Heaven, Hell & Judgment¶
We've crafted an unofficial, source-cited, non-commercial index of Dr. R.C. Sproul's publicly available teachings, weighted by how many independent sources corroborate each point. The content is authored by Dr. R.C. Sproul and published by Ligonier Ministries (a few items are third-party YouTube re-uploads); see the Methodology & Rights page for more info. Quotations are brief, linked to their source, and reproduced for study under Ligonier's Copyright Policy (ligonier.org/copyright-policy). This site is humbly offered for personal use only, out of love and respect, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ligonier Ministries or St. Andrew's Chapel.
133 positions — 2 corroborated across multiple sources.
Well-attested positions¶
Independently stated in two or more of his messages.
God is eternal, meaning He exists infinitely with respect to space and eternally with respect to time, having never had a beginning.
However we answer this question, we conclude that God Himself never had a beginning. He exists infinitely with respect to space and eternally with respect to time. His existence has neither a starting point nor an ending point.
Corroborated across 2 sources: In the Beginning God (Ligonier article) · What Came Before God? (Ligonier article)
Secularism is based on the philosophy that human life must be lived only in the present time and place, suggesting an unbridgeable gap between earth and eternity.
What the term "secularism" comes from is the Latin word saeculum, which means "this time," "this age." And behind it is the fundamental philosophy that man must live out his days in the here and now.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Right Now Counts Forever (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 8:24
Further positions¶
Drawn from a single high-trust (official transcript) source.
The suffering Christians endure in this life is insignificant compared to the glory awaiting them at the end of their lives.
God's Word tells us the suffering we're called upon to endure in this world is not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits the saints at their life's end.
Source: Bearing and Enduring (Ligonier article)
Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, a truth that contradicts the common secular belief in multiple paths to God.
My answer to that question is the New Testament answer. There is no other name under heaven through which men can be saved. Jesus Christ is the only way.
Source: The Commission of Christian Leaders (Ligonier article)
America's abortion clinics have rejected the ethics of God's Word and should face divine judgment.
America’s abortion clinics has rejected the ethics of God’s Word and should fear the judgment of God.
Source: Family Values (Ligonier article)
Non-Christians face a promise of punishment from God's wrath against sin in a place called hell.
For non-Christians, the news is much less good. There is again a promise from God, but this time it is a promise of punishment, that God’s wrath against sin will be satisfied in those who do not trust in Christ.
Source: Fear and Uncertainty (Ligonier article)
God's patience is long but not infinite, and He has appointed a day when He will judge the world, marking the end of His forbearance.
God’s patience is long but not infinite. He warns that there is a border to His longsuffering, which He will not extend. Indeed, He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world, and that day will mark the endpoint of God’s striving with us.
Source: Waiting on God (Ligonier article)
The modern concept of a final judgment has largely disappeared from contemporary thinking and preaching.
The idea of a final judgment to which all people will be subjected has all but disappeared from our thinking, and even from the preaching in most of today’s pulpits
Source: The Greatest Issue We Face (Ligonier article)
Humans have no inherent merit to offer God on the day of judgment, and all they will possess are their demerits.
That may seem fine until we realize that we have no merit of our own, and that all we will have to offer God on the day of judgment will be our demerits.
Source: The Greatest Issue We Face (Ligonier article)
From a Christian perspective, the ultimate good is defined as bringing maximum pleasure and minimum pain.
We believe that the ultimate good will bring us the maximum pleasure and the minimum of pain.
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
The punishment in hell is eternal, meaning there is no end or hope of relief.
The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. The same word is used for both eternal life and eternal death.
Source: What Is Hell? (Ligonier article)
God eternally and immutably ordains everything that happens, including human sin and evil.
This means, after all, that everything that happens in this world, including the evil things that others do to us and, astonishingly enough, our own sins against others, is immutably foreordained by almighty God.
Source: How Can God Bring Good Out of Evil? (Ligonier article)
For unbelievers, any blessing received from God ultimately contributes to their greater guilt and curse in the final judgment.
In the final judgment, every blessing unbelievers have received at the hands of a benevolent God becomes the foundation of their curse.
Source: How Can God Bring Good Out of Evil? (Ligonier article)
Measuring time requires motion relative to some type of matter, meaning that if there is no matter, time cannot be measured.
There are many devices to measure time, but in the final analysis they all rely on some sort of motion relative to some type of matter. If there is no matter, we cannot measure motion. If we cannot measure motion, we cannot measure time.
Source: In the Beginning God (Ligonier article)
Every person must stand before God at a final judgment and will be judged according to God's standard of righteousness.
No one escapes the judgment of God. We all must stand before that final tribunal and be judged not on a curve, not according to how we stack up against other people in this world, but how we stand according to God’s standard of righteousness, a standard that none of us will ever reach.
Source: Justification by Death? (Ligonier article)
The period of the judges illustrates a recurring historical pattern involving sin, divine judgment, repentance, and eventual rescue.
Repeatedly during this era, the book of Judges tells us, the Israelites would find themselves in a cycle that began this way: “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Source: Learning from the Judges (Ligonier article)
The mission of the church is eternal, originating in eternity and having a destination in eternity.
The mission of the church is eternal. Its origin is in eternity and its destination is eternity.
Source: The Mission of the Church Is Eternal (Ligonier article)
The universe is described as indifferent, meaning it does not care.
But an indifferent universe is a universe that doesn't care. It doesn't care, because it cannot care; it is impersonal.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Nietzsche suggested that if there is no exit to the eternal, then truth, values, and ethics are merely matters of pure decision.
If there is no exit to the eternal, then values and truth and ethics are a matter of pure decision. Right and wrong are simply what we have the courage to decide they are for ourselves.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Existentialism suggests that the connection between earth and heaven has vanished, trapping man in a horizontal dimension.
Context: Interpreting William Barrett's statement.
What Barrett is saying is that the connection between earth and heaven has vanished. The vertical sphere, the upward dimension, is no longer the concern of the artist. Man is trapped in this horizontal dimension.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
The concept of hell is a biblical concept, not something invented by historical figures like Edwards, Wesley, or the Reformers.
However, the concept of hell was not invented by Edwards, by John Wesley, or by any of the frontier revival preachers. Neither was it invented by the Reformers of the sixteenth century or by Thomas Aquinas or by Augustine. It is a biblical concept, and almost everything that we learn about hell in the Bible comes to us, oddly enough, from the lips of Jesus Himself.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
The imagery used by Jesus suggests that hell is a place of unspeakable pain and torment that humanity does not want to experience.
So even though we don’t know exactly where hell is, how hell operates, and what it is really like, all of the imagery our Lord uses suggests that it is a place we don’t want to go. It is a place of unspeakable pain and torment.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
Because God is omnipresent, He is present in hell just as He is everywhere else, but His presence there is characterized by judgment.
The problem with hell is not simply the absence of God’s graciousness. It is the presence of God that is so difficult. God is present in hell because He is omnipresent. The psalmist declares, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (Ps. 139:7-8). If God is everywhere in His being, then certainly He is in hell as much as He is anywhere else. The problem, then, is what He is doing there. He’s there in His judgment. He is there in His punitive wrath. He is present in hell as the One who executes His justice on those who are there.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
If everything is relative, then all statements, axioms, and laws become relative, leading to infinite relatives with no ultimate reference point.
If everything is relative then the statement, “Everything is relative,” is also relative. It cannot be trusted as a fixed truth. All statements become relative. All axioms become relative. All laws become relative. Relative to what? To other statements, which are also relative. We have infinite relatives with no ultimate reference point.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
If everything is relative, then moral judgments, such as whether murder is good or bad, become arbitrary because there is no fixed standard.
Consider relativity in ethics. If I don’t like you and decide to murder you, is that good or bad? Neither. Or both. It’s relative. For you and your family--your relatives (sic)--it may be considered bad. For me it’s good since I’ve destroyed a personal enemy. In a relativistic law court why should a judge find against me?
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
Relativism results in a lack of ultimate standards, meaning there are no universals, no fixed standards for judging values, truth, or purpose.
In relativism, there are particulars but no universals, relatives but no absolutes. This means that we can have values but no Value, truths but no Truth, purposes but no Purpose. That is, we have no fixed standards by which to measure or to judge values, truth, purpose or beauty.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
The secular refers to the world in terms of time and focuses on the present moment rather than on eternity.
The secular refers then to this world in this time. Its point of focus is here and now. The accent of the secular is on the present time rather than on eternity.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Humans should question whether their existence is limited only to this world and time, or if there is an eternity beyond it.
The question we ask is this: Is that all there is? Is there only time? This time? This secular moment? Or is there something else? Is there eternity beyond this world and this time?
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Christianity views life through the lens of eternity, understanding that the present moment has lasting significance.
The heart of the New Testament message is that Christ has come to give us a life that wells up into eternal life. The startling news is that we will get out of this world alive.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
God considers all things from the perspective of eternity.
All judgments that God makes, all things that He does, are done from the perspective of the eternal. In philosophy, we say that God considers everything sub specie aeternitatis .
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Christ calls Christians to live their lives considering the long-term, eternal significance rather than just the immediate present.
The admonition and rebuke that Christ brings to this world is that men are only thinking of the short-term. They are thinking of the now and only the now, instead of the long-term consequences of their behavior.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Secularism, by denying eternity, leads to the conclusion that human life has no ultimate or transcendent purpose.
The death of God, in terms of the loss of transcendence and the loss of the eternal, also means for us the death of man. It means that history has no transcendent goal. There is no eternal purpose.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Christian life is defined by the eternal dimension, which is beyond the secular realm.
Beyond the secular or saeculum there is the eternal. That is what the Christian faith is all about.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Secularism leads to a philosophy of despair because it denies the ultimate realm and the eternal.
The secularist can never offer ultimate answers to the human predicament because, for him, there are no ultimate answers--because there is no ultimate realm. This side of eternity is the exclusive sphere of human activity.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
The contemporary secular spirit emphasizes the present life and the here and now, neglecting eternal concerns.
The contemporary zeitgeist in which the Christian lives is one of secularism. The emphasis is on this world, on this time. Little attention is given to things that are above and beyond this world.
Source: The World Is a Seducer (Ligonier article)
Prioritizing the world over God risks the loss of one's eternal soul.
To be conformed to this world is to risk the loss of one's eternal soul. The world places little value on the soul.
Source: The World Is a Seducer (Ligonier article)
When determining which book is divine, objective testimony is required, as subjective experience is insufficient.
Here, subjective experience cannot be our only court of appeal. We need some sort of objective testimony to determine whether the Bible, Qur’an, or Bhagavad Gita is the Word of God because they all claim to be the Word of God.
Source: The Spirit’s Internal Witness (Ligonier article)
The Bible describes death as an enemy, and it is specifically called the 'last enemy.'
The Bible describes death as an enemy. It is not the only enemy of the Christian, but it is described as the “last enemy.”
Source: The Last Enemy (Ligonier article)
The penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God.
The penalty of this sin is described quite clearly: death and eternal distance from God.
Source: The Quest for Glory (Ligonier article)
The concept of heaven is central and integral to Christianity and cannot be taken seriously without considering it.
One cannot take Christianity seriously without seeing the central importance of the concept of heaven. There really is a “pie in the sky” idea that is integral to the Bible.
Source: Thinking of Home (Ligonier article)
If human existence ends in nonexistence, the story of life is meaningless and irrational.
If there is no God, then there is no reason to have any significant hope for the continuity of personal existence that we call life . And yet if God exists, what would be more ridiculous than to assume that He creates creatures in His own image that are ultimately destined for annihilation—to fall into the abyss of nonexistence, to live as grass for a season, only to perish with all our memories, hopes, and labor ending in meaninglessness?
Source: Thinking of Home (Ligonier article)
If God exists, then human life cannot simply end in nonexistence.
if God exists, then this cannot be the end. That’s what Jesus is telling His disciples when He says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
Source: Thinking of Home (Ligonier article)
The promise of a final judgment, where all people will be judged by God's perfect righteousness, is a doctrine that many people in the church no longer believe.
The promise of God that a day of judgment is coming—that all men will be brought into His courtroom and will be judged according to the bar of His perfect righteousness, and that those who are found wanting will be sent into the abyss of hell—is a doctrine that many in the church don’t believe anymore.
Source: What Was the Cause of the Protestant Reformation? (Ligonier article)
Christians are called to consider the present reality in light of the eternal perspective.
But as Christians, we are called to consider the present in light of the eternal.
Source: When All Things Are Made New (Ligonier article)
The ultimate significance of life's beginning and actions is determined by the end.
Scripture says that the end defines the significance of the beginning (Eccl. 7:8).
Source: When All Things Are Made New (Ligonier article)
Dealing with worldly catastrophes requires understanding that they are connected to God's eternal purpose and His deliverance from ultimate judgment.
We can deal with catastrophes in this world only by understanding that behind them stands the eternal purpose of God and by realizing that He has delivered us from the ultimate catastrophe—the collapse of the tower of His final judgment on our heads.
Source: When Towers Fall (Ligonier article)
The wicked will face judgment and separation from the master's house, characterized by regret.
But to the wicked slave there will be nothing but judgment and separation from the house of the master. The response of the wicked slave will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Source: Will He Find You Faithful? (Ligonier article)
The doctrine of predestination is specifically concerned with humanity's ultimate destination, which is either heaven or hell.
The doctrine of predestination is concerned specifically with the question of our ultimate destination. There are only two destinations open to us as human beings - ultimately, they are heaven or hell, that is, to be in a state of salvation or to be in a state of damnation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:51
The passages cited do not refer to the final coming of Jesus, but rather to His judgment upon Israel.
Now, what I'm going to suggest to you is that that coming that is described in these passages is not the final coming of Jesus but it is His judgment coming on Israel -- the judgment coming of Christ on Israel.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:59
God's eternal nature means that if He were to break a promise, He would suffer an impossible contradiction, such as becoming mortal or perishing.
if I ever fail to keep a promise to you, I am saying, may I, the immutable, eternal, self-existent being suffer mutation. May I, who am immortal, become mortal. May I, who cannot die, perish.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 44:41
A just judge must impose a penalty, even on a loved one, because of his commitment to law, righteousness, and justice.
A just judge in this circumstance would impose a just penalty, even on his own son. Despite his personal concern, despite his personal love for that son, out of his own love for the law and for righteousness and justice, he will sentence his son to prison.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:05
The darkness humanity lives in is not merely the absence of light, but a profound, fatal state that requires divine intervention for escape.
It’s not simply the darkness that comes at dusk, but the word that is used here indicates the darkest kind of darkness, when there’s not even a crack of light coming into the room.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
On the final judgment, many will be rejected by Christ because they did not genuinely know Him.
And He will send them away saying, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you;"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:02
Sproul suggests that the statement about not tasting death must refer to a long-term period, not one that would occur within a week or a month.
I think Jesus when He says that some of you will not taste death He's obviously thinking longer term than one week or a month or so.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:37
The timeline involves Satan being bound for a thousand years, followed by his release for a short time, and then a final judgment.
Satan is bound; he's held captive; he's in the bottomless pit for a thousand years; and at the end of that thousand years he's going to be released for a little while.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:51
The vast majority of critics deny the creation of the world by a self-existent, eternal God.
The vast majority of critics today who deny the creation of this world by a self-existent, eternal God appeal to some kind of beginning to all of reality that comes from nothing.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
Jesus' words are eternal and will endure even when heaven and earth pass away.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will be no means pass away.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:49
Paul warns that ignorance will not be an acceptable excuse on the day of judgment.
Paul warns that ignorance is not going to be an excuse on the day of judgment. Because it’s not true. We are not ignorant. We are not without knowledge. We are not aginosko.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:06
Prophets often used graphic imagery of catastrophic, astronomical judgment that was metaphorical rather than a literal description of physical events.
prophets of Israel to describe visitations of divine judgment upon the earth by using graphic imagery very similar to this imagery indicating a catastrophic judgment brought by God upon a city or on a nation in which these events were described in terms of astronomical perturbations that did not take place literally but were prophetic forms of metaphorical language.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:30
The Bible makes a distinction between the proximate (earthly, immediate) and the ultimate reality.
I’m trying to make a distinction here that the Bible makes between what I’m going to call the proximate and the ultimate. The proximate is that which is here in this proximity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:21
Life's suffering is temporary and insignificant compared to the eternal glory prepared for believers in heaven.
David said, “I can’t bring him back, but I can go to Him,” because David understood that that brief little blip on the radar screen of time that is your life is nothing compared to the eternity that God has prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:08
The judgment before God will encompass everything a person says, thinks, and does.
The whole point is that everything that we say, and think, and do, we are going to face an accounting for.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:29
At the final judgment, the human response will be silence, contrasting with typical human tendencies to protest or make excuses.
Jesus tells us, and the apostles tell us that at the final judgment every mouth will be stopped.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:04
He states that allowing the abortion of life means surrendering the sanctity of human life.
And I can’t believe that we as Christians aren’t screaming literally, “Bloody murder,” every day, because when we allow this to happen, then we have surrendered all sanctity of human life.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:57
God remains a just judge who is angry with the wicked every day.
And yet the scriptures say to us here something that we must not overlook, dear friends, God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:31
On judgment day, a person must stand either on their own works or on the righteousness of Christ.
And when you stand on that judgment day, you stand on the basis of one of two things. You let your works speak for you, and you ask for God’s just distribution of reward and/or punishment according to your works, and you will get it. If you stand on your works, on your righteousness, on what you have achieved, on your good life, you will get precisely—with absolute justice, with no unfairness, with no distortion, but according to perfect equity—you will get precisely what your works and what your “righteousness” deserves. And if you stand on the righteousness of Christ, pleading the cover of His righteousness, pleading His merit and His merit alone, then you will be given everything that His righteousness deserves.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:57
The ultimate issue on judgment day is not whether a person knows Jesus, but whether Jesus knows them intimately.
The issue eternally will not be, do you know Jesus? The issue will be, does He know you?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:15
The court's distinction between potential and actual life is problematic because setting viability as the point where state interest becomes compelling is arbitrary.
The choice of viability as the point at which the state interest in potential life becomes compelling is no less arbitrary than choosing any point before viability or any point afterwards.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 29:48
On the last day, many people will approach Jesus, professing affection and claiming association with Him, but they will ultimately be rejected.
Jesus was saying that at the last day, people would come to Him whom He did not know, who did not belong to Him, who would pretend that they belong to Him and would not only name His name, but they would repeat it as if they were on intimate terms with Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
Eschatology is a branch of systematic theology that specifically concerns itself with future events, or the 'last things.'
eschatology is a subdivision of systematic theology that is particularly concerned about the last things, or the future things, or what we call the "last days" coming from the Greek word for last times.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:18
In Hebrew categories, the creation of man is considered penultimate, not ultimate, because the climax of creation occurs on the seventh day.
Now, if we look at the order of creation, we see that the creation of man is penultimate, not ultimate. I raise that because we've been seeing throughout this examination of Genesis the conflict that exists between the classical Christian view of man and that which is found in secular theories of man, most notably within humanism.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:32
The practice of abortion is comparable to murder because it involves the financial destruction of human life.
I see no difference fundamentally between the doctors who performs an abortion for money than Murder Incorporated. We are receiving financial remuneration to destroy human lives
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:26
In the final judgment, the Judge will rise from the bench to defend the accused.
all of a sudden the Judge gets up out of His seat and walks around the bench and says, “Your Honor, I am her defense counsel.”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:54
The concept of right and wrong serves as an indicator of the universe's true meaning.
Right and wrong is a clue to the very meaning of the universe.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:49
The Day of the Lord was initially understood as a future day of redemption, but it could also be a day of judgment.
In the beginning, the day of the Lord was a future day when God would come and redeem His people, bringing peace and justice to them, redeeming them from their enemies, and fulfilling all of His covenant promises. But as the people of Israel grew cold in their hearts and became hard-necked, they were warned that the day of the Lord might not be so good.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Having leprosy in ancient Israel meant being sentenced to a solitary life, making them social pariahs.
If you had leprosy, unless you were cured of that leprosy by some marvelous means, you were sentenced to a solitary life removed from the community, your family, and the religious institutions of the day. You were a social pariah.
Source: Cleansing of the Leper (Ligonier)
The current state of the nation is characterized by ethical decline, which will eventually face divine judgment.
We are not just post-Christian, we are not just neo-pagan, we are neo-barbarian in the ethics practiced in this country.
Source: The Crucifixion (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Individuals must not wait until the final judgment to come to Christ, because doing so will be too late.
Do not wait until the last judgment to come to Him. If you do, it will be too late, and the Judge of all the earth will hand you over to judgment.
Source: The Dividing Christ (Ligonier)
The teachings of Jesus, particularly those concerning judgment, are considered 'hard sayings' because they require consideration of painful consequences on the day of judgment.
This teaching from our Lord Jesus Christ may be numbered among the expressions He made that are called the “hard sayings.” They are hard because He asks us to consider the painful consequences we may face on the day of judgment.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
On the day of judgment, all actions and words, including those done in private, will be made manifest.
Everything we have ever said and everything that we have ever done will be made manifest on the day of judgment.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
At the last judgment, perfect justice will prevail, ensuring that no injustice whatsoever will occur.
In that judgment, perfect justice will prevail, and there will be no injustice whatsoever.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
Human life has eternal significance, meaning that every person matters not just in the present but forever.
What that means is that every human being is made in the image of God, and who sits in the back of the bus matters, and it matters forever. What it means is that your life matters, not just for now, but forever.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
Liberal theology, particularly the focus on the 'here and now,' promotes a meaningless view of life that disregards eternal consequences.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
Nineteenth-century liberalism spilled over into the twentieth century, and we got the existential theology of the hic et nunc , the “here and the now.” The here and now is all there is. You only go around once, so, eat, drink, and be merry.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
Those who are in Christ Jesus are placed beyond the reach of God's condemnation, which refers to the last judgment or damnation.
I remind you that the Apostle’s announcement is that those who are Christians have been placed beyond the reach of the condemnation of God. That condemnation refers to the last judgment, the outpouring of God’s wrath in what the Scriptures describe as damnation.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
Because God has declared the believer righteous, earthly slander and condemnation cannot affect their final judgment.
Once the supreme, sovereign judge declares you righteous in His sight, all the slander in the world will make no impact or dent upon God’s assured, final judgment of you. That is why there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus: The judge has declared us just.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
Experiencing judicial abandonment is the worst thing that can happen to a person in this world.
the worst thing that could happen to anyone is to experience judicial abandonment.
Source: God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness (Ligonier)
Paul's final letter to Timothy contains specific words regarding his impending departure and the commendation of Luke.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Source: The Gospel of Luke (Ligonier)
The peace Christ provides is permanent and eternal, unlike the peace offered by the world.
But He left us His peace that transcends earthly peace, peace that is permanent, eternal, peace by which the warfare between the sinner and God is over.
Source: Introduction (Ligonier)
Even in eternity, finite creatures will not have an exhaustive knowledge of the infinite Creator.
Even in heaven, when we are no longer looking through the glass darkly, when we are there, basking in the refulgent glory of God and the unveiled majesty of His presence, even then, dear friends, we will not have an exhaustive knowledge of the Creator.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The finite cannot contain or grasp the fullness of the infinite.
But the axiom that was so central to the teaching of John Calvin is this: finitum non capax infinitum—the finite cannot contain or grasp the fullness of the infinite.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 3) (Ligonier)
In Scripture, the metaphor of darkness is consistently associated with a judgment of God.
Beloved, any time we see the metaphor of darkness in sacred Scripture, it is associated with a judgment of God.
Source: Jesus Dies (Ligonier)
On the day of judgment, Jesus will either serve as the judge or the defense attorney for humanity.
On that day, Jesus will either be your judge or your defense attorney, because if you reject Him now, He rejects you then.
Source: Jesus Rejected (Ligonier)
Rejecting Christ now leads to rejection by Christ at the time of judgment.
if you reject Him now, He rejects you then.
Source: Jesus Rejected (Ligonier)
Jesus's warning was not about eliminating all judgment, but specifically about the judgment of condemnation.
Rather, He was speaking of a different kind of judgment—the judgment of condemnation.
Source: Judge Not… (Ligonier)
The common interpretation of the text is that the judgment will occur where vultures or buzzards are circling.
The common interpretation of this text is that where the buzzards or vultures are circling, there you will find the judgment of doom taking place.
Source: The Kingdom Come (Ligonier)
The concept of 'most perfect being' is redundant because perfection is an ultimate limit, and something perfect cannot be more perfect.
If something is perfect, it cannot be most perfect, because most perfect gains nothing over perfect.
Source: Legion (Ligonier)
The demons knew that their ultimate destiny was to be shut up in the abyss, but that time had not yet arrived.
They knew that God in His sovereignty had appointed a day in time when the demons would be shut up forever in the abyss, but that time had not yet come. The atonement had not yet been made, the kingdom of God had not reached its consummation as it would at the end of the age.
Source: Legion (Ligonier)
Christians should live according to the light of eternity, rejecting the secular principle that life is limited only to the present age.
The primary assertion of contemporary secularism is the principle that our time on this planet, this saeculum , is the only time there is. There is the hic et nunc —the here and now—and nothing more. There is no eternity. There is no life beyond the grave. That is why young people are bombarded with advertisements telling them: “You only go through life once. Grab all you can get. Go for the gusto now, because this saeculum , this time, is all that there is.”
Source: Living Sacrifices to God (Ligonier)
The judgment of God is always based on truth, regardless of earthly legal proceedings.
But one thing of which we can be confident is that the just judgment of God is always according to the truth.
Source: Man Is without Excuse (Ligonier)
For ultimate justice to occur, there must be a perfect judgment rendered by a judge who is omniscient and perfectly righteous.
Once there, we have to be exposed to a perfect judgment. For that judgment to happen, we must have a judge who himself is perfect. He would have to be omniscient, because he could not overlook some detail that might be exculpatory.
Source: Man Is without Excuse (Ligonier)
The phrase 'He descended into hell' was added later and does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Apostles' Creed.
The creed’s mention of Christ’s descent into hell does not occur in the earliest manuscripts of the Apostles’ Creed and seems to have been added later.
Source: The Burial of Jesus (Ligonier)
The tearing of the temple veil signified the end of the separation between humanity and the sacred Holy of Holies.
At that instant, the veil of the temple—the veil that separated fallen humanity from the sacred Holy of Holies in the temple, the veil of many strands of woven materials that could not be penetrated—was suddenly torn from top to bottom. That wall of separation was ended.
Source: The Crucifixion (Ligonier)
The phrase 'at the point of death' means the person is at their very end, or on their death bed.
In the Greek, that word is used in this text, so when Jairus says, “My little girl is at the point of death,” she is at her eschaton . She is at the very end. She is at death’s door. She is breathing her last.
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
Jesus taught that those who fail to receive His disciples will be judged on the last day, and this judgment will be measured by degrees.
There will be a last judgment, and every one of us will have to appear at that last judgment. We also need to see from this text a principle that occurs at least twenty-five times in the New Testament: God’s judgment on the last day will be a matter of degrees.
Source: The Sending of the Disciples (Ligonier)
Every person will face a last judgment, and this judgment will be based on the degree of their sin and obedience.
There will be a last judgment, and every one of us will have to appear at that last judgment. We also need to see from this text a principle that occurs at least twenty-five times in the New Testament: God’s judgment on the last day will be a matter of degrees.
Source: The Sending of the Disciples (Ligonier)
Contemplating the reality of hell is uncomfortable because it is a place no one desires to visit or send loved ones to.
Any contemplation of the reality of hell necessarily makes us uncomfortable, not only because it is a place we hope never to visit or to abide, but also because it is a place that we desire none whom we love or know would ever go.
Source: The Mission of the Seventy-Two (Ligonier)
Sin is not uniform in its severity, and there are different levels of judgment based on the light received.
No, no, no—Jesus never said that all sins are equal. Some sins are far more egregious than others. All sin is serious, of course.
Source: The Mission of the Seventy-Two (Ligonier)
God wrote names in the Book of Life in eternity, before any person was born or performed any actions.
God only wrote in that book once, and He did it in eternity before you were born, before you did anything good or evil.
Source: The Mission of the Seventy-Two (Ligonier)
Sproul believes that Scripture teaches that most people who have ever lived are destined for hell, not heaven.
It seems to me that the Scripture is overwhelming in its teaching to the contrary, namely that most people who have ever lived are either now, or soon will be, in hell forever.
Source: The Narrow Way (Ligonier)
The speaker describes the state of people in hell as being engaged in either uncontrollable sobbing or gnashing their teeth.
People who are in hell are engaged either in one of two things: they are either sobbing uncontrollably forever, or they are gnashing their teeth.
Source: The Narrow Way (Ligonier)
On the day of judgment, all truth will be revealed, and every lie and falsehood will be destroyed.
So, the good news is that, in that grand epiphany, the truth will be demonstrated to be the truth once and for all, and every lie and falsehood will be destroyed.
Source: The Parable of the Revealed Light (Ligonier)
A god who is truly loving will not never punish sin, and a god who is the judge of heaven and earth must judge.
Ladies and gentlemen, a god who is a god of love and never punishes sin would not be loving. A god who is the judge of heaven and earth but never judges would not be a good judge.
Source: Paul at Cyprus (Ligonier)
The longer God delays judgment, the more arrogant people become, leading them to disregard the notion of judgment.
His longsuffering is designed to give us an opportunity to take advantage of the grace given in Christ, but what happens according to the Scriptures is that the longer God delays, the more arrogant we become, the bolder we are in our defiance against Him, and the more we get rid of any notion of judgment, saying, “Our god is a god of love.”
Source: Paul at Cyprus (Ligonier)
Resisting full commitment to Christ results in accumulating wrath against the day of judgment.
Every moment that we resist the full commitment of our hearts to Him, the same Apostle who spoke to this false prophet says that we are heaping up wrath, piling it up, treasuring it up, making a new deposit every day against the day of wrath.
Source: Paul at Cyprus (Ligonier)
The parable Jesus gave is extremely important because it concerns our eternal destinies.
This text contains a brief parable from the lips of Jesus, filled with information that concerns our eternal destinies. We would be ill-advised to take this parable lightly.
Source: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Ligonier)
The fundamental problem for humanity is how an unjust person can stand before a perfectly just God at the last judgment.
The ultimate difficulty that any human being will encounter is this: How can an unjust person stand in the presence of a just God at the last judgment?
Source: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Ligonier)
Sin, along with deceit, death, and sickness, will not exist in heaven.
one thing we know will not be in heaven is sin. Everything that profanes human relationships will be gone: no sin, no deceit, no death, no sickness, no sorrow.
Source: The Resurrection & David's Son (Ligonier)
Life in heaven will be infinitely better than current life, offering only gain and losing nothing of substance.
In one sense, I must leave it at that point, simply saying that this we know for sure: when we enter heaven, we will lose nothing of substance or value. What we will experience is only gain.
Source: The Resurrection & David's Son (Ligonier)
Many people affirm belief in heaven but deny belief in hell, which the speaker finds strange.
Most of these people, both in the church and outside of the church, asserted their belief in the existence and reality of heaven. Yet, at the same time, most of those polled both in and out of the church denied the existence and reality of hell.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
The reality of hell is a non-optional affirmation for any Christian.
If you are a Christian, the affirmation of the reality of hell is simply not optional.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
God's mercy is not infinite in the sense of having no boundaries; its boundary is the end of a person's life.
God is infinite, and insofar as He is an infinite being who has mercy, you might say His mercy is infinite. But if you mean that it has no boundaries, you have not read the Bible, because there is a boundary to the mercy of God: the end of your life.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
Hell is characterized by an unbridgeable and permanent chasm between it and heaven.
Our Lord was telling us that there is an unbridgeable chasm between heaven and hell; a chasm so wide you cannot go around it and so deep you cannot go under it.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
The historical record of God's revelation, including Moses and the prophets, is sufficient for humanity to escape eternal punishment.
Don’t they have Moses and the prophets? Hasn’t God given them all the information they will ever need to escape this place?
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
Believing in the reality of hell makes a significant difference in one's concern for the spiritual future of others.
If there is a hell, and there is, it makes all the difference in the world for you, for everyone you know, and for everyone you love.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
On judgment day, nobody will claim that they worked perfection in their lives.
No, on the judgment day everybody is silent. Nobody will claim that they worked perfection in their lives.
Source: The Rich Young Ruler (Ligonier)
Biblical history provides examples of God's patience running out, such as the flood and the final judgment.
God made a comment right before the flood, in Genesis 6:3, when He saw that the earth was completely corrupt: “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not strive with man forever.’”
Source: The Sending of the Twelve (Ligonier)
The judge in a courtroom is the person who sits on the bench and remains seated throughout the trial.
The presiding judge sits on the bench, and he remains seated throughout the trial.
Source: Stephen on Trial (Ligonier)
Denying Christ publicly will result in a severe judgment before the angels.
Jesus said, “But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
Source: The Unforgivable Sin (Ligonier)
Many judges today lack regard for God and human life, citing historical examples like the Dred Scott decision and Roe v. Wade.
We have judges throughout America today who have no regard for God and even less for human life. Pick up the paper and you will see examples. Think of the judges who have risen in the system of justice to the highest level of the court, to those wearing the robes of Supreme Court Justices. In America’s national history, in the year 1857, the highest judges in the land reached a verdict in the Dred Scott decision that said slaves were not persons under the Constitution and were to be treated as mere personal property of their owners.
Source: The Unjust Judge (Ligonier)
It is possible for a person at the last moment of life to repent sufficiently, believe, and be justified and enter into the benefits of the kingdom of heaven.
Certainly, it’s possible for a person at the last moment of their life to repent sufficiently, believe, and be justified and enter into all of the benefits of membership of the kingdom of heaven.
The speaker argues that the concept of eternal damnation is problematic because finite time is insufficient to satisfy the infinite justice required for a crime committed against an infinitely perfect God.
Because eternity is not long enough to satisfy the heinousness of the crime that I have committed against my Creator and against my God who is infinitely perfect in every way. And so my guilt remains eternal. So again, it’s not enough. That’s the big problem: how can an eternal punishment in hell be enough to balance the scales of justice?
Source: Is eternal punishment in hell fair? (Ligonier Q&A)
The biblical term 'heaven' can refer to the physical sky, the dwelling place of God, or the complete renovation of the cosmos.
Many times when the Bible uses the term ouranos , which is a Greek word for “heaven,” it simply refers to the sky. It is also used to describe the dwelling place of God, and that’s a more specific and exalted view of the term heaven . Now, when we’re talking in Revelation about the new heaven and the new earth, it means that the whole cosmos is going to go through this redemptive process of renovation.
Source: Since heaven is perfect, why do we need the new heavens and new earth? (Ligonier Q&A)
The unforgivable sin can be committed during one's lifetime, rather than being reserved only for the day of judgment.
I’m more with the Puritans. I think that to sin against the Holy Spirit—and therefore to commit the unforgivable sin—is something one can commit during the course of one’s life rather than pushing it to the very end on the day of judgment.
Source: What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? (Ligonier Q&A)