HELEN SANDERS

10-6-2024

THE SECOND DEATH

In Hebrews 9:27 it says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” For the Christian, his sin was judged at calvary. For the non-believer, their sin is judged at the great white throne of judgment which takes place after the thousand-year reign with Christ.

This lets each of us know that there is an appointment that each of us have with death. It could happen in the womb, or it could happen when someone is one hundred or older. Regardless of when, they will keep that appointment.

God made man to live for eternity, but sin brought physical and spiritual death to man through Adam’s sin.   We must realize that physical death is not the end of our existence. For those that know Christ, it says in 2 Corinthians 5:6, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body (alive as an individual) we are absent from the Lord.

You see, man being spirit, soul, and body cannot in the natural realm see the Lord, because Jesus is seated in heaven with the Father. We can hear his voice through the Holy Spirit, but we cannot physically be with him. At salvation, our spirits are placed into his body, but we still have our soul which is our mind, will, and emotions along with our physical body to contend with. Our soul and body cannot enter that spiritual realm. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:).”  We have faith that our soul will be with the Lord when we LEAVE our physical bodies. 

2 Corinthians 5:8 says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body (physical death), and to be present with the Lord.” There is no holding place for a Christian upon death. He is immediately with the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, those that die without Christ are separated from him for eternity in hell until they are judged at the Great White Throne of Judgment. There is no second chance to receive Christ after death. We make our decision while we are alive to serve God or reject him.

Those that choose to reject God experience the second death, which is separation not just from the body, but from God for eternity. God tells us in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is more than a verse to memorize. We have eternal life with God when we trust Jesus to forgive our sin. There is no second death for the believer. The second death was never intended for man, it was intended for Satan and his followers. So, choose wisely and you will not ever see the second, separated from God death.

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YOUR HOSTS: Russell and Helen Sanders want to thank you for being with us today! We appreciate your prayers and support.

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