The Apostle Paul writes, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21).

The Apostle Peter encourages us to be like Jesus, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself unto him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). (See also 1 Corinthians 4:12-13)

How is it Possible to Live the Way of Peace?

Determination alone is not enough to live the principle of peace and nonresistance. It is an inborn experience of conversion to Jesus Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When Christ dwells in the heart, we experience the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). The disciple of Christ will endeavor to practice peace in every area of life. There is power to live it because the Prince of Peace Himself dwells within the heart.

In the Home

Peace is a fruit of true love, and the home is an important place to practice the way of peace. Husbands and wives need open communication. Gracious understanding and daily forgiveness will help resolve differences. Children find security as parents submit to God and His order of love in the home. Children learn by example the grace of sharing and submission, and consistent child nurture will promote a peaceful home atmosphere. Instead of quarrelling, pouting, or being silently resistant, each family member should practice peace. (Matthew 5:9, Ephesians 4:31-32)

For those who find themselves in marriage difficulties, there is hope in the way of peace. Direction can be found in the Word of God and in consultation with a faithful Christian pastor or counselor. The power of prayer and resignation to God will work miracles. Troubled marriages can be revived and flourish by God's grace.

In the Community

A Christian will be open, reasonable, and kind regardless of his neighbor's attitude. Disputes can be resolved many times through surrender and peaceful negotiation. There are many opportunities to practice the way of peace in our business relationships. Financial discrepancies are often a cause of disagreements. A Christian places his faith in God and is willing to suffer loss in order to maintain peace. As an employee, he does not go on strike or participate in labor unions because of their forceful nature. Instead of using the law to force payment, the Christian will either work out a peaceful resolution or forgive the debt.

When a Christian faces a dispute, an unselfish, peaceable attitude often brings about a settlement. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Sometimes a Christian is served notice of a lawsuit even though every effort has been made to resolve the issue. Even if the Christian must unfairly suffer loss, a loving attitude will usually give a clear testimony to all. Although it is sometimes necessary to obtain legal counsel, a peaceable Christian will not retain an attorney to enforce justice.

In Issues of Abuse

Individuals can be physically or emotionally abused by those around them. Innocent children become victims of physical or sexual abuse. Relationships can be severely damaged by verbal abuse. The shame and emotional hurt often go unnoticed or are ignored by those around them, and the victim feels powerless to seek help and healing.

Jesus Himself suffered verbal and physical abuse. He willingly forgave, committing Himself to God. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus taught us to love and pray for those who despitefully use us. The Psalmist encourages reliance upon God when he says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Those who are abused and acknowledge their damage and pain can come to forgiveness and rest by looking in hope to the Saviour. Committing oneself to God is important and necessary. Reaching out to someone who is trusted and understanding can also be very helpful. With God, there is hope of restoration and recovery.

In Matters of Church and State

The Bible teaches the separation of church and state as well as the doctrine of nonresistance. The Christian belongs to a spiritual kingdom and ministers to the needs of mankind. It is the responsibility of the state to maintain law and order in society. (John 18:36) The Christian is nonresistant and cannot take part in warfare in any form, nor can he support the cause of war. He does not seek public office, vote in political elections, or serve on a jury. Rather, he will seek to contribute to the cause of peace and alleviate suffering in the world around him. This attitude is not one of disloyalty or disrespect to our country. We are to respect and honor those in authority, willingly pay taxes, and obey the laws of the land inasmuch as they do not conflict with the Word of God. (Romans 13:1-7)

In the Church Brotherhood

When the lamb-like Spirit of Christ prevails in the brotherhood, there is…

• forgiveness rather than holding a grudge.
• a word that ministers kindness to the hearer rather than gossip and evil speaking.
• mutual support and care rather than jealousy and envy.
• edifying discussion rather than heated arguments.
• charity and peacemaking rather than hatred and backbiting.
• reconciliation and restoration rather than divisions and schisms.

The beautiful blessing in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 sums it all up: “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”

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Predestination or Choice?

Some teach that God has predetermined everything that happens. According to this doctrine, some people are predestined to eternal life and others to eternal death. Their eternal destiny does not depend on their own faith or personal choices, but on God’s choice for them. Some even believe that once a sinner is born again, it is impossible for Satan to lead him back into sin. They also teach that the new birth proves one is predestined for heaven and is unconditionally and eternally secure.

The Bible teaches that Adam and Eve were given a clear command. They chose to disobey, and therefore they were punished. Throughout the scripture, man is taught that he is responsible to choose between right and wrong, life and death. Moses exhorted the Hebrews, “Therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Joshua said, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Undoubtedly, Adam and Eve could have chosen to obey, and you and I can also choose. If we choose God’s will for our lives, He will save us and bless us. If we choose the way of sin, we will be punished (Romans 6:23).

God Wants Everyone to Be Saved

A primary principle taught in the Word of God is this: It is the will of God that all men should be saved. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). “But is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We must conclude that those who will perish in hell were not preselected for hell, but chose not to repent and believe.

God loved the world so much that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The atonement clearly is not only for a chosen few but is for everyone. Therefore we rejoice, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).

Salvation Is Conditional

Peter, after giving a unique formula for spiritual growth, invites believers to accept “exceeding great and precious promises” and to add to their lives various Christian qualities. Then he tells believers: “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). That little word if, used so often in Scripture, indicates that salvation is conditional on one’s faithfulness. Jesus says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

What did Jesus mean when He said, “No man is able to pluck them [my sheep] out of my Father’s hand”? See John 10:27-29. Examining this scripture, we note two requirements if the sheep want to claim the Father’s keeping. They must “hear his voice,” and they must “follow” Him in obedience. No other person or power will be allowed to pluck the believer from Christ’s safekeeping. However, if a sheep, of his own choice, neglects to hear and obey the Shepherd, he will soon stray from the Shepherd’s side.

A sinner who responds to the call to salvation and is saved, must follow Christ thereafter. Jesus instructed his disciples to teach baptized believers to “observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). He was concerned that they would “follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21) to remain saved. That is a condition of our salvation.

Backsliding Is Possible

In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus teaches that a believer who sins and resists correction will lose his salvation. This passage gives directions to the church for dealing with disobedient members. The same thought is repeated in Jesus’s discourse on the vine and the branches. “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). Here Jesus plainly describes one who was a branch (a believer) on the vine but did not continue in his doctrine. He perished!

In 2 Peter chapter 2, the apostle writes about people “which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray” (verse 15). It is very clear that he is speaking of erring believers and of God’s judgment on their backsliding. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (vv. 20-21).

The teaching of unconditional eternal security is incompatible with the doctrine of church discipline as taught by Christ and the apostles.

There Are Reasons for Biblical Warnings

Jesus often cautioned his disciples to be on guard: “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38). See 1 Peter 5:8, Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:35-37, Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:11, 1 Corinthians 10:12. “Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). Paul writes about the need for disciplining his own life and gave this reason: “Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Scriptural Examples of Backsliders

Scripture relates examples of people who once were Christian believers but became unfaithful.

Of Judas Iscariot, Jesus says, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). Some may say he was never converted. Would Jesus have given Judas the apostleship if he were unsaved? Would He have sent him out to preach, heal, and cast out devils? This is not reasonable. Peter said of Judas: “For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry... from which Judas by transgression fell” (Acts 1:17, 25). Could he have fallen if he had not been saved?

The book of Revelation records the Lord’s messages to the seven churches in Asia and asks those at fault to repent. If they did not repent, the Lord said their names would be blotted out of the Book of Life. For example, the leader at Ephesus, received many commendations, yet he had left his first love. The message continues: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5). The message to each of the seven churches ended with a promise to the one “that overcometh.” Satan’s tactics are such that believers must be continually watchful lest they fall. Only by the grace of God and his Spirit within will we be overcomers.

Who Is Predestinated for Heaven?

Much of Romans chapter 8 is devoted to the topic of “Life in the Spirit.” It soon becomes evident that in order to be saved we must walk after the Spirit (v.1), be spiritually minded (v.6), and not live after the flesh (v.l3). Such holy living is essential to salvation. God calls everyone to salvation. Therefore, no one is destined to be lost. God does, of course, see the future but the foreknowledge of God does not affect in any way man’s power of choice or his need to choose rightly in this life. This element of God’s foreknowledge is the basis for what Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4-12. Another beautiful truth is revealed in these verses. For those who will choose God and his way, the Father has made full preparation for their journey to heaven. He accepts them as his own (v.6), gives forgiveness of sins and redemption (v.7), gives them wisdom and prudence (v.8), makes known to them his will and purpose for their lives (v.9), promises to gather them together (v.10), and provides for them an inheritance as children of his family (v.11). The Father has made every needed preparation, and in this sense, has “predestined” them to glory. If the believer fails to reach the goal, it will be he who has failed, not the Father.

Suppose that a beloved friend from a distance invited us to visit him. Knowing we did not have the means to pay for the trip, he sent us a good supply of money with which we could begin our journey, and also told us of banks along our route where we could obtain more. He sent us a detailed map on which our route was highlighted. Included were many notes describing landmarks along the road, detours, road construction, places of particular danger, and places of special interest where we would delight to stop for refreshment.

Further, our friend’s instructions would tell us of places where we could buy good meals, and places of lodging where we could rest at night. Added to the invitation would be this postscript: “Here is my telephone number. If you get lost or have problems with your vehicle, just give me a call and I will send help for you. Please come as soon as you can.”

This is an example of what God has done and is doing for us. We are very secure as we follow his maps and use the resources He has provided. There is really no reason not to make it to our Father’s house. Like the illustration, however, we can choose a different road, decide we want to make some side trips, or choose to use the resources He has provided to pursue other pleasures or buy other things. In this way, we can choose to miss the goal. God has made a way for us to go to heaven, and the principles of the Bible teach us that faith in Christ and a life of holiness is the way to make this possible. God has done his best. Now we must do our part. He created us. He created heaven for us. Unfortunately, Satan is trying to spoil God’s plan. It is our duty to resist these evil forces, to commit our lives to Him, to heed the warnings in the Word, and to live holy lives. Then, having overcome the world, we can await his second coming with confidence.

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Its horrors cannot be comprehended. However, Scripture does provide some comparisons—a devouring fire, an unquenchable fire, outer darkness, everlasting punishment, torment, and a lake of fire.

Some may believe that these verses are symbolic of a burning conscience, a burning shame, and a burning memory that gnaws and consumes but never is quenched. Yet fire and burning are mentioned so frequently and forcefully in the Scriptures that we cannot ignore the fact of literal hell fire. The Bible states that there will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

On the Judgment Day the unsaved shall arise to “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29). In the resurrection the lost will be given an immortal body, one that feels and experiences constantly the sting of death but never dies.

Hell will be a place of remembering. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man opened his eyes in hell. In this place the doomed man was told, “Son, remember.” When God says, “Son, remember,” it will be impossible to forget. Like an avalanche, memories of all the opportunities for salvation, the chances for repentance, and the gift of grace neglected will overwhelm the lost. They will remember what they loved in life: wealth, fame, a good time, and themselves, but those very things will haunt them. On and on the memory reels, bringing up all the evil thoughts, the secret sins, and the lies. With the impossibility of forgetting comes the bitterest cry of remorse, “Had I only loved the Lord!”

Hell will be a place of guilt and shame. The prophet Daniel wrote, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). When the eternal sentence of guilt rings from the throne on the Judgment Day, it will descend like an immense weight upon the condemned, dragging them down into a burning sea.

Hell will be a place offering no rest. “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night” (Revelation 14:11). In our world, those in pain and suffering find moments of rest. Even the tortured have times of sleep or faint into welcome unconsciousness. Finally, death brings its relief, but in hell there will be no relief. The torment will be unleashed in unending torrents. The lost will cry out for relief, but none will be found. The lost will gnash their teeth forever as they toss and turn, searching endlessly for a moment of relief, but finding absolutely none (Matthew 22:13).

Hell will be a place of utter hopelessness. The desperation that comes from knowing that those who enter there have no ray of hope—no chance of ever leaving—will crush the lost. They will become a forgotten people in a forgotten place. When God turns away and rejects those souls, doom will be complete.

In hell there will be no mercy, no love, no acts of kindness, and no grace. Hate will reign supreme. The intense remorse and sorrow, the begging, and the pleading will be to no avail. No one will listen; no one will care.

Hell will be a place of total darkness. In the Bible it is referred to as the very “blackness of darkness” (Jude 13). With darkness comes fear, evil, the devil, demons, and death. Hell is all of these, and hell is forever.

Forever and forever—in ten million years—hell will have only begun. The torment and the weeping will continue, and yet the dying will live on eternally. Here our minds stop. And maybe they should, for hell was not prepared for God’s children. It was prepared for the devil and his angels.

Our Choice

The Bible is clear in stating that those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).

Today we are serving one of two masters. One, the heavenly Father, is loving and righteous. The other, Satan, is desperately evil. It is certain that the master we serve in time will be the one with whom we spend eternity. When the final judgment exposes our allegiance, on whose side will we stand?

God cannot save those who refuse to serve Him. However, He will be entirely fair and just. No one will go to hell undeservingly. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is calling us to choose his kingdom, to stand on his side. He is pleading to save us because He loves us.

Those who find themselves in hell will have, by their choices and pursuits in life, decided their fate. Will we hear, “I never knew you; depart from me forever,” or, “Come, ye blessed of my Father” (Matthew 25:34)?

The Way of Escape!

Jesus has made a way that we can escape the horrors of hell. He came to earth and died to pay for our sins. If we believe on Him and repent of our sins, our sins will be forgiven. He invites us to come to Him and He promises, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). COME TO JESUS TODAY!

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