Chapter 14.13
Immortality
The Mystery – Body – Soul – Spirit - The
Wicked
Universal Resurrection? – Universal
Salvation?
First
Word
Wikipedia:
Immortality is the ability to live forever; have eternal life, immune
to death; deathlessness; endless existence... Immortality is the opposite of “Mortality”
or being subject to death.
The Nicene
Creed confesses that every dead person (whether
they believed in Christ or not) will
be resurrected from the dead; this belief is known as Universal Resurrection, this is NOT Universal Salvation. Note: The word Immortal does not appear anywhere in the 4 Gospels.
The
Body
When you think of immortality,
the FIRST thing you think of is the physical body
of a person. Immortality is not a universal natural possession, but is a gift
of redemptive
grace. The Bible teaches
that Adam and Eve lost physical immortality for themselves and all
their descendants at the Fall of Man; this initial "imperishability
of the body" was "a natural condition" prior to sin. Now at death, the body returns to dust, but the spirit lives on.[1]
Immortality once was... is
now not... but will be again for EVERYONE, somewhere.
Translated: There are two examples in the Bible of people never dying or being translated; going directly to Heaven to be
with God; skipping death and the grave.
1)
Enoch walked with God
and then was no more, because God took him away.[2]
2)
Elijah was taken up to
God in a chariot of fire pulled by horses in a whirlwind.[3]
Then there was Melchizedek who had no beginning and no end.[4] (Some students of the Word Belief System think
there was just no records of his birth and death.) … (My BS
embraces that he was actually Jesus; a Christophany.)
The Soul
God made Adam out of dust of
the earth and breathed the breath of life into his soul;[5] the
soul lives and the soul prospers. In the
simplest of terms; the soul is the mind
of a man and his spirit controls his mind and his mind controls
his body. (Many let their
bodies control their mind and spirit)
Souls are created by God and given before conception;[6] The Soul has sensations, thoughts, desires;
longs to eat,[7]
longs for God,[8]
magnifies God;[9]
it rejoices,[10]
loves,[11]
knows[12]
and remembers;[13]
it has beliefs, emotions, personality and
performs intentional actionsand can be sorrowful.[14]
There is much debate even among various branches of Christianity about what
the difference is between the soul and the spirit. The "soul"
is often confused and used synonymously or interchangeably with the "spirit".
There are disagreeing Belief Systems on
the soul's
immortality and its relation to
the physical body. Luther and others rejected Calvin's
idea of "soul
immortality".
There is no doctrine of “SOUL
IMMORTALITY” in the Bible.
The Bible does not attempt to prove "soul immortality", but
for the saved just assumes it as an undisputed postulate, a condition of
eternal satisfaction and blessedness in communion with God... Not so good for the unsaved as they cannot be
in Heaven at all.
I don’t plan to debate this here, but to just acknowledge that there are
opposing BS
concerning the terms “Soul” and “Spirit” and the Soul’s
immortality.
The Spirit
There is a spirit in a man as
well as a soul.[15]
There are many scriptures supporting BOTH the soul and spirit being “separate”.[16] According to scripture, King Pul,[17]
Job,[18]
Caleb,[19]
David,[20]
Stephen[21]
and even a child had a spirit.[22]
After the fall of Adam and Eve, we are all born in sin and have a sin
nature.[23] In short; our Father is the Devil; Satan.[24] We have his spirit and that is why we must be
‘born again”
with a new spirit; the Holy Spirit.[25]
MAN’S
SPIRIT IS IMMORTAL AND RETURNS TO GOD AT DEATH.[26]
The Mystery
Paul explains the mystery of
immortality:[27] The resurrection of Jesus Christ marked the
beginning of the resurrection of the dead.
With the return of Jesus Christ (at the rapture); the trumpet CALL will raise the DEAD
believers and their bodies will be given a
The bodies of the Believers that are still ALIVE will be changed
into marvelous immortal bodies while maintaining their same individual
person. At the end of time ALL WILL BE RESURRECTED:[30]
Some to eternal life; some to eternal damnation.[31]
The Wicked - Rabbit Trail
Scripture
does not support the Wicked having “Immortal Bodies”, but indicates
they will retain their personal existence in Hell. Anyone’s name not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into this lake of fire.[32]
They will be cut off from
the living[33]
and will receive everlasting contempt and destruction
and be shut out from the presence, power and majesty of God.
Death is separation, not annihilation;
the Greek word for destruction means “ruin”, not extinction. The wicked are NOT instantly annihilated,
they will NOT burn up or cease to exist.
They will be tormented with unquenchable fires
of burning sulfur day and night; endlessly FOREVER.[34]
Hell: The lower parts of the earth holding the WICKED DEAD till the end of
the millennium
when it and its contents will be thrown into the Lake of Fire
and tormented forever. It is an un-seen world of disembodied spirits
with a conscious experience that is full of remorse,
fear, and despair;
with memories of what they should have done and didn’t; full of sorrow for their bad examples, and with a hopelessness of
escape and in a state of regret
over doing evil deeds that cannot be recalled. In despair
they know that they did not
listen to God’s word, and have a hopeless desire to warn their families still living
back on earth.
In
Hell,
you are in the gloom of darkness, separated from the face of God.[35] In attendance will be Satan, his fallen angels, a gaggle of demons and the entire bunch of unbelieving wicked which includes the disobedient from among His chosen
covenant people Israel.[36]
The lake of fire was not prepared for man, but for Satan
and the fallen angels,[37]
however those that reject Jesus Christ as God’s Son will also go there and
receive God’s FULL retribution.[38]
The Take Away
Immortality is a two edged sword;
§
For
the believer it’s the grace of God restoring everlasting life
as existed with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before sin entered into the
picture. It’s an everlasting relationship, enjoying a
new immortal body and spirit in the presence of Almighty God.
§
For
the unbeliever, it’s a corrupted body that is in torment forever in the
burning lake of sulfur and fire removed from the presence and glory of God, for
It’s a sad thought that someone would choose Jesus just as a
Chose today who you will serve... No decision is a
rejection of Jesus.
Joshua 24:15 – As for my house, we will serve the
Lord
15 But if
serving the LORD seems
undesirable to you, then
CHOOSE for yourselves
this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods
your forefathers served beyond the River,
or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you are living.
BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD,
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."
NIV
[1] Genesis 2:7 – Man’s body
is formed from the dust -- Genesis
[2] Hebrews 11:5 – Enoch translated; he did not experience death; he
could not be found, because God had taken him away
[3] 2 Kings
[4] Hebrews 7:3 – Melchizedek had no Father or Mother; He had No
beginning or end
[5] Genesis 2:7 – The breath
of God gave man his soul; His life
[6] Jeremiah 1:5 – Our spirit
was formed before we were born. -- Psalm 139:13 – God knit us together in the
womb
[7] Deuteronomy
[8] Psalm 63:1 – The Soul longs for God
[9] Luke
[10] Psalm 86:4 – The Soul rejoices
[11] Song of Solomon 1:7 – The
Soul loves
[12] Psalm 139:14 – The Soul knows
[13] Lamentations
[14] Matthew 26:38 – The Soul can
be sorrowful
[15] 1 Corenthians 14:14-15 - Man
has a Mind (soul)
and Spirit -- 1 Corenthians
[16] 1 Thessalonians
[17] 1 Chronicals
[18] Job
[19] Numbers
[20] Psalm 31:5 – David had a spirit; into your hands I commit my spirit
[21] Acts
[22] Luke
[23] Ephesians 2:1-2 – We are born with the spirit of disobedience
[24] John
[25] Job 32:8 – Man has a spirit; the breath of the Almighty that
gives him understanding
[26] Ecclesiastes 12:6-7- The Immortal sprit of man returns to God
[27] 1 Corenthians
[28] 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 –
We will receive New imperishable bodies
[29] Daniel 12:2 – Some rise to everlasting life others rise to everlasting contempt
[30] Daniel 12:2 – The Believer awakes to everlasting life and the unbeliever and Make-Believers awakens to everlasting contempt.
[31] John
[32] Revelation 20:15 –
Anyone's name not found written in the book of life
will be thrown into the lake of fire
[33] Psalm 52:5 – The wicked
will be CUT OFF from
the living
[34] Revelation 21:8 – The Lake of Fire is the second death for the unbelieving,
the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, liars and those who practice
magic arts -- Revelation 14:9-11 – The vile and wicked will be tormented with burning sulfur day & night and the
smoke of their torment will rise forever and
ever.
[35] 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 – Unbeliever’s and Make-Believers
will be SHUT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD and receive EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION
[36] Revelation 20:10 – Satan,
Antichrist and unbelievers will be TORMENTED day and night for ever and ever
[37] Matthew 25:41 – Hell was
not created for man, but for Satan
[38] Daniel 12:2 – The Believer awakes to EVERLASTING
LIFE;
the unbeliever and Make-Believers awakens to EVERLASTING
CONTEMPT.
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