O prevent
mistakes, we make the following definitive statement of our views
concerning those who live in what is called "Christendom." We have
no idea that any very large portion of them ever hears the Gospel as
it came from Christ and his apostles. They have heard a corrupted
message by professed teachers of the gospel; and multitudes of them,
for centuries, have had no means of determining what the pure gospel
is; and have been really in as great darkness, as to the character
of God, and His love to the world, as the darkest pagans now are, or
ever were. Who these persons are, in Christendom, God only can
certainly know. All such will yet hear the Gospel in its purity,
sometime and somehow. So we think.
But such as hear the Gospel as Christ gave it with the Holy Spirit,
and willfully reject it, "It shall not be forgiven them, neither in
this world, neither in the world to come;" they have had their final
trial, and "shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
them." - Mt 12:32, and Joh 3:36. Such, when once dead
will remain eternally dead. This is our idea of the
"non-resurrection of the wicked dead," with present light. Who have
thus sinned, God only can decide. This class have all sinned against
the Holy Spirit, and "die the death" that is "the wages of sin."
Men who have been deprived of the Good news of God’s love (not by
their own fault) will yet be made to hear it, by some means; which
will determine their final destiny. Those who improve this trial, of
God’s "abounding grace," will not be made "heirs of the kingdom;"
but will become subjects of Christ and His Bride, "the Church of the
First-born" from the dead; and if subject to Christ, of choice, will
be perpetuated in life by means of "the tree of life, the leaves of
which are for the healing of the nations." - Re 22:2. If they
reject the service of Christ, they will die for their own sin, and
live no more. There is but one sin known in the Gospel which
excludes men from life: that is, unbelief; or a rejection of God’s
message of love and life, attended by "the Holy Spirit sent down
from heaven." - 1Pe 1:13.
That the Gospel is corrupted and is not preached as Christ
commissioned His disciples to preach it, needs no other proof, in
these days, than the fact that very few are found who preach it
"with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven." This work is to be
revived in "the ages to come." - Eph 2:7.
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