Who Said That?
Thursday, March 30, 2006 at 05:58PM 
Who said that?
Where is this place represented by "outer darkness" in Jesus' parables? To be in outer darkness is to be in the kingdom of God but outside the circle of men and women whose faithfulness on this earth has earned them a special rank or position of authority (italics in original).
The "outer darkness" represents not so much an actual place as it does a sphere of influence and privilege. It is not a geographical area in a kingdom where certain men and women are consigned to stay. It is simply a figure of speech describing their low rank or status in God's kingdom. . . . Now, imagine standing before God and seeing all you have lived for reduced to ashes. How do you think you would feel? How do you think you would respond? Picture yourself watching saint after saint rewarded for faithfulness and service to the King--and all the time knowing that you had just as many opportunities but did nothing about them. . .
We do not know how long this time of rejoicing and sorrow will last. Those whose works are burned will not weep and gnash their teeth for all eternity. At some point, we know God will comfort those who have suffered loss.
As usual, google searches don't count! Answer to follow in a couple of days.
Kim Riddlebarger
Although many of you couldn't wait and did google searches--probably the same people who were able to sneak a peek at your Christmas presents without your parents knowing--the answer is . . . Charles Stanley.
In his book Eternal Security (pp. 120-130), Stanley is forced to explain what happens to those who walk the aisle, pray the prayer after the minister, and who are "saved" and therefore "eternally secure," but who then cease to believe.
Stanley rejects the Reformed doctrines of perseverance (the elect will persevere in faith and holiness until the end of their lives) and preservation (Christ's current priestly work will ensure that all his elect remain in the faith). Instead, Stanley replaces this with decisional regeneration--if I accept Jesus as "mypersonalLordandSavior" at any point in my life, I am born again and cannot be "unborn". And so Stanley must explain, therefore, why it is that someone who is regenerated by an act of their will, should do good works if they are "eternally secure."
The solution--we do good works to earn rewards! Those who don't have enough rewards must wait outside heaven and weep and gnash their teeth in a realm called "outer darkness" until God relents and lets them in.
This is nothing but a Protestant purgatory! Yuck! Amazing!
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