteous, godly disposition. They lived sinful lives. They may have been outwardly religious but were inwardly lawless. They hated God and persecuted His people. They never knew the true God. Examining each of these traits will give a clear profile of those sentenced to hell.

People in hell rejected the good news of Jesus Christ. We have already established God’s verdict is no one is righteous; not even one. And mankind has a two-fold problem: he owes God an insurmountable debt, and he has a sinful nature. But the good news is:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

There is a condition to “not perish” and “have eternal life.” It is to “believe in Him,” Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But those in hell rejected this message. They

do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 1:8
did not believe the truth 2 Thessalonians 2:12
do not obey the gospel of God 1 Peter 4:17

Note these verses portray rejecting the gospel a moral issue of the heart involving disobedience.

Jesus said:

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

This is the natural state of man: the wrath of God hovers over him. The wicked rejected God’s gracious invitation to obey and believe, so the wrath that hovered over them was ultimately fulfilled in their being sentenced to hell.

In this series Good News in John 3:16, what “believing in Him [Jesus]” means will be thoroughly explored in book 6, The Faith God Requires to Save. For now, what is critical to understand is people in hell rejected the gospel, and that rejection had a very serious consequence.

People in hell were never graciously endowed with a righteous, godly disposition. They remained in the fallen, sinful state they were born. God’s Law was never inscribed on their heart; they never received God’s life. This is substantially different from those whom God graciously transformed the moment they believed.

When a person believes in Jesus Christ, they are supernaturally and miraculously transformed at the core of their being. This is a gracious act of almighty God. Their old, sinful nature, which was disposed to sin and unrighteousness, dies. And the believer instantaneously receives a new nature; one disposed towards truth and righteousness. As such, they change. They still experience temptation, and fail in their Christian walk from time to time. But they get up, much like a toddler learning to walk. The life of a believer is characterized by purity and goodness, not by sin and evil.

Having a righteous, godly disposition does not mean a believer is perfect. Scripture presupposes genuine Christians will fall and need to be restored (Galatians 6:1). And the apostle John wrote “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Continued cleansing from sin is necessary even for believers, and that is why they are assured if they confess their sins they will be forgiven (1 John 1:9). And scripture records the failures of many godly men, such as the apostle Peter’s hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14). So the existence of isolated acts of sin in no way contradicts being a godly person — godly men fail.

But the existence of sin in a genuine believer must not be pressed too far. Having a righteous, godly disposition means a man’s life is overall characterized by godliness. Yes, he still experiences temptation to do wrong and periodically yields to those temptations. But when he does he is grieved with a godly grief. He hates that he is tempted. And he does not live a life of indifference towards sin, and he most certainly does not celebrate it. A lifestyle of sin is utterly contrary to his new nature.

In this series Good News in John 3:16, this inner transformation will be thoroughly explored in book 3, The Blessing God Desires to Bestow. For now, what is critical to understand is those who rejected the gospel never underwent a divine transformation of heart, so they retained their sinful nature. The consequence of this is clear.

People in hell lived sinful lives. Sexual immorality, impatience, selfishness, unrighteous anger and the like characterized them. Like all fallen men who are unconverted, they not only engaged in sinful activities, they enjoyed doing so. They

loved darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:19
took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:12

This love of sin is the basis of numerous warnings regarding those who “do not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19–21
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–10

These statements from the apostle Paul must be properly interpreted. He is not saying when a genuine Christian commits one of these acts, he forfeits the kingdom of God unless he confesses that sin immediately. Nor is he saying a genuine Christian will never under any circumstances commit one of these acts — godly men fail. Instead these verses portray what those who have not been saved and inwardly transformed are outwardly like. They have a casual, approving or celebratory attitude towards sin, and as such it is the general character of their lives.

People in hell rejected the very means God appointed for their own deliverance from sinful, degrading passions. It is not that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers are beyond God’s forgiveness. Indeed the churches in the New Testament were comprised of people who were delivered from such lifestyles — “such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The difference is those in hell refused to believe in Jesus Christ. As a result, they were never inwardly transformed by God into people who found such practices abhorrent, so they continued in them.

There is more than one reason why sinners loved their sin. Perhaps in their deceived, corrupted mind they did not view it as sin, and that is why they enjoyed it. Or maybe they knew it was sin and worthy of God’s judgment, but they not only delighted in it but also gave “hearty approval” to those who did the same thing (Romans 1:29-32). Whatever the case, in their earthly life they loved sinning.

Oh how depraved are the hearts of men; they find pleasure in evil! People look forward to getting drunk. Drug addicts anticipate getting high. Thieves take pride in their plunder. Immoral people take pleasure in pornography, adultery, fornication, premarital sex, homosexuality and lesbianism. Legislators are proud to pass laws legalizing the murder of the unborn. Politicians gleefully support redefining marriage as something other than a union between a man and a woman. Men unashamedly dress and adorn themselves like women. Gang members find excitement in their thuggery. Supervisors find it satisfying to lord over their subordinates. Workers find gratification in shirking their job responsibilities. And the list goes on and on.

A sinful lifestyle is a lawless lifestyle; it is one that is not constrained at the heart level by God’s Law. This is the character of those sentenced to hell: they were lawless.

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness …No one who abides in Him [Jesus Christ] sins … Make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil … No one who is born of God practices sin … By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:4–10

People in hell were not loving, merciful or compassionate. Whether it be holding a grudge, refusing to forgive, getting back at someone, calling a person a name, or the like, during their earthly lives people in hell were unkind, unmerciful people. This is the fallen nature of all unconverted men.

When a person believes in Jesus Christ, they undergo a supernatural transformation of being; the divine life of God indwells them. But God is by nature loving, kind, and gracious, so that is what believers become. In fact, scripture teaches love is the identifying mark of a genuine Christian, and anyone who is not a loving person is not a believer.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7–8

But unbelievers never underwent this divine transformation, so they remained in their fallen state.

Jesus taught a time would come where He Himself would pronounce judgment against merciless sinners.

Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire … for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me. Matthew 25:42-43

This passage is not suggesting people enter heaven by engaging in good works. It is showing those who are accursed have never been inwardly and supernaturally transformed by God into compassionate people, especially towards believers. They have retained their fallen nature of being unloving, which is the basic nature of man.

In Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the wicked rich man condemned to hell, the rich man was just as uncompassionate. He dressed and dined extravagantly, neglecting poor Lazarus who struggled to even get a crumb from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:19–21). Jesus’ teaching is clear: people in hell were not merciful people in their earthly lives. They were absorbed with their own luxuries, comforts, and pleasures. They were “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4).

People in hell may have been outwardly religious but were inwardly lawless. There are countless people in every country that claim to know the true God through Jesus Christ. These people attend church, have been baptized, participate in the Lord’s Supper, use Christian lingo, help the poor, assist in ministry outreaches, and provide financial support. But their Christianity is not genuine because they have a persistent casual or even celebratory attitude towards sin.

Jesus said in the judgment many outwardly religious people will be judged.

Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:22-23

Outward acts such as prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles can be inauthentic. Such a person may be self-deceived and living in sin, thinking they actually performed a miracle when in reality they did not. Or they may be consciously aware they do not have the ability to perform a miracle, but act as if they can for the sake of gaining popularity, money, or the like. Whatever the case, these people are condemned because they practiced lawlessness — their heart was not constrained by God’s Law, and His commandments were not written on their hearts.

In Jesus earthly ministry He made a similar charge against the religious teachers of His day: the scribes and Pharisees.

Do not do according to their [the scribes and Pharisees] deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men. Matthew 23:1-5

Jesus then directly rebuked them for their hypocrisy.

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves … you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers … you have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness … you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence … you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness … You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? Matthew 23:13– 33

The scribes and Pharisees were highly respected and deemed godly examples. Indeed, they regarded themselves as righteous men who pleased God. But in reality they were hypocrites; a bunch of snakes who only served themselves and were destined for hell.

Judas is another example of someone who outwardly appeared righteous but was actually wicked. When a woman anointed Jesus with costly perfume, Judas asked why the perfume was not sold and given to the poor. But his question had an ulterior motive. “He said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it” (John 12:5–6).

Scripture repeatedly warns of those who claim to speak for God, but are deceivers. These false teachers and false prophets may be smooth, eloquent speakers with friendly, charismatic personalities, but they are characterized by evil works.

[They] indulged in gross immorality Jude 1:7
[They] are caring only for themselves Jude 1:12
In their greed they exploit you with false words. 2 Peter 2:3
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. Jude 1:16
[They are] reviling where they have no knowledge … They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime … having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed. 2 Peter 2:13-14

Despite their pretenses of being holy, they were never delivered from the greedy, lustful, selfish nature with which they were born. There was manipulation, intimidation, and deceitfulness, all with a view to satisfy their own insatiable desires for more.

People in hell hated God. They wanted nothing to do with Him. They despised Him, and thought evil of Him. This hatred is revealed through their hatred of Jesus Himself and His followers.

During Jesus earthly ministry He said to His disciples:

[The world] hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. John 7:7

If Jesus’ ministry consisted of talking about either Himself or sin in a way that was palatable to the world, He would not be hated. But Jesus, both in word and deed, testified He alone was the only way to God, and He likewise exposed the hypocrisy and unrighteousness of all men. Self-righteous people do not like being told they are sinners. And when they object and insist they are children of God, and are instead told they are children of the devil, it is not taken very well (John 8:12-59). As a result, the world hated Him.

But hatred of Jesus should not be considered distinct from hatred of God. Jesus said:

He who hates Me hates My Father [God] also. John 15:23

If people had a problem with Jesus’ message, actions or character, their issue was ultimately with God. But Jesus warned this same hatred would be directed at His disciples who kept Jesus’ words and followed Him.

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. John 15:18–19

So the world hated Jesus while He was on earth, and that hatred was actually a hatred of God. And Christ’ followers, whose lives and message reflect that of Jesus, would likewise be hated. But how does this hatred manifest itself?

People in hell persecuted genuine Christians. Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, scoffed, derided, insulted, falsely accused, and ultimately murdered. And the same types of things happened to His apostles and disciples.

A genuine Christian understands he has nothing to commend himself to God, and salvation is a free gift. And he has been granted a new righteous, godly disposition, and as such does not have a casual or celebratory attitude towards sinning. This does not mean he walks around condemning everyone. It just means he does not embrace the godless values and lifestyles of the world. Whether it be crude humor, gossip, gluttony, premarital sex, same sex relationships, cross-dressing, or acceptance of the notion a person can actually change their own sex — the genuine Christian does not yield to these worldly currents. As a result, “they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you” (1 Peter 4:4).

Persecution has persisted from the time of Christ to the present day in varying ways and degrees. On the milder side, it manifests itself in the sentiment believers are misguided, undiscerning, or going through some sort of phase. In other cases there is disdain that manifests itself in a mocking gesture or scoffing remark. Other people deny privileges or sue Christians for issues related to their faith. And of course there are those who are openly hostile and physically abusive. In whatever form, persecution is something believers should expect since their inward transformation translates into their not embracing the views and practices of this fallen world.

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12

Of course there are those who embrace sinful lifestyles and profess to believe in Christ. There are independent churches and entire denominations that fall into this category. Such people are generally not persecuted by the world because they have adopted the world’s standards. But by approving or embracing sinful practices, they show they are part of the world, and do not have the life of God within them.

People in hell were among those who in their earthly lives persecuted Christians. But their hatred of them was ultimately hatred against Jesus Christ and God the Father, even as the risen Lord Jesus told Saul: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me” (Acts 9:4).

People in hell never knew the true God at any time. Even the devil and his fallen angels are aware of God’s existence, and they know God in a distant, impersonal, intellectual way. But it is quite different to know God personally — to have an intimate, loving relationship with Him. People in hell never knew God this way while they lived on earth.

Jesus warned His disciples they would be persecuted by those who did not know God. He said:

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you … But all these things they will do to you … because they do not know the One who sent Me. John 15:20–21

It was this same lack of knowing God that contributed to the persecution of the Thessalonian Christians. Paul said of their persecutors:

It is only just for God to repay [your persecutors] with affliction … those who do not know God. 2 Thessalonians 1:6–8

And Jesus Himself declared in the judgment many outwardly religious people will be condemned.

I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 6:23

In this pronouncement it is not that those whom Jesus condemns truly knew God at a certain time in their lives. It is not that they knew God, backslid, and remained in their backslid state. On the contrary, their character was consistent over the course of their life — consistently bad. They never knew Jesus Christ, and He never knew them. “I never knew you — ever.”

People who are sentenced to hell rejected the gospel. As a result, they remained in their fallen, corrupted state. They never possessed a righteous, godly disposition. They lived sinful lives, and were uncompassionate people. They may have been outwardly religious, but inwardly they were lawless. They hated God and persecuted His people. They never knew God at any time in their lives.

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

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