Before we start, it’s important to understand the two aspects of death. The first aspect of death is spiritual death. This death is when a person has no desire for God’s holiness because they are spiritually dead in their sin.
Ephesians 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
Those who are spiritually dead seek after worldly things pertaining to this life, they have no desire for the holy things of God in their lives.
Romans 8:5-8 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. The mind governed by the sin nature is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the sin nature is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the sin nature cannot please God.
We are called to seek first the Kingdom of God, as a priority, which has to do with focusing on things that are from above and God's personal and general will for our lives..
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Colossians 3:1-3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
1 John 2:15-16 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
There is nothing wrong with pursuing and experiencing pleasure, happiness and joy in this life, just don't replace God's holiness in your life for pursuing pleasure. Spiritual death is when your whole life is focused on pleasure seeking, no matter how you get it.
1 Timothy 5:6 She who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives.
Spiritual death is what happened to the whole human race when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. It’s important to see that spiritual death is the byproduct of sin, it’s not a punishment from God. God did not say, “The day you eat of the tree, I will kill you.”
Genesis 2:8-9 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:16-17 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree they died spiritually, in other words, they became separated from God. The end result of living a life separated from God is physical death. Adam’s spiritual death happened the moment he ate of the tree, but his physical death didn't take place until 930 years later.
Genesis 5:5 Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
The reason why Adam physically died, and so does everyone else in the world, is because of God’s mercy and love.
Let me explain…
When Adam sinned, he died spiritually, if God allowed Adam to eat from the Tree of Life, Adam would live forever and there would be nothing God could do to save him. Because of this, God removed Adam and Eve from the garden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life.
Genesis 3:22-23 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So, the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.
Because God protected Adam and Eve from the Tree of Life, physical death happens, which is like a state of being asleep.
John 11:11-14 These things He said, and after that Jesus said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
Listen to Martha’s response to Messiah’s arrival, she understood how the dead are waiting to be resurrected on the last day.
John 11:20-24 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
There is no life in the grave so there is no punishment in the grave, only the silence of sleep.
Psalm 115:17 The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
The grave is a time of waiting for the resurrection.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.
Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
Did you notice how the dead must wake up from sleeping in the dust before they can experience the judgement?
Acts 24:14-15 I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a cult. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Eternal life is now being offered, through the Gospel, to every spiritually dead sinner.
2 Timothy 1:10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
The message that brings eternal life is the Gospel.
John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
When a sinner believes in the Son of God and acts on the Son’s message they become born again, born of God’s Spirit. Those who are born of God’s Spirit, through faith in Christ, have eternal life.
John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are Spirit and life.
John 6:47 "Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life."
Receiving the Spirit and eternal life is a free gift, the only requirement is that you need to understand your need for salvation and turn to the Son to receive it.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:1-5 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!
Through the Born-again experience, God cleanses of all our past sins and gives us eternal life and His Spirit to empower us to obey Him and do the things that He lays on our heart to do.
2 Peter 1:9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Ezekiel 36:25-28 Then I will put clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will make you clean from all your unclean ways and from all your false gods. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My Laws and be careful to do what I tell you. And you will live in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be My people, and I will be your God.
It’s the sin nature that hates God’s Law, not the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:7-8 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
The Spirit convicts us when we disobey God and encourages us when we live a holy life.
John 16:8 When the Helper comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
It’s our responsibility to submit to the power of God’s Spirit for holy living. Only those who submit to the Spirit, in obeying God, are called the children of God and will be worthy of the Kingdom.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Mark 3:34-35 Then he looked at the people sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or mother.”
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
If we do find ourselves in sin or following things that God says no to, just confess it to God, make the needed changes, and continue the journey of holy living.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Remember, the Son didn’t come into the world to condemn sinners, but to save them. We just need to cooperate with the plan. Confessing when we sin and making changes in our life is the fruit of being spiritually alive, connected to God and worthy of the Kingdom.
John 3:16-17 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Hebrews 5:8-9 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.
Now, here is what Christians are NOT being taught. Just because you believe in Jesus and have eternal life, does not mean you will be worthy to be in the Kingdom, it just means you’ll live forever.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not experience life, but will remain under God's punishment.
Luke 9:62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 20:34-36 Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage,Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage, but they who are counted worthy to have part in the world to come, and the resurrection from among the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die any more, for they are equal to angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Matthew 8:11-12 I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
In the Kingdom there is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. You'll have eternal life but you won't experience the Kingdom of God.
Romans 14:17 The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 3:13-14 We are looking for what God has promised, which are new heavens and a new earth. Only what is right and good will be there. Dear friends, since you are waiting for these things to happen, do all you can to be found by Him in peace. Be clean and free from sin.
Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
A sinner does not need to be worthy of eternal life, as a matter of fact, the Son died for sinners.
Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
A sinner needs nothing to receive the gift of eternal life but only to know that he is a sinner in need of salvation and then turns to the one who offers it. But the converted sinner, who has been born again, most defiantly needs to walk worthy of the Kingdom.
Luke 9:62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Matthew 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Salvation, eternal life and God’s calling are gifts that cannot be withdrawn.
Romans 11:29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
This is both a blessing and a curse. For those who walk worthy of the Kingdom, it’s a blessing to know that He will not cast us out because of our short falls and times of weakness, but to those who walk unworthy, they will inherit their eternal place, but it won’t be the Kingdom of God, it will actually be in the place that God created for the Devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The false prophet will be cast into the same place as the Devil and his angels.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The sheep and the goats are just like the wheat and the tares. They both dwell together and look alike. Both have the Spirit and call Jesus, Lord. Both have the Spirit’s power to cast out demons, prophecy in Jesus’ name and do many signs and wonders, but only the sheep do the will of the Father, as defined by His Law and taught by Christ.
John 10:27-28 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matthew 13:40-43 Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
These people, who are being cast out of the Kingdom, had the Spirit because they were casting out demons and calling Jesus, Lord. You can’t do either of those things without the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
Mattew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Mark 3:23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?
Luke 11:18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.
It is possible to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit and have the power of the age to come and then turn away from living a life worthy of the Kingdom.
Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
It doesn’t say God removes the Spirit from them or that they lose their eternal life. Salvation, Eternal life and God’s calling are all free and irrevocable gifts, but we must walk worthy of them.
Ephesians 4:1-4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
Notice how if a believer continues to live a lifestyle of sin, they will not inherit the Kingdom.
Galatians 5:13-21 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. So, I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 22:11-14 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So, he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The wedding garment is the righteous lifestyle manifest by the believer who is walking worthy of the Kingdom. By walking worthy, they are preparing themselves for their Wedding Day.
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Those who continue practicing lawlessness, as a way of life, will not inherit the Kingdom, but they still have eternal life, so they need to go somewhere.
Matthew 25:41, 46 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.…And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
To live a sinful life without Christ is better than receiving Christ and then walk unworthy of Him. This is why it would be better not to know the way of righteousness than to know it and turn away from it.
2 Peter 2:20-21 People can be made free from the evil in the world. They can be made free by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they go back into those evil things and are controlled by them, then it is worse for them than it was before. Yes, it would be better for them to have never known the right way. That would be better than to know the right way and then to turn away from the holy teaching that was given to them.
Why would it have been better not to know and receive Christ if you’re just going to continue to live a lawless life? Because those who don’t know and receive Him don’t have eternal life so they will just perish in the end, never to live again.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Psalm 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
Malachi 4:1 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.
The wicked who do not know God, or refuse to obey the Gospel, will be consumed to nothing, which is better than living forever in a place that was created for the Devil and his angels. For example, Judas. Judas was one of the 12 inner circle Apostles. He did the miracles, preached the Gospel and yet, Messiah said it would have been better for him if he had never been born.
Matthew 26:23-24 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
According to the Bible, it’s better to live a temporary life of sin without Christ then to receive eternal life and suffer eternal punishment for not living worthy of the Kingdom.
When Messiah returns, at His second coming to raise the dead, He will send out His angels and they will separate two groups of people, those who lived worthy of the Kingdom and those who lived unworthy of the Kingdom. Those who lived unworthy of the Kingdom will be cast out into the fire that torments.