Nov 20
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Baptist Catechism 42
Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?
A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)
Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19–31
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been considering the blessings that will come to those who have faith in Christ at the moment of death and at the resurrection, when Christ returns to make all things new. Those questions and answers were very encouraging to the believer.
Q. 40. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26)
Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)
But in question 42 (which we are considering this evening), and in question 43 (which we will be considering on the next Lord’s Day), these blessings that will be enjoyed by all who are effectively called are contrasted with the awful destiny of those who die in their sins.
This evening we consider that “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” And next week we consider that “At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.”
These are unpleasant truths. But these are essential truths that must be proclaimed.
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Luke 16:19–31
There are other places that we could go in the scriptures to support what our catechism teaches, that “the souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell”, but the story that Jesus told concerning the eternal destinies of a certain rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus is sufficiently clear.
Most regard this story as a parable, and I am of that opinion. This means that we should not think of this story as being literally true, but a story which communicates truth generally. What does this story teach us about life after death?
First of all, that life on this earth is only a preparation for the life to come. What we do, or fail to do, here will have an impact on our life in eternity. In particular, Jesus is warning those who live lives of luxury and pleasure in the here and now and neglect the poor when they have it in their power to relieve their suffering. Injustices like these will be set right in the end.
Secondly, we learn that a man’s outward condition in the here and now is no indicator concerning his relationship to God and his eternal destiny. There are some who are rich who are right with God through faith in Christ. And there are some who are poor — even very poor and suffering — who are right with God. Evidently this man Lazarus was one of these. And indeed there are some who are poor who are wicked. And there are also those who are rich who are wicked. The rich man in this story fell into this category. A person’s outward condition in this world is no indicator concerning his relationship to God and his eternal destiny.
Thirdly, we learn that after we die we go either into the presence of God or are cast into the torments of hell. Lazarus, though he suffered on earth, passed into the blessed presence of God. He was received into Abraham’s bosom, if you will, because he shared the faith of Abraham. But the rich man went to Hades, that is, to the place of the dead, and was in torment.
Fourthly, notice that a great chasm or gap is fixed between these two realms so that after death no one is able to transfer from one realm to the other. Indeed, no relief is brought from the realm of paradise to the place of torment, though the rich man begs for it, ironically. It is at this point especially that the story takes on the flavor of a parable. Nowhere else do the scriptures suggest that those in hell will be able to converse with those in paradise. But the point is this, once we pass from this life to the next, things are fixed. The Roman doctrine of purgatory is a false doctrine, which gives men false hope.
Fifthly, the torment of hell is real torment. The rich man lived in luxury on earth, but after death he cried out to Abraham, saying, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” And when that request was denied he said, “‘Then I beg you, father, to send [Lazerus] to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
Sixthly, the thing that distinguishes between those destined for heaven or hell is repentance and faith in Christ. In response to the request of the rich man to send Lazarus back from the dead, “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Luke in his gospel emphasizes that Moses and the prophet testify concerning Jesus and urge repentance and faith in him. The rich man knew this would be the only thing that would keep his brothers from the torments of hell. They must turn from their sins and believe upon the Messiah.
Seventhly, this parable also teaches that effectually calling is needed. Again, Abraham replied, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Clearly, this proved to be true. Many persisted in unbelief after Jesus did in fact raise his friend named Lazarus from the dead. And many would persist in unbelief even after Christ himself was raised. What greater proof could be given that a man was from God than his ability to raise the dead and to be raised himself. And yet men and women in their hardness of heart persist in their unbelief to this present day, unless the Lord opens their eyes to make them see. This is effectual calling.
As I have said, these truths about hell are unpleasant truths, but they are essential truths that must be proclaimed.
They must be proclaimed for the scriptures clearly teach them. The scriptures speak often of the torments of hell and the judgments of God that await the wicked. Christ himself spoke of hell.
These truths must be proclaimed if we have love for our fellow man. If this is true that the wicked will be tormented in hell forever. If it is true that all are by nature sinners. And if it is true that our only hope for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal is faith in Christ, then we must warn those we love. We must urge them to turn from their sins and to believe upon Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
And these truths about hell must be proclaimed if those in Christ are to truly appreciate what they have been rescued from.
Brothers and sisters, do you believe in hell? If you do, it will affect the way that you live. You will live with a reverential fear of God. You will be eager to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ones you love. And you will have greater gratitude for the work that Christ has finished on your behalf. He has, among other things, rescued you from the torments of hell forever.
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Catechism Explained
Let us now very briefly consider our catechism.
Notice that question 42 asks, “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?”
Indeed, all are wicked, being born in sin and committing many sins of their own. But here our catechism is concerned with what happens to those who die in the guilt of their sins, and not in Christ. Those in Christ are no longer wicked but have been made clean through the blood of the Lamb. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to them and received by faith alone.
And the question asks, what happens to the wicked at death. In other words, when someone passes from this world in their sins, what do they experience?
Well, “their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” On that day their bodies will be raised and rejoined to their souls for judgment. But until then their bodies lie in their graves.
But our catechism is right to say that their souls are immediately “cast into the torments of hell”, just as the parable of Luke 16 describes.
Conclusion
Friends, are you in sin, or have you been made righteous through faith in Christ? Those who are righteous will go to glory. Those in sin will go to hell. Where will you go when you pass from this world?
And where will your loved ones go?
As I have said, talk of hell is unpleasant.
It should cause us to tremble at the thought of going there.
And it should cause us to mourn at the thought of those we love going there.
Above all, it should move us to pray, to proclaim Christ crucified and risen, and to urge men and women to be found in him, clothed in his righteousness.
Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?
A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)
