Verse by Verse Devotional on Philippians by Pastor Jack #187

Their End Is Destruction

3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

It is easy for us to treat the reality of hell lightly. Many Christians today have the idea that God was exaggerating when He spoke about hell in the Bible. One of my seminary professors used to say, “I think God gives hard exams, but grades easy.” In other words, God gives stern warnings and in this way sets high standards in the Bible, but on the last day He will be more merciful than the impression we get from what He said. In my opinion, this is an arrogant way to think. It is saying either that our ideas about God can be trusted more than His revelation of Himself or that the Biblical picture of God’s wrath conflicts with the picture of His mercy and that His mercy is the more accurate picture. Dear Christian friends, it is not right for us to think like this. The only way we have of accurately learning about God is through His book, which must be trusted as accurate and sound. If God says something that sounds severe, for instance, it is not our place to say, “God is speaking strongly here but He really doesn’t mean what He says.” It is not only arrogant to dismiss God’s words, it is also dangerous. If God says that anyone who loves His father or mother, son or daughter, or even his own life, more than he loves Christ he is not worthy to be a disciple (Matt.10:37-38), and if we dismiss that, saying, “Jesus is exaggerating, I know He will be merciful in the end!” then we endanger our very souls. Some folks base their assurance of salvation on their confidence that God will not be as strict as the Bible portrays Him.

This is one aspect of a modern evangelical mind set called “easy-believism.” And it is greasing the paths of many sliding into the pit of hell. Though it is generally thought of as a loving attitude (non-judgmental, non-narrow, etc.), it is in fact a Satanic deception that destroys. True, it promotes assurance of salvation, but it promotes it indiscriminately among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. And giving a man assurance of salvation when he is on his way to hell is the most unloving thing you can do. (I am confident that the number of folks who have assurance of salvation far exceeds the number who are actually saved.)

When God says “their end is destruction” He means “their end is destruction.” God doesn’t mean that He will give them a stern talk before He lets them into His heaven. It doesn’t mean that their earthly lives will be more unhappy. It means “their end is destruction.” It means they are going to hell when they die. Forever.

There are many comforting and reassuring things God says in His word. They must not be ignored or diminished. But they must also not be used to drown out God’s severe sayings. Both are there. Both are true. Both must me read and believed and remembered by God’s people. God’s word is not just helpful; it is true. All of it.

Loving Father, I praise You for Your great love, love that warns us to flee from the wrath to come. And I praise You for Your word: that it is trustworthy, that it tells us the truth about You and about ourselves. Please help me to have the mind of Christ. Please help my thinking to be guided not by my own ideas or by what I would like to be true, but solely on the basis of Your word. And where my thinking is apart from Your word, correct me, Lord, and show me Your truth.