46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
This verse ends Jesus description of Judgment day. If there is nothing else we can learn from this whole section it is this: not everyone is going to receive eternal life. This is a harsh reality. Some people are going to die in their sins. Some will reject the offer of salvation and receive in themselves the punishment for their own sins. This is a hard truth. There really is a hell. Punishment does await those who reject Christ. But the good news is that some won’t receive punishment. Jesus death on the Cross did pay for sin. Some get rescued from punishment. Not everyone is lost for eternity. God has provided a means by which we can be saved. Without God’s intervention in history, all are lost. If Jesus had not come, we would all be lost, facing an eternity apart from God. We would all be facing eternal punishment. But now Christ has come. There is the possibility of escape. What once was impossible has now become reality. And we can have eternal life. Do you know for sure that you do have eternal life?
The Arnold Journey 