15. The Final Judgment

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead - those who died without accepting Christ’s salvation - will be raised and judged according to the way they lived. Anyone whose name in not found written in the Book of Life (the recorded list of people who received Christ’s forgiveness), together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be sent to everlasting punishment in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone (sulfur), which is the second death (Mathew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8).

Importance of this Doctrine:

God is a God of love. But he is also a just God. He can not allow sin and wickedness to go unpunished. One false teaching suggests that all people, whether righteous or wicked, will eventually be saved. But it is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. This doctrine is important because it reminds all humans that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), that there is a judgment of everlasting punishment waiting the devil, his cohorts, and all people who have not accepted God’s gracious provision of salvation.

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