Purgatory? "outer darkness"? Heaven or Hell ?

[ImOnStandby221]

chuck missler says much the same thing. according to him, "outer darkness" doesn't mean hell at all.

[CID03]

Yes I am quite certain of what the text says. I like to watch Charles Stanley on tv but this just blows my mind.:twitch

[IMSAVED]

I think I know what Dr.Charles Stanley is talking about.If you believe in OSAS even those who have asked God into their lives many years ago and are not living Godly lives now will still go to Heaven.Those people are getting into Heaven as a man who has just escaped a fire with only his shirt on his back. It will not be great for them in Heaven.

[sunshine2777]

It will not be great for them in Heaven.

That doesn't sound right at all. There are likely levels of pain and judgement for those in hell based upon their deeds (but any of it wont be pleasant). However, we will all have glorifed bodies, our sins have been attoned for and wiped away, we'll be in the presence of the Lord and the only judgement we have to deal w/ will be for our rewards.. and this likely anything we do here that will hold up under the test of truth and motivation, etc. The sins that people commit who get saved early on and then live a worldly life are the same sins you and I commit while we are trying to live as right as we can (which isn't very right). He died for them ALL. Their only sadness will be seeing the opportunities they squandered while here and had the chances. Yes, that can be extremely sad.. however, we will understand the justice of it all and will even more appreciate the cross and what HE did for us. Once this is all settled, life for everyone will be good. Including the backslidden ones.

[acceptedintheBeloved]

I like him too but this book of his really confused me as to his position. He also implies in the book that we will have to account for all of our sins we have committed as Christians at the Judgement Seat of Christ. So much for casting our sins as far as east is from west or remembering our sins no more. If this is true, I am gonna be at the Bema Seat a while because I have many to answer for.

Absolutely false.

There are several different "judgments" described in the Word of God (many folks [wrongly] blur them all together). The judgment which has within its context the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" and "outer darkness" phrases, takes place after the tribulation period, at the time of His Second Coming (note: the judgment takes place at that time).

On the other hand, the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) takes place (only for Church-age believers) after the rapture. It will be a judgment (or better, a "rewarding") of our "work" NOT a judgment of our "sin" (which was already judged on His Cross).

The "gold, silver, precious stones" are "lasting things" which are things accomplished by the Spirit, through our lives... while the "wood, hay, stubble" are the "worthless things" (things that do not last... "fluff"... even some seemingly "good" things), because they are things not accomplished by the Spirit, through our lives.

(Addressed to the Church) "So shall we ever be with the Lord" sounds like a marvelous truth, with nothing negative about it! :yeah
.

[Buzzardhut]

Sounds like another preacher trying to resort to Purgatory again. :doh
They need to re-study the basic doctrines on grace.

[I love Jesus]

I was wondering what the general opinion here is of Charles Stanley. I like to listen to him on television but I recently read his book, "Eternal Security". Stanley is a staunch advocate of Eternal Security which I am also, but in the later chapters of the book, he explained that Christians who don't live holy lives will be saved but will spend the millennium in "outer darkness." However, his outer darkness was not a place so much as a circle of influence in heaven. And his weeping and gnashing of teeth was not from pain and torment but from anguish and frustration for the lost rewards.

Doesn't sound like heaven to me. I was wondering what some of you thought about this.

Sounds like a weird version of purgatory. Clearly not biblical at all. It is so important that we continue to pray for wisdom and discernment in these last days.

[Mom2ten]

Sounds like another preacher trying to resort to Purgatory again. :doh
They need to re-study the basic doctrines on grace.

amen, amen and AMEN!!!!!!

[old_andy]

Our salvation, our justification is a one time event. By God's grace and the blood of Jesus we are saved. We can't earn it, we don't deserve it, we can't buy it.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Grace and grace alone!

Our working out of our salvation, our sanctification, is an ongoing process. We are all at different levels or stages of spiritual maturity. No matter how hard we try, how hard we work, how much we give up or sacrifice, it is not good enough before a holy, pure, and righteous God.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Any reward we receive at the Bema will be because of Jesus, not us. Because of Him!
Our holiness, righteousness, purity comes because of Him and who He is, not us.

Charles Stanley is wrong on this subject.

I just want to add, yes we should do our best to serve our Risen Lord! I am not saying we should do less. What I am saying is that any crown we receive is because of Him. He is the Giver of all good things.

[goodboy]

It’s kind of like the worst person in Heaven gets a Toyota and the best person gets a Bentley, but we are all quite happy with our cars that NEVER give us problems. No one is sad. Everyone is quite happy, but some are just happier than others. By the way, no one is jealous either. We will all be happy for others who receive more than we do and wouldn’t have it any other way! That’s how I see it anyway.

Goodboy