In my last article, we discussed ways Kirk Cameron twisted O.T. passages and the writings of “church fathers” to bolster his growing belief in conditional immortality, or annihilationism, concerning the state of those who reject Christ.

It is apparent Cameron has had growing pains, concerning his move away from what the Bible declares concerning the conscious eternal torment of the lost, which is the most widely accepted and biblically tenable position on this topic.

Kirk Cameron believes he is correct concerning hell. He is, of course, dead wrong, which makes him dangerous. In his blog he spent a lot of time, twisting N.T. passages to make his argument. His wrong dividing of the New Testament scripture began in Matthew 10:28.

Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Cameron contends that the word “destroy” hints at annihilation. That interpretation is a stretch as far across as the gap of the Grand Canyon. The Greek word by which we get “destroy” is apollymi, which can mean to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: — destroy, die, lose, mar, perish. It certainly does not hint at annihilation, for the very nature of the word is of progression, immediate cessation.

This is why it is unwise to make a doctrine, such as concerning the fate of the wicked, from one passage. We must remember that scripture interprets scripture. Additionally, we must remember that the second death, is about being separated from God and His glory and His grace. When Adam and Eve were separated from God’s presence after being kicked out of the garden, they surely died, but that death was over a 900-year period.

When did they start to die? At the moment of their choice to disobey God. This is why it is important to remember that death, perishing and destruction, in an eternal sense are progressive events, which continue forever. The New Testament certainly backs this truth up.

Luke 12:4-5And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell (ghenna the lake of fire; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Mark 9:42-48 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

Revelation 14:9-11 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

It is plain, eternal punishment is Conscious Eternal Torment, not God annihilating the lost out of existence.

Let us examine some of Kirk Cameron and his son’s critiques of the Biblical doctrine of conscious eternal torment. The first of which is that conditional immortality is more inline with God’s mercy.

It is my opinion that this false precept is most egregious, as it forgets God’s greatest expression of mercy, which is the cross.

Let me be clear, in the cross we can see the love of God, the mercy of God, the justice of God and the wrath of God, greater than any other action of God in history.

God’s mercy is allowing humanity, all humanity, which is guilty before God, to consider His mercy in the cross. This mercy comes through repentance and faith in Christ shed blood, His death and resurrection. God chose to give all men mercy, in their lives, to reconcile themselves unto Him, through the death and resurrection of Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17-21).

God’s mercy is extended to those who choose it in this life. Those who do not, desire to live their lives for themselves, without God’s presence to lead guide and transform. Remember, it is appointed to man to die once and then comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). God’s mercy extends to all who are in Christ, throughout eternity, but His mercy ends when the lost die. No, annihilationism is not in line with God’s mercy, but perverts His justice.

Additionally, Cameron’s son brought up an illustration concerning how unfair eternal punishment seems to be considering a little old Granny, who didn’t follow Jesus, but has to burn forever in an eternal BBQ.

As stated by his son, her only crime would be not following Christ, although she did right by her neighbors and never did anything that bad. Is it not bad enough to reject the Christ, who literally had her sin and that of the world, written by torture into His body on the tree, as he is our indictment (Colossians 2:13-15)

This kind of thinking is not unbiblical and foolish it is also mocking God’s justice. It is as if Kirk and his son have never read the word of God. In referencing a little only lady, who wasn’t that bad, we must consider if God judges by that which wasn’t that bad, or in a much more just way.

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

There is only one Person who kept the law perfectly… Jesus. He is the standard of judgment. This is why Romans declares…

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The problem with Cameron’s musing is that the measure of what is good, righteous or worthy of heaven is the life of Christ, not the wisdom of man. Little old Granny will never meet the measure of Christ, therefore she needs to believe in Christ for mercy, and receive it through repentance and faith, where she takes Him as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10).

The Cameron’s are playing a dangerous game of who deserves God’s wrath, based on an amount of good or bad. This is a human way of thinking where we judge a person’s life as relatively good or bad, in comparison to Hitler or Stalin.

This leads to us musing on a degree of punishment, foolishly, based on whether one is Hitler or a little old Granny. All of that is hogwash as the cross equalizes the measure for all. That measure is Christ, which none can measure. Hence the mercy of god in the cross of Jesus Christ.

If people reject God’s mercy in this life, they will by their own choice suffer eternal punishment, which is to be separated from God’s Presence and glory forever, whether the bible deems it outer darkness, hell fire, the lake of fire, the second death, or conscious eternal torment.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must all hold that all men are without excuse, and deserving of God’s eternal wrath and punishment (Romans 1:18-31). To characterize that as God’s eternal BBQ”, is to slander God’s character and means of justly dealing with lost humanity.

My prayer is that Kirk Cameron, stops having growing pains concerning the biblical understanding of conscious eternal torment.

My prayer is that you will consider with me today, how merciful God is to rescue us from that which all humanity deserves, apart from Christ, which is to die eternally separated from God. That horrific reality, should be the basis of overflowing love and joy toward our Father, and fuel to call others to repent to avoid God’s righteous and eternal judgment.

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in my Savior’s blood

DIed He for me, and I caused His pain

It was for me He went to death to pursue