Immortality or Resurrection (Updated) - William West (top ten ebook reader .TXT) 📗

VERY THING THAT IS SAVED
BY THOSE WHO DO OBEY HIM. THEY SHALL LOSE LIFE. THE LOST SHALL
DIE. THE SAVED SHALL LIVE.
"AND YOU KNOW THAT NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN HIM"
(1 John 3:15). Was John wrong when he said no murderer has eternal life? If, as many
say, mankind has a "soul" that is immortal and cannot die, and if the only part of men that
shall live after the judgment is an ever-living soul which all even murderers have, then a
murderer does have eternal life from birth and can never die, for they have the same
"immaterial, invisible part of man" (W. E. Vine) that will live forever that all have.
Without eternal life, a murderer cannot have an immortal soul. If he did have an
immortal soul, he would have eternal life abiding in him; if he does not have eternal
life abiding in him, he does not have an immortal soul. To teach the soul of all is
eternal and can never die make all have eternal life, it can only be a question of where
they will spend their eternal life. John said, "And this is the promise which he promised
US, even the life eternal" (1 John 2:25). "We have passed out of death into life...no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14-15). Is there anyway John could
have said any clearer that a murderer does not have an immortal soul that now has eternal
life?
DEATH IS NOT HELL. A DEAD PERSON CANNOT BE TORMENTED; THEY
CAN FEEL NO PAIN. ONLY THE LIVING CAN BE TORMENTED. IF HELL WERE
A REAL PLACE, THOSE IN IT WOULD BE ALIVE, NOT DEAD. THEIR LIFE
WOULD BE JUST AS ETERNAL AS THE LIFE OF THE SAVED.
• Death makes Hell impossible
• Hell makes death impossible
• Hell makes the resurrection of the dead impossible
If there is no death, there cannot be a resurrection of the undead. If there is no
resurrection, we have no hope 1 Corinthians 15:16-19. CAN THERE BE A DOCTRINE
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MORE HARMFUL THAN THE DOCTRINE OF HELL, WHICH TAKES AWAY OUR
RESURRECTION AND HOPE OF SALVATION?
WHAT THE DEAD DO NOT DO?
1. There is no activity (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
2. They do not have plan (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
3. They have no wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
4. Their bed is in darkness (Job 17:13)
5. They do not mention God (Psalms 6:5)
6. They give God no thanks (Psalms 6:5)
7. They have no thoughts (Psalms 146:4)
8. They know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
9. The wicked are silent, no speech (Ps. 31:17)
What do the dead do, think, and know? Nothing. Does anyone think this is a picture of
Heaven or Hell? Without the resurrection the dead would never know anything after
death (1 Corinthians 15:12-22).
UNWILLING TO ACCEPT GOD'S WORD: Inspired writers speak often about death
being a sleep, and about its unconscious nature. "His breath goes forth, he returns to the
earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (Psalms 146:4). If Solomon had said, "Their
love, as their hatred and their envy will continue...for there is work, and device, and
knowledge, and wisdom, in Sheol, whither you go" (Ecclesiastes 9:5-10), then those who
teach a "immaterial, invisible part of man" is alive from our death unto the resurrection,
could rightly say this ends all debate on this subject. But, when it is put the way God
inspired it; THEY REJECT IT. If you try for the rest of your life, you would never be
able to say any stronger than Solomon that there is nothing after death unto the
resurrection. Unconditional immorality must have knowledge in sheol, the grave, and
therefore, many plain statements that there is not knowledge in the grave must be
rejected, and many plain statements that death is a sleep must be rejected. See Isaiah
38:18-19; Psalms 115:17; 6:5; John 11:11-14; Daniel 12:1-2; Job 14:12-15; 1 Corinthians
15:20.
Some say that Ecclesiastes is the view of those in the world, the way they see life
when God is left out, but it is not the way a child of God sees life. Ecclesiastes has
statements that are so conductivity to the soul being immortal that many try to make the
whole book not be the truth but it is only "life...viewed from the perspective where God is
left out." Because it was conductivity to his belief that salvation is by faith only without
works Calvin did with the book of James the same as many do to Ecclesiastes. There is
much in Ecclesiastes that cannot be said to be the way those in the world look at life (see
Ecclesiastes 12:1, 12:13 and many other statements throughout the book) but to do away
with these statements, they are willing to do away with all. If Ecclesiastes 12:7 is
"life...viewed from the perspective where God is left out" why do they not use it that way
when they use Ecclesiastes 12:7 to prove the "soul" is immortal?
DEATH THAT NEVER DIES! THE LIVING DEAD! THE UNDEAD DEAD! If this
sounds like something out of a horror film, it is the teaching of many about some
deathless something which is an "immaterial, invisible part of man." If there is a "part of
man" that can never die, the lost can never be dead; common sense tells you that an
immortal being can never die would have no need of a savior to die in its place to keep it
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from dying. Death is not life whether good or bad. To die is not to live. There cannot be
life after death without a resurrection that ends the death.
"IF A MAN DIE, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?" Job 14:14 must be made to read, "When
a man dies, he does not die but continues to live." It must be changed from a question
"shall he live again" to a statement "he continues to live," and "man" must be changed to
only an "immaterial, invisible PART of a person” that continues to live after the other
part of him or her is dead. IF JOB'S "SOUL" WERE NOT GOING TO DIE, BUT GO
TO HEAVEN JUST AS SOON AS THE BODY WAS DEAD, THIS PASSAGE, JUST
AS MANY OTHERS, WOULD MAKE NO SENSE.
FIRST RESURRECTION-SECOND DEATH
"He that over comes shall not be hurt of the second death" (Revelation 2:11, 20:6).
The first resurrection is when a person is "born anew...born of the water and the Spirit"
(John 3:3-5). "And you did he make ALIVE when you were dead...made us ALIVE
together with Christ (by grace have you been saved), and RAISED US UP with him"
(Ephesians 2:1-6; Galatians 2:18-19; 3:1). The first resurrection is when, "We were
buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was RAISED
FROM THE DEAD" (Romans 6:3-4). "And you did he MAKE ALIVE...even when WE
WERE DEAD through our trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ...and
RAISED US UP with him" (Ephesians 2:1-6). "I say unto you, the hour comes, and now is
when THE DEAD shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and THEY THAT HEAR SHALL
LIVE" (John 5:25).
"There are only two alternatives, the crown of life-eternal life-or the second death" Homer Hailey,
Revelation, Page 128, Baker Book House. It is life or death, not life in Heaven or life in Hell. Death is
real.
• "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even while we were
dead because of our sins, he GAVE US LIFE when he raised Christ from the
dead...FOR HE RAISED US FROM THE DEAD ALONG WITH CHRIST"
(Ephesians 2:4 New Living Bible).
• "But God, rich in mercy, for the great love he bore us, BROUGHT US TO LIFE
WITH CHRIST...HE RAISED US UP" (Ephesians 2:4 New English Bible).
All that are in the grave, both saved and lost, will hear His voice and come forth at the
resurrection. All will be raised for judgment. All who are born again, made alive by being
raised with Christ through Baptism, and live faithful shall not be hurt of the second death
after the judgment. Christ paid the wages of sin for them. All others will pay their own
wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and
abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
their part shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; WHICH IS THE
SECOND DEATH" (Revelation 21:8). From this death there will never be a resurrection.
The results will be eternal. An endless life of torment is not a second death; it is eternal
LIFE with torment. IT BEARS NO RESEMBLANCE TO A DEATH. To feel pain, those
in Hell would have to be just as alive as those in Heaven are. For an immortal, immaterial
soul that cannot be dead to be forever alive and tormented in a literal lake of fire is so
dissimilar to death that a person would be in desperate need to prove his or her theology
to say an eternality of being ALIVE in a like of fire is DEATH.
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I. D. Williamson, "Relative to the question, whether the lake that burns with fire and brimstone is
to be understood literally or figuratively, I have little to say. During the dark ages, it might have
been necessary to discuss that question; but the day has passed when any man, claiming even a
tolerable share of theological knowledge, would risk his reputation, as a man of sane mind, in an
attempt to maintain the existence of a real lake of literal fire and brimstone, in which immortal
and immaterial spirits are to be burned. It is a figure used to represent a reality, and this reality is
the second death." "An Examination Of The Doctrine Of Endless Punishment."
"THE SECOND DEATH" is used four times, all in Revelation.
1. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death (Revelation 2:11). The
saved will not have a part in the second death. Only the lost.
2. Those who are buried and raised with Christ (Romans 6) in the first resurrection,
"Over these the second death has no power" (Revelation 20:6).
3. Death and hades, and any not found written in the book of life are cast into the
lake of fire; which is the second death. All three come to the same end. All three
end in death (Revelation 20:14-15).
4. He that overcomes shall inherit and be God's son, but for all others, "Their part
shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death"
(Revelation 21:8). No ransom has been offered for the second death. It is forever.
SECOND DEATH
IN PLAIN UNSYMBOLIC LANGUAGE
"There remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of
JUDGMENT, and a fierceness of fire which shall DEVOUR the adversaries" (Hebrews
10:27). For the lost (1) judgment then (2) devour in the lake of fire, which is the second
death. Not as it is preached today (1) judgment (2) then an eternal life of torment in Hell
forever but never devoured, or as preached by many an eternal life in Hell at death before
and without the resurrection and judgment day.
"IF YOU LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YOU SHALL DIE" “For if you are living
according to the flesh, you must die (apothncesko); but if by the Spirit you are putting to
death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). All mankind, even the faithful,
have been dying the first death since the sin of Adam, this is not a reference to the first
death but the second when only those who live according to the flesh will die. Paul did
not say, "If you live after the flesh you are now spiritually dead," but "YOU shall die."
Not your