The human race and the animal kingdom were created with a survival instinct, sometimes referred to as self-preservation Apostolic Teaching. Nothing is more fearful than death. The Bible speaks about two different deaths. Every human being is subject to the first death. However, not everyone is subject to the second death.
So dreadful is the thought of dying (the first death) that people generally block it out of their minds. The occurrence is inevitable for every person, and we all know it is inevitable. No matter how much we embrace a healthy and safe lifestyle we cannot escape this certainty.
The first death is the ultimate end to a person’s existence on earth, but it is not the end of a person’s existence. Hebrews 9:27 makes this clear: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this comes the judgment.” Notice the order in this verse; it’s death and then judgement.
If a person ceases to exist upon death, then how or when can any judgment take place? Even our judicial system understands this. If a murderer tries to escape captivity by the police, and is killed in the process, no legal process is initiated. There’s no hearing, no charges, and no trial. This is because the murderer is beyond the reach of human judgement.
The Penalty of Sin
However, no person is beyond the reach of Divine judgment. The final, individual judgment of God comes after the first death, indicating that the person has not ceased to exist. As the above verse in Hebrews states (“It is given unto man once to die”). This proves the theory of reincarnation to be false.
Also false is the belief that death ends in complete annihilation of the person. This may be true for animal and plant life, but life was breathed into man by God (Genesis 2:7). Therefore, humans are immortal beings.
A person is very much alive after death; only the body has died. The person still exists with memory, desires, and thoughts. This is made abundantly clear in Luke 16:19-31.
It might be easier to understand the concept of death not as the cessation of existence, but as a separation within existence. The first death separates a person from the earth and loved ones. The second death separates the person from all the goodness of God.
Apostolic Teaching
The saved and the unsaved person, while on earth, enjoy the goodness of God. James makes this clear in Chapter 1, verse 17: “Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
There’s not enough room in this short blog to itemize the good things every person receives from God. Primary among the list is life and light. He provides physical light as well as spiritual light. Unlike the changing physical light provided by the sun, moon, and stars, as well as artificial light produced by man, there’s no changing in God’s personal, eternal, and spiritual light.
The Second Death
Gifts continue to abound for those who are saved and receive eternal life through the Lord Jesus. For those that reject salvation through Him, the second death awaits. This death is a complete separation from God and all His wondrous gifts. This is summarized in Revelation 21:8: “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Picture an existence in complete darkness, devoid of companionship and satisfaction of any kind. Prior to dying, even the most evil person can relish a cool drink of water on a hot day, while enjoying all the beauty surrounding him or her in nature.
You might be thinking, “I don’t have to worry; I am not the kind of person mentioned in verse 8 above.” The sad truth is that every person on earth is represented in this verse, to one degree or another. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12)
This verse in Romans 3 is a universal condemnation by God. Yet the Bible says that not everyone will face this second death. Centuries ago, a Roman jailer asked the Apostle Paul and Silas the most important question in all the world: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Saved from what one might ask; saved from the second death.
Avoid the Second Death with the Assurance of Heaven
This is the answer the jailer received from Paul and Silas: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” It’s no more complicated than this. The Lord Jesus proclaimed similarly in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish [the second death], but have eternal life.”
The God of all creation states that all mankind is worthless. Man would be in a hopeless predicament if it were not for the gracious salvation provided by God through faith in Jesus. Only the Lord Jesus has the “worth” that satisfies the righteous demand of a holy God. Fortunately, this worth is transferable to every person that puts their trust in the Lord Jesus.
Saved by Grace or Works?
No one has to experience the second death. You have a choice, which must be made before the first death. Choose now to trust in the Lord Jesus that He bore your sins in His body, on the cross (1Peter 2:24), and then bore the punishment of God for those Apostolic Teaching sins (Isaiah 53:10).
We have no worthiness of our own to please God. However, when we trust His word that His beloved Son bore the punishment for our sins, His worthiness (righteousness) is credited to us. Only in this way can we escape the second death.
If you ignore or reject this ultimate Good that came down from Heaven, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself when you face the second death and spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
The Gospel Message
The second death is eternal existence in darkness apart from the goodness of God. “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46)
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It is so tragic to hear unbelievers who flippantly joke about going to hell. The same is true for those who speak of the Lord Jesus and the Word of God with mockery. If only they knew what we know. Each of us could pass into eternity in a moment without warning. As the article stated, we will not cease to exist. We will exist for eternity and there are only two destinations. The Lord Jesus is worthy of glory and honor and blessing, so He should be surrounded by as many people as possible worshipping Him in glory. He has blessed us with the privilege of sharing the good news of salvation with … everyone.
Thank you John for this thoughtful comment.
This message rings home with all believers. There are many priorities in the walk of a believer…glorifying the Lord, sanctification, serving and loving others, etc,. Warning unbelievers about this impending destiny without Christ is so important. When we understand what Christ did for us, we are moved in love for Him to share Him with others, which often brings others to Him to do this. He deserves all the glory! Thank you so much for writing this!
You’re so right Kerry! Understanding what Christ did for us is the centerpiece of the Gospel, allowing people to change their eternal destiny.
This is a particularly clear explanation of a difficult subject for the unsaved world to address, much less believe. I like the way it explains.the concepts of existence, perishing, and even annihilation. I think the biggest error for the world is that if I die in my unbelief, well, so what; I’ll just cease to exist. Your example of how animals cease to exist (annihilation) is excellent, compared to the reality of death for humans. To die without Christ is to perish, a far worse fate than annihilation. May the Lord continue to give you these wonderful truths and the ability to explain them. !
Thank you Dick for your thoughtful comment. It is indeed tragic to see so many living life without little or no thought about their eternal destination.
Thank you brother for this beautifully written message of the 2nd death. We learn today from our friend in Wisconsin that a couple of teenagers died in a car accident recently. One was a believer and the other…unknown. For one we rejoice that she is in the presence of our Lord, for the other…we just don’t know. Time is running out for all of us. Your message is an urgent call to faith in Christ and eternal security in our Father.
It is always so sad to learn of those who pass into death, without salvation in the Lord Jesus.