THE "Standard" defines the term to mean: "The doctrine that there will be an opportunity for faith and repentance and salvation after death."
Is this true?—Yes, and No.
"Probation" is not a Bible term. It literally means proving. "Probate" means proof. The word is used in the sense of trial. In one church new converts are placed on probation for six months before they become full members.
The salvation of each soul depends on two persons—God and himself. Of the first it can be said that God is ever the same: "God is love;" "I am Jehovah; I change not." "With whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." "His mercy endureth forever." What He does, is doing, or has done, for sinful, responsible creatures in one age or time, He will do in every age and clime. He paid the highest price possible for the redemption of angels and men; He will use every means to save them possible and consistent with justice, love, and mercy. He saves but from sin. To save from eternal death He must save from sin; for all evils are of sin's fruitage.
But God will not save men against their choice. He will do all He can to influence them to yield to infinite love, justice, and mercy, but He will not compel. Awful as it is, sad as it is, to Infinite Love, still men must have their choice.
To every soul He comes. He "lighteth every man that cometh into the world." "The eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him;" and He pledged all Heaven in behalf of the trusting ones when He gave His only-begotten Son. Thus much for God's part.
Man is himself a sinner, a slave to sin, absolutely, utterly helpless in himself to save himself. The very desire to come to Christ for salvation, is dependent upon Infinite Love. "No man," says Jesus, "can come to Me, except the Father that sent Me draw him." John 6:44. Again, "Apart from Me ye can do nothing." John 15:5. "That ye were at that time [when in sin] separate from Christ, . . . having no hope and without God in the world." Eph. 2:12.
But our Lord again tells us that the great fact of His lifting up will "draw all men" unto Him. John 12:32. The soul that looks to the Lifted-up One shall live. The heart that heeds His voice shall be made whole. He who believes shall have eternal life. John 3:14-16. But if, despite God's call, despite the evidences of His love, His righteousness, His just demands, man chooses his own way, his own sin, he will finally so dull his ears and blind his eyes and harden his heart that he can not hear or see or feel God's demands or his own duty. In God's sight the man who does this has proved himself; his probation is ended. The Holy Spirit leaves him. The Father's love ceases to draw him. Through fear and habit and love of gain he may preserve a respectable exterior to the end, but God, the true God, is not in all his thoughts.
Yet he may claim to be a part of God. Turning from the conditions of sonship revealed in the Word, he may claim to be a son, and to have within himself the Divinity and all the potencies of eternal salvation, as our New Thought friends, our Spiritistic, our Theistic Evolutionists, claim. Yet it is wholly the worship of self, the worship of man; and God can not reach the self-deceived soul.
There comes a time when God has fully given mankind every opportunity for salvation. Not to all in the same way, but to each consistent with capacity, condition, environment, and light. In the last generation the voice of His everlasting Gospel reaches to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Rev. 14:6, 7. Its loud voice of entreaty and warning reaches every soul in the darkness of the world and the gloom of Babylon. Its augmented light floods the world. Rev. 18:1-4. "Multitudes, multitudes," the prophet sees, "in the valley of decision; for the great day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14.
Finally, the work of the messengers closes. Every soul has at last identified himself with righteousness or sin, and the awful statement of fact goes forth that every soul has had his choice, which is, in the nature of the case, final: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly." Rev. 22:11, 12. All have had their choice, and eternal wisdom is vindicated in all its plans.
But the inhabitants of other worlds, the righteous of this world, must have another object lesson. It must be demonstrated—for so the wisdom of God reveals—that man left to himself will do evil and only evil, even to fighting against God, and seeking to overthrow the Government of Heaven.
Therefore, for the benefit of all the eternities to come, God gives the wicked a new probation in themselves, that they may demonstrate that man left to himself is "like the beasts that perish;" that his cherished theories of self-salvation are utterly foundationless, broken reeds piercing his side, and that God is just. He has no desire for true repentance, no love for righteousness and truth, no harmony with God. During the "little season" following the resurrection of the wicked, after the 1,000 years, the selfish hearts are utterly deceived by the prince of darkness and selfishness, and are led by him to fight against Eternal Goodness, the only power which can preserve the universe. Thus is Truth demonstrated to be worthy to live forever, and Error demonstrated to be worthy only to be swept out of existence.
"Truth crushed to earth will rise again,
The eternal years of God are hers,
But error, wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies amid his worshipers."
Seeing all this, the redeemed host raise harmonious song, "Allelujah; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
"Great and marvelous are Thy works,
Lord God Almighty;
Just and true are Thy ways,
Thou King of saints.
Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord,
And glorify Thy name?
For Thou only art holy;
For all nations shall come and worship before Thee;
For Thy judgments are made manifest."