This message, entitled “Not Eternal Perdition, but Dispensational Punishment,” is necessary that we might have a basic foundation in the Lord’s recovery. The term dispensational punishment is not likely to be found in other Christian books or messages, for it is a new term in the Lord’s recovery. This term is necessary because many Christians have confused the matter of dispensational punishment with eternal perdition. According to the New Testament, these are clearly two separate things, having nothing to do with one another. Eternal perdition is for unbelievers, whereas dispensational punishment is for believers. A great deal of trouble has been caused by mixing together these two things.
In today’s Christianity, there are two main schools of theology regarding salvation. One school says that salvation is eternal. According to this school, once we have been saved, we are saved eternally, regardless what we do after we are saved. Salvation can never be lost. The second school claims that if we are not careful after being saved, we might be lost again. Most of the so-called holiness churches belong to this school, believing that a person may be saved and lost again and again. Because their salvation goes up and down like an elevator, we may call this concept of salvation “elevator salvation.” Once, when I was less than thirty years of age, a preacher came to our town saying that we could be saved in the morning and lost again that night, and then by repenting and confessing our sins we could be saved again the next morning. When I heard about this, I boldly told the saints in that town that this was nonsense and that our God would never give us such a salvation.
Apparently those who preach and teach “elevator salvation” have some ground in the Bible; actually they do not. They are like those who see the letter C and, having poor eyesight, mistake it for a G. They make a big mistake in interpreting certain passages in the Bible. They use all the verses which speak of dispensational punishment to support their belief that a saved person can be lost again. Those who follow this school of theology never have any assurance. If, as far as salvation is concerned, they are up when they die, they will be saved forever. But if they are down, they will be lost eternally. What kind of gospel is this? It is terrible!
However, it is also wrong to teach that no matter what you do after you have been saved there will be no problem and you will continue to be saved. According to this teaching, as long as we have the assurance of being saved for eternity, it is all right. We need to be unloaded and drop the teaching of both these theological schools and see what the pure Word of God says concerning this matter.
God’s salvation is eternal. Once we have received it, it is secured eternally. This is proved by eleven things.
God’s eternal salvation is secured by the will of God. Ephesians 1:5 says that we have been predestinated according to God’s will, and John 6:39 tells us that the Father’s will is that none of those whom He has given the Son should be lost. This is the will of God concerning our salvation. God’s will is more steady and stable than a rock. Although heaven and earth may be removed, God’s will remains forever. It does not go up and down like an elevator.
God’s salvation is secured by the selection and calling of God. He has chosen us, selected us, before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). It is not we who selected Him but He who selected us (John 15:16), and His selection is not of our works but of Himself who calls (Rom. 9:11). He has not only predestinated us but also called us (Rom. 8:30), not according to our works but according to His own purpose (2 Tim. 1:9). His calling is irrevocable. He will never repent of it nor regret having called us. His selection and calling have nothing to do with our works; our works can never affect them, for they are unchangeable. Both God’s selection and calling, being initiated by Him, not by us, are the security of our salvation.
The salvation we have received of God is also secured by His love and grace. It is not we who loved Him, but He who loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Nothing whatsoever shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). We are changeable, but the love of God is unchangeable. Furthermore, God has not saved us according to our works, but according to His grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9). Our works may often fail, but God’s grace never fails. Our salvation is secured not by our works but by God’s prevailing grace which comes out of His unchanging love.
God’s eternal salvation is secured by the righteousness of God which is revealed to faith (Rom. 1:16-17). For the showing forth of His righteousness, God must justify us, and He has justified us who believe in the Lord Jesus (Rom. 3:26). It is the righteous God who has justified us (Rom. 8:33). His righteousness is the foundation of His throne (Psa. 89:14, Heb.). His throne is established forever and nothing can shake it. Our salvation, being secured by God’s righteousness, is as unshakable as God’s throne.
Our salvation is secured by the covenant of God. God has saved us by His new covenant (Heb. 8:8-13). It has definitely been covenanted that He has written the law of life within us and that He will never remember our sins. As the faithful God, He will never break His covenant (Psa. 89:34). Not only His righteousness but also His faithfulness binds Him. Hence, His covenant with His faithfulness is a security of our salvation.
The security of God’s eternal salvation is also by the power of God. The Lord Jesus said that His Father is greater than all, and that no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29). God the Father is more powerful than anything. He has a mighty arm, and strong is His hand (Psa. 89:13). No one can pluck us out of His hand.
Our salvation is eternally secured by the life of God. The Lord said, “I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish forever” (John 10:28, Recovery Version). Do you believe that the eternal life can be recalled once it has been given to us? To say that once we are saved we can be lost again means that the eternal life which has been given to us would be called back. This is altogether illogical. Once we have the eternal life, we shall never perish.
Our salvation is secured by God Himself. God has chosen, predestinated, called, justified, cleansed, and saved us. With Him there is no shadow of change (James 1:17); He is unchangeable (Mal. 3:6). After doing so much for us that we might be saved, do you think that God would change in this matter? Can our condition or situation affect God’s nature? Can it change God’s doing? No, it is impossible. Our salvation is secured by the unchangeable God Himself.
Our salvation is secured by the redemption of Christ. Christ has died for us (Rom. 8:34), and the redemption accomplished by His death is an eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12). By offering Himself once to God He has perfected us forever (Heb. 10:14), and His eternal redemption issues in our eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9). Thus, He is able to save us to the uttermost, not only in extent but also in time (Heb. 7:25).
Our eternal salvation is also secured by the power of Christ. In John 10:28 and 29 the Lord assures us that not only the Father’s hand but also His hand will keep us from perishing. The Father is strong, and He is powerful. No one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand, nor out of His hand. We are secured by two divine hands, the Father’s hand of love and the Son’s hand of grace, both of which are powerful to keep.
Finally, our salvation is secured by the promise of Christ. The Lord Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and him that comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, Recovery Version). Here we see that the Lord promised that He would never reject or forsake anyone who came to Him. All these verses are very clear and unambiguous, giving a solid foundation for the security of our salvation. Nothing can annul these clear verses. Thus, all God’s children may have the proper faith to believe that His salvation is eternal.
Those who believe that a saved person can lose his salvation appeal to such verses as Hebrews 10:29, which says, “By how much do you think he shall be thought worthy of worse punishment who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” We must deal with this verse very carefully. It speaks of a saved person, for it mentions one who has been sanctified by the blood of Christ. Yet such a one may be worthy of worse punishment because he has trampled under foot the Son of God, regarded the precious blood of Christ as common, and insulted the Spirit of grace. Undoubtedly, the Spirit of grace was working graciously in him, but he did not listen to it.
In order to understand this verse, we must consider the context beginning with verse 25, which speaks of “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom with some is.” As we have seen, for the Hebrew believers to forsake the assembling of themselves together meant that they were forsaking the church to return to Judaism to offer the animal sacrifices again. Then verse 26 speaks of sinning willfully “after receiving the full knowledge of the truth.” As we pointed out in the last message, truth here refers to the things disclosed in the foregoing chapters and verses, which afforded the Hebrew believers the full knowledge that God had annulled the old covenant and established the new. If after receiving this knowledge, they still went back to offer the sacrifices for sin, they would have been sinning willfully. They knew that, according to God’s economy, there no longer remained a sacrifice for sin because all the sacrifices had been terminated by the unique sacrifice of Christ. By considering verse 29 in its context, we see that it refers to a truly saved person. All the Hebrew Christians were saved, but they were in danger of forsaking the Christian assembly, that is, forsaking the church, and returning to Judaism. If they had done this, they would have been worthy of some punishment. Although this verse indicates that a saved person may be punished, it does not mean, as those who follow the second school misinterpret it, that a saved person can be lost. It certainly does not refer to eternal perdition but to a type of punishment of believers.
The “worse punishment” in 10:29 is different from suffering the second death (Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8). To suffer the second death is to perish in the lake of fire for eternity, that is, to suffer eternal perdition. This is most terrible. Some argue that there is no such thing as eternal perdition, saying that God is love and could not bear to have His creatures suffer in the lake of fire for eternity. But they seem to forget Revelation 14:10-11; 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; and 21:8. These verses tell us that the lost, the perished ones, will suffer in the lake of fire for eternity. God is God. When He loves, He truly loves. But when He is severe, He is surely severe. Since the unbelievers face such a terrible eternal perdition, they certainly need the gospel.
Although the believers cannot be lost, they may suffer some dispensational punishment for their failures (10:29). In these days we all have heard the call to come forward and not to shrink back. But suppose some would shrink back. They would not be lost, but they would be dealt with by God, undergoing some dispensational punishment. In the Bible dispensational punishment is called chastening, discipline, or chastisement. God’s punishment is His discipline. When parents punish their children, it does not mean that they permanently cast them away. Rather, parents discipline their children with a good intention. I know of one Christian couple who warned their children about their schoolwork. They told their children that everything had been prepared for them and that it was their responsibility to do well in school. If at the end of the school year they had earned A’s, they would receive a great reward, but if they failed, they would be put into a dark room for a day. This Christian couple kept their word. At the end of the year, the child who earned the A’s received a reward, while the one who failed received some punishment. One of the parents disciplined him, even shedding tears, saying, “Child, I love you, but I cannot help it. You must go to that room for the day and have nothing to eat.” They did not cast him away. That dark room was not even a temporary prison — it was a closet of love. The child’s parents displayed the best love for him, and the next semester he also received A’s in school. This is an illustration of dispensational punishment.
Our heavenly Father is loving and wise. Do you think that He will always allow us to fail? Certainly not. What then will He do if we fail? He will give us a loving discipline and put us in a dark room of love for a time. There, in the darkness, His children will be disciplined for their own good.
All sound fundamental Christian teachers of the Bible believe that God chastises His children. In Hebrews 12:5-11 we have a word of warning concerning us. Verses 5 and 6 say, “You have completely forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with sons, My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by Him; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines and scourges every son whom He receives.” This word mainly refers to God’s discipline in this age. Are you a son of God? If you are, then you may be scourged. Verse 7 says, “It is for discipline that you are enduring; God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom the father does not discipline?” When this book was written, the Hebrew believers were suffering chastisement. God was dealing with them as with sons. Although I have disciplined my own children, I have never disciplined the children on the street, because they are not my children and I have nothing to do with them. Verse 8 continues, “But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are bastards and not sons.” If we are without the Father’s discipline, then we must be bastards, not sons. I certainly would not want to be a bastard. “Furthermore, we have had the fathers of our flesh as discipliners and we respected them; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed disciplined us for a few days as it seemed good to them, but He for our profit that we might partake of His holiness” (vv. 9-10). Since holiness is God’s nature, to partake of God’s holiness is to partake of His nature. It was common, unholy, for the Hebrew believers to remain in Judaism. They needed to be separated to God’s new covenant that they might partake of God’s holy nature. For this purpose, persecution was aroused to discipline them that they might be separated from the common to the holy.
Although all the fundamental teachers of the Bible believe that God chastens His children, nearly all of them would say that His chastisement is only in this age, not in the coming age, claiming that God will never chastise us after we die. But I cannot find such a teaching in the Bible. Luke 12:45-48 reveals clearly that when the Lord Jesus returns, He will chastise His unfaithful servants. At the judgment seat of Christ, all the believers will be judged concerning how they have lived and what they have done after they were saved. Then the judgment will be made whether they will receive chastisement or not. This is similar to the end of the school year when the children present their parents a record of their grades, and the parents decide whether the children will receive a prize or a punishment. At the Lord’s coming back, we all will present our record to Him, and He will decide what we shall receive. God’s discipline is not only in this age but also in the coming age. As we have pointed out, the next age will still belong to the old heaven and the old earth. Thus, even the coming age of the kingdom will be a time for the Father to deal with His children.
What is mentioned in 10:27-31 as a warning does not refer to eternal perdition for the unbelievers but to God’s dispensational punishment of His children who do not obey His word. We must be assured that once we have God’s salvation, we shall never lose it. However, if we do not care for God’s word, we shall be punished. To be punished by God is not to be hated by Him. Rather, it is a sign that God the Father loves us. He disciplines whom He loves, not treating them as bastards but as dear sons. Surely the Father will discipline us.
How we must thank the Lord that He has opened His economy to us and that He has given us the warnings that we might go along with His economy! If we do not heed God’s warnings, we shall be punished. The time of our punishment is altogether up to Him, not us. It is the parents who determine what is the best time to deal with their children. They decide whether to deal with them immediately or to wait. Likewise, our Father knows the right time to deal with us, whether it is in this age or in the coming age. Luke 12:45-48; 19:22-26 Matthew 24:48-51; and 25:26-30 reveal clearly and definitely that when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will deal with His unfaithful servants.
By now we should be clear that the salvation which we have received from God is eternally secure. Nevertheless, we must be careful regarding our way of going on with God after we have been saved, especially after receiving the full knowledge of the truth as it has been given to us in these messages on Hebrews. If these messages do not help you to go on, then they will be unprofitable as far as your welfare is concerned. If we know the Lord’s will and yet do not do it, we shall be beaten more. But if we are ignorant of the Lord’s will and do not do it, we shall be beaten less. Luke 12:48 says, “He that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” If you do not have the heart to go on with the Lord, you are better off to be left ignorant. But we are no longer ignorant. May we all heed the warning to come forward and not to shrink back. May our prayer be, “Lord Jesus, help me to come forward.”
