Can a Christian Be Perfect?
While every spiritually-reborn believer is “made complete in Christ” (Colossians 2:10), there’s no such thing as a perfect Christian in this fallen world, not in a practical sense. The Bible says point blank that every believer misses it now & then no matter how spiritually mature s/he may be:
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
1 John 1:8-10
Other passages testify to this as well:
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
“…for there is no one who does not sin…”
A popular international minister said that he hanged out with many of the top ministers you can name in America and stressed that every single one of them had a down side. In other words, each had areas where they were less than exemplary, including specific flesh issues. Yet this is different than saying they were involved with gross sin. Fivefold ministers — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13) — should be freed-up from major sin issues, which is accomplished through learning to walk in the spirit on a regular basis and becoming spiritually mature.
This explains the qualifications for leaders in the body of Christ detailed in the epistles (1 Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9). Although all fivefold ministers have their limitations and miss it now & then, there’s a difference between this and habitually failing in a major moral area or willfully living in the flesh. Obviously if a fivefold minister, like a pastor, isn’t freed-up from the flesh they’re not going to be able to help others walk free since a person can only give what they’ve got. It’s a simple principle: If you’re not free, you can’t help someone else be free.
The qualifications cited for overseers in Titus 1:5-9 say that the minister must be “blameless,” but blameless is not the same as sinless since every believer will miss it now & then, as already covered.
The key to keeping yourself blameless before the LORD is twofold:
- Be quick to humbly ’fess up when you miss it (1 John 1:9) and God will be faithful & just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, which means you’ll once again be righteous in the Lord’s sight and even “free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22). This is what the Bible calls “keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8). Some other key passages include Psalm 32:5 and Proverbs 28:13.
- Stay away from “willful sins” (Psalm 19:13). there’s a difference between a person struggling with a certain sin, yet humbly keeping with repentance, and a person who regularly engages in willful sin. The word ‘willful’ in the Hebrew is zed (ZAYD), which means arrogant, proud, presumptuous or insolent. In other words, people who commit a willful sin know it’s a sin but still do it and aren’t sorry about practicing it. This is “great transgression” in God’s eyes, as David put it, and will eventually incur judgment if the individual continues to walk in it with no care of repentance (Galatians 6:7-8).
It’s crucial to keep yourself blameless before your Maker in this manner. Interestingly, only humble people can do this because it takes humility to honestly admit that you’ve missed it and confess accordingly. Arrogant people, by contrast, have a very difficult time admitting that they’ve made a mistake, how much more so revealing that they’ve sinned? This explains something that Scripture emphasizes repeatedly: “God opposes the proud but shows favor [grace] to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 & Proverbs 3:34).
Put simply, arrogance repels God while humility attracts God (Isaiah 66:2).
You could say that the LORD is only close to the humble and this explains why only humble people are greatly used of God, like Moses (Numbers 12:3) and David (1 Samuel 18:23). Yet please understand that, while humility is meekness, it’s not weakness. On the contrary, it’s spiritual strength.
So, while no believer can be morally perfect in a practical sense in this “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4), they can certainly grow spiritually wherein they walk humbly and blamelessly before their Creator and others.
Understanding positional truths will help the believer grow spiritually and walk free of the flesh. A positional truth reveals the believer’s position in covenant with God and therefore how God sees him/her in Christ. A good example is Colossians 1:22, which says that the believer is “holy in God’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” When believers grasp that the LORD sees them as holy, without blemish and free from accusation — and accepts this by faith — it has a positive impact on their identity in Christ and therefore their practical lifestyle. You can learn more about position truths in this video.
Related Topics:
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (while Not Being SINLESS)
God Deals with People According to the Light they Have
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Understanding the Fear of the LORD
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Who Is Melchizedek? How Was He a Type of Christ?
Melchizedek was priest-king of Salem in Canaan during the time of Abram. He’s mentioned a few times in Scripture, starting with the following passage wherein Melchizedek met with Abram in the Valley of Shaveh to honor him after Abram’s militia impressively defeated King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings allied with him:
18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
The name Melchizedek means “righteous king” and he was the spiritual and political leader of Jerusalem when it was called Salem, aka Shalem, which means “peace” or “peaceful.” Psalm 76:2 offers evidence that Salem and Jerusalem are one-and-the-same. Jerusalem, incidentally, means “possession of peace” or “foundation of peace” and is first mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 10:1.
What God Did Melchizedek Serve?
Melchizedek spoke of the Almighty as “God Most High” in the above passage, but Abram spoke of the Creator as “LORD God Most High” in the same context (verse 22). In other words, Melchizedek knew about the Most High and spoke of God in terms of titles, yet Abram knew God personally and so used God’s name, YHWH.* Abram is of course better known as Abraham (Genesis 17:5)
* Even though Abram & other patriarchs knew the Creator by name (Genesis 9:26, 12:8, 22:14, 24:12, etc.) they didn’t know God in the fuller sense that their descendants would, as disclosed in Exodus 6:3; cf. Genesis 4:26.
Melchizedek in the Book of Hebrews
The intriguing priest-king of Salem is also mentioned in the book of Hebrews in 5:1-10 and here:
1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is declared:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
Melchizedek is revealed to be a type of Christ in this passage. A ‘type’ simply means a person or thing that foreshadows someone or something else.
Verse 3 curiously says that Melchizedek didn’t have a beginning or end. Obviously he did since he was a human being, but there was no record of his father or mother, which is why he was said to be “without genealogy,” thus he became a symbol of the coming Christ, a high priest forever with no beginning and no ending; in other words, immortal in the absolute sense (Psalm 90:2 & 1 Timothy 6:16).
Verse 17, by the way, is a quote of Psalm 110:4.
Genesis 14:20 is the First Mention of ‘Tithing’ in the Bible
To ‘tithe‘ literally means to give 10% of your earnings (presumably to God via a representative) and we see that Abram gave 10% of the plunder of his victory to Melchizedek, who symbolizes Christ, the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). This was well before the Mosaic Law and illustrates that tithing is a wise principle of thankfulness, generosity and honor. Abraham is the Father of Faith while New Covenant believers are children of faith (Romans 4:16). Believers should only give if, like Abraham, they can do so cheerfully and free of pressure (2 Corinthians 9:7). You can read important details about New Covenant giving and tithing here (please keep in mind that New Covenant believers are not under the Law).
Why did Abram give Melchizedek 10% of his plunder? He was full of gratitude to the Sovereign God, who granted him a great victory, not to mention deliverance for Lot, his nephew. Since Melchizedek was obviously a priest of the one, true God and Abram recognized his authenticity, that’s whom he honored. He interestingly didn’t treat the king of Sodom in like manner (Genesis 14:21-23).
Further Insights About Melchizedek
This intriguing priest-king of Canaan illustrates that the LORD can reach people with sincere hearts even in a pagan world.
Melchizedek, incidentally, is also mentioned in Hebrews 6:20.
Related Topics:
Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
THE Angel of the LORD — Mighty Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ?
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
Did the Hebrews Break the Sabbath when They Sacked Jericho?
The question applies to the Hebrews taking of the city of Jericho on the Sabbath, as detailed here:
2Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
Joshua 6:2-5
The law of the Sabbath — the day of of rest (Exodus 20:8-11) — was already established when Joshua led troops into Canaan to conquer it. However, this law wasn’t applicable on this particular occasion for these reasons:
- The Hebrews were at war at the moment due to God’s just judgment on the Canaanites after hundreds of years of gracious mercy (see Genesis 15:16).
- Since the LORD is the One who gave the Sabbath command He can override the day of rest when necessary, which was essentially Jesus’ point in Luke 6:5.
- The Hebrews were following the LORD’s instruction to march around Jericho seven times on the Sabbath and take the city.
Related Topics:
Sabbath — What is it? Should Believers Observe It?
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
What Is KJV ONLY? What’s Wrong With It?
Christians who are “KJV Only” are people who view the King James Version of the Bible as the only legitimate English translation. It should be stressed that KJV Only people can live and die as genuine believers, loved of the Lord. The principle of Romans 14:3 applies here so we need to be careful not to be contemptuous of our fellow brothers & sisters regardless of what their position is on this matter (it goes both ways).
It should also be stressed that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using the King James Version (KJV) in your studies. We quote it here at Fountain of Life from time to time and I’ve used it as my daily reading Bible.
The Main Drawback of KJV Only
This main issue with being KJV Only is that it can hinder people’s acquisition of truth because it limits their studies to a human translation of the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). Truth is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah) in the Greek, which means “reality,” aka the way it really is. Since Christ stressed how “the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32) it’s not wise for a person to limit their access to scriptural truth due to misguided allegiance to a translation of the original God-breathed Scriptures.
Speaking of which…
Only the Original Hebrew & Greek Scriptures Are “God-Breathed,” Not Translations of Them
Only the original Hebrew & Greek Scriptures are “God-breathed,” not a particular translation of them into another language by a person or a group of people. For anyone to argue that the KJV is also “God-breathed” in the sense that every word in it was inspired by God as the translators were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), this simply isn’t true. There’s no verse in Scripture that says something like “Yay, in many centuries to come I will raise up a band of men who will translate the God-breathed Scriptures perfectly into the lingua franca of those times. Let not anyone else translate the Scriptures into this same language or update it, for that is an abomination.”
Let’s face it, any human translation of the original Hebrew/Greek Scriptures into another language is going to have its issues, no matter how great it is. And the KJV was indeed great for its time. This is augmented if the translators are all from one sect, which was the case with the KJV wherein the 47 scholars who translated it were of the Church of England and under the oversight of King James. The Church of England, if you’re not aware, broke away from the Roman Church in the mid-1500s and at the time was basically the English version of the Catholic Church.
The obvious issue with these translators of the KJV being from the same sect is the potential bias of sectarianism. Interestingly, it’s estimated that about 80% of the KJV stems from William Tyndale’s translation from 1528. Tyndale was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1515, but turned Protestant with the Reformation, which officially began two years later. You can read about Tyndale’s great contributions to Christianity here.
Since any translation of the original God-breathed Scriptures is going to have its issues, it’s best for those wanting to find the truth on any given subject to use several translations in their studies and look up the key Hebrew & Greek terms when pertinent, plus see how these words are used in different contexts in the Scriptures. Doing so reflects the “Berean spirit” (Acts 17:10-12).
We have to be careful here to distinguish between those who simply favor the KJV and those who are staunchly KJV Only. The latter argue that the Scripture texts available at the time to write the KJV (also used by Tyndale in his version) are the only reliable sources for the Holy Scriptures, but most KJV Only folk reject other translations based on these same texts, like the NKJV, KJ21 and MEV, all of which they curiously deem as sacrilegious as the NAS, NIV and other relatively recent translations.
KJV Only people evidently think the LORD only ordains one translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek Scriptures per language group which, frankly, is absurd. Such a position naturally suggests that English-speaking Christians are in bondage to this translation even though it’s over 400 years old and contains archaic verbiage that modern English-speakers can barely understand.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Studies of the Scriptures
My humble advice to believers is to continue in God’s Word and put it into practice (John 8:31-32). Don’t use just one translation; compare the translations and look up the Hebrew & Greek words when questions arise concerning the meaning of a particular word or phrase.
Everyone naturally has a favorite translation, but I encourage switching translations from time to time as far as regular reading goes. For instance, I’m currently using the NKJV for daily reading (for studies, however, I use several translations). This keeps things fresh and prevents any one translation from becoming a veritable idol. It also provides a more balanced view of what God’s Word says. KJV Only people, by contrast, put themselves in a confining box of explicitly trusting the translation work of 47 scholars from the Church of England from over 400 years ago.
As far as looking up the original Hebrew & Greek goes, lexicons and interlinear texts are readily available. I encourage the use of Bible Hub on the internet and other such sites, which provide free and easy access to these study helps. For instance, here is John 3:16 according to 28 prominent English versions on Bible Hub. From there you can conveniently click to any of the 28 versions offered and also access lexicons (e.g. the Strong’s) and interlinear texts via the tool bar at the top. For those not familiar with interlinear Scriptures, they parallel the original Hebrew/Greek text with another language in alternate lines. Here is an example of John 3:13.
Criticizing Translations
Every single translation of the original God-breathed Scriptures can be nitpicked, including the KJV. I could cite clear evidence of problematic translating in the KJV based on sectarian bias, but I’m not going to do so. Instead, I humbly encourage believers to grow in God’s Word and put it into practice, year after year. Improve your studies — and your spiritual growth — by implementing the pointers noted above. You’ll be blessed.
When comparing some modern versions of the Bible with the KJV, there are some “missing” verses, such as in the NIV. Yet these “missing verses” are always cited in the footnotes; so these verses are not actually missing (since they’re in the footnotes). But why were they omitted from the main text in the first place? Here’s why:
The KJV was originally published in 1611 and it was a great achievement for that period as the translators used the best sources accessible at the time. Yet one of the KJV’s weaknesses is that the translation committee of 47 scholars drew heavily from William Tyndale’s Bible, which explains why 80% of Tyndale’s verbiage was transferred to the KJV (76% of the Old Testament and 83% of the New Testament). Tyndale utilized several sources in his translation. For the New Testament, he used Desiderius Erasmus’s Greek New Testament, aka the Textus Receptus (“received text” in Latin), specifically the third edition from 1522.
In the centuries since 1611 myriad older scriptural texts have surfaced and were painstakingly examined by scholars. They concluded that these earlier manuscripts are naturally more trustworthy. So contemporary translators have access to scriptural documents much nearer in time to the original manuscripts. As such, modern translations like the original NIV actually offer superior biblical scholarship than was available in the early 1600s when the KJV was produced. You can read details here.
Staunch KJV Only folks curiously object to revisions. Yet it is necessary to periodically revise works in order to fix issues from previous renditions, not to mention keep relevant. Should they not correct issues? Should they not update to stay relevant while maintaining faithfulness to the original Scriptures?
The KJV itself has had myriad corrections since 1611. In its original form, it’s virtually unreadable to modern English speakers. Go here for details.
Conclusion
The KJV was fine for its time, but its day is long over. While it’s serviceable for reference in one’s studies — and I often use it in this regard — it’s no longer effective as far as public ministry goes, unless of course you’re exclusively serving people already familiar with the KJV. The archaic lingo and phasing is simply too alien to modern English-speakers. It should have been retired from public service in the early 1800s (or, at least, the early 1900s) let alone the early 2000s.
Related Topics:
The NIV Bible — Answering the Critics
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
Berean Spirit — What is it? How Do You Cultivate It?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
Bible—Is it Full of Contradictions? Does it Promote Slavery, Tyranny and Discrimination?
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
Bible — You Own One at a Huge Price!
Your Belief Window (video)
Will We See Our Pets Again in Eternity?
Will your beloved pets be resurrected to be with you in the eternal age-to-come (2 Peter 3:13)? Or do your pets go directly to Heaven and await your arrival? What about other animals in Eternity? These are legitimate questions because some people naturally wonder about their beloved pets and other animals.
While the Bible doesn’t directly address the topic of our beloved pets in eternity there is quite a bit of information from which we can derive solid answers.
Let’s start with the question: Will there be animals in the New Heavens and New Earth? Answer: Why wouldn’t there be? After all, there are animals galore in our current age and there will be animals during the Millennium, as this passage shows:
6The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:6-9
As you can see, carnivorous animals will become herbivorous during the Millennium just as they were before the fall of creation.
Furthermore, there are animals in Heaven right now, as verified by passages like this one:
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:11-16
This text details the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord is riding a white horse, as are the armies of Heaven following him (Jude 1:14 & Matthew 25:31).
Someone might argue that these horses are symbolic due to the symbolism contained in Revelation in general and particularly because verse 15 shows a “sharp sword” coming out of the Lord’s mouth to strike down the nations, which we know isn’t literal. Bear in mind, however, that symbolism in the Bible is obvious within the immediate context, as well as the context of the entire Bible. This is how we know the “sharp sword” coming out of Jesus’ mouth isn’t a literal sword, but rather is figurative of the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
Also, the usage of some symbolic language in a passage doesn’t necessarily mean that every aspect of the passage is figurative when it’s clear some elements are literal. For instance Jesus Christ and the armies of Heaven that follow him are obviously literal in the above passage. As for the horses they ride, I see no indication that they’re symbolic. Other biblical passages suggest that they’re literal, like this one:
15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-17
Although these horses dwell in Heaven — the highest spiritual realm — and are therefore different from the horses we’re familiar with, they are horses.
Since there are currently animals on Earth and in Heaven, and there will be animals during the Millennium, why wouldn’t there be animals in the eternal age of the New Heavens and New Earth? After all, God originally created all types of animals to fill the Earth before the fall of creation, why would this change when creation is fully restored? It wouldn’t.
God’s Cares About Animals Too!
Whether people are aware of it or not, there are several passages in the Bible that show God’s concern for animals, like this one:
“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Jonah 4:11
The LORD proposed this question to Jonah, who objected to God’s mercy for the people of Nineveh. This city was the capital of Assyria, Israel’s worst enemy at the time, and the prophet wanted the LORD to destroy the city and its people, not mercifully forgive them when they repented (Jonah 4:1-2).
As you can see, the passage shows that God wasn’t just concerned about the fate of the 120,000 Ninevites, who were spiritually ignorant and couldn’t “tell their right hand from their left,” he was also concerned about the numerous animals in the city.
Here are several other passages that reveal the Creator’s concern for animals:
- Job 12:10: Job points out that the “life” of every creature is in God’s hands. The word ‘life’ is nephesh (neh-FESH) in the Hebrew, which is often translated as “soul” in English Bibles. The King James Version translates the passage like so: “In whose hand [is] the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” We’ll look at these things further as we continue.
- Psalm 24:1 says that every living thing on the earth is the LORD’s, which includes the animals.
- Psalm 50:10-11 reveals that every animal in creation is God’s and He knows every bird in the mountains.
- Psalm 104:21-30 goes into detail about how the LORD created all animals with wisdom to one degree or another and how the whole Earth is filled with God’s creatures; it also shows how the Almighty provides them with food at the proper time and takes away their “breath” when they die.
- Proverbs 12:10 stresses that righteous people care about the needs of their animals.
- Matthew 6:26 shows how our heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air.
- Matthew 10:29 & Luke 12:6 reveal that when even sparrows die not one of them is forgotten by God!
- Revelation 4:11 shows the Mighty One being worshipped for creating all things for his good purpose and pleasure.
Someone might argue: If God cares about the animals so much why did he sanction the killing of them for food? Answer: This wasn’t part of the LORD’s original plan, notice:
29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1:29-31
All living beings on the Earth were herbivores before the fall of creation, including people, which means their diet was strictly vegetarian.
Verse 31 shows the Creator viewing all he had made and “it was very good.” There were no carnivores at this time because a carnivorous diet necessitates suffering and death of other living creatures and this wouldn’t be good. Unfortunately, Adam & Eve’s sin brought a curse on the physical Universe and the sins of their descendants perpetuate it:
5The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.
6Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Isaiah 24:5-6
As such, no part of creation functions entirely as originally designed. The ground is cursed, as shown in Genesis 3:17-19, which is a reference to the plant kingdom. Animals are also negatively affected:
Because of [sin] the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:20-21
The “bondage to decay” is the law of entropy and includes death. As such, every living thing in creation must die, including plant life. It wasn’t until after the fall and the ensuing curse that animals began to fear people (Genesis 9:2).
“The Final Restoration of All Things”
The awesome news is that creation will be redeemed and, in fact, yearns for it:
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
Romans 8:19
What does creation wait in eager expectation for? The children of God to be revealed, which is part of the “restoration of all things”:
For he [Jesus] must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Acts 3:21
This restoration of all things takes place in stages. One key stage is when Jesus returns for his church where believers’ bodies are finally redeemed:
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:22-23
Christ’s return for the church is called the Rapture and is detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (covered in this article).
The restoration continues after the 7-year Tribulation when Jesus returns to Earth and establishes his millennial kingdom. Tribulation martyrs and Old Testament saints will be resurrected at this time and the lifespans of mortal humans will return to the lengthy lifespans of people before the flood.
In a previous section we looked at Isaiah 11:6-9, which shows what life will be like during the Millennium: Carnivorous animals will become herbivorous and therefore wolves will live with lambs and leopards will lie together with goats; calves and lions will hang out and be led by little children. Cows and bears will feed together and formerly carnivorous beasts like the lion will eat straw like an ox. Furthermore, children will play by the cobra’s den and the viper’s nest without fear because poisonous creatures will no longer be poisonous.
As wonderful as the thousand-year reign of Christ will be, it’s just another stage in the “restoration of all things.” The final stage takes place when God wholly renovates the Earth & Universe and the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, comes “down out of heaven from my God” to rest on the new Earth (Revelation 3:12, 21:2 & 21:10). Notice, by the way, that this is stated three times verbatim in Scripture.
The Greek word for ‘restoration’ in the phrase “the final restoration of all things” is apokatastasis (ap-ok-at-AS-tas-is), which appears only once in the Bible, Acts 3:21. The root word is apokathistémi (ap-ok-ath-IS-tay-mee), which means “to set up again” and “restore to its original position or condition.” That’s what the “restoration of all things” is about — restoring the Earth and Universe to its original condition before the fall, which is the way God originally intended it to be.
The Messiah spoke of this restoration in this passage:
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Greek word for ‘renewal’ here is paliggenesia (pal-ing-ghen-es-EE-ah), which means “new birth, regeneration or renewal.” It’s only used twice in Scripture. The second time is in Titus 3:5 where it refers to the regeneration of the human spirit when a believer accepts the gospel (John3:3, 3:6). This shows that the “renewal of all things” is actually being jump-started in this current age through the spiritual rebirth of believers. This culminates with Christ’s return for his Church, detailed above. The next stage of the “renewal” takes place when Christ returns to the Earth to establish his millennial reign, which is what Jesus was specifically referring to in the above passage, Matthew 19:28. This renewal climaxes with the re-creation of the New Heavens and New Earth, which applies to the eternal age-to-come.
The animal kingdom and even the plant kingdom are partakers in this redemption of the physical universe. Why else would all creation “wait in eager expectation” for this great restoration if they were not included in it (Romans 8:19)? While animals and trees aren’t literally yearning for this renewal, they yearn for it in a figurative sense because they’re included in it.
When the high priest sprinkled animal blood on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant once a year to atone for the sins of the Israelites, this blood covered God’s Law, which was represented in the Ark via the tablets of the ten commandments. This ritual resulted in God’s mercy year to year, covering the Israelites’ sins. But the blood of animals could only temporarily cover sin, not cleanse it away forever (Hebrews 10:1-4). The good news is that Jesus Christ, who is the believer’s High Priest, offered his own blood when he went to the Most Holy Place in Heaven, not merely the blood of animals (Hebrews 9:23-28).
Leviticus 16:15 shows the high priest sprinkling blood on the ground in front of the Ark after sprinkling it on the cover. At the time the Ark was housed in the tent Tabernacle and so the blood was literally poured on the ground. Why’s this significant? Because the entire ceremony pointed to Christ’s blood atonement in Heaven and the priest didn’t just sprinkle blood on the lid of the Ark for the redemption of humanity, but also on the ground for the redemption of all physical creation!
Were there animals before the fall? Yes. Therefore there will be animals after the fall. The question is, will the LORD create new animals or will God simply resurrect animals that have already lived and died? Or both?
Speaking of which…
Will God Resurrect Animals From Sheol?
This is where the topic gets a little complicated because some people have an erroneous understanding of Sheol/Hades, as well as a religious conception of ‘soul’ as opposed to a scriptural one. Thankfully, “the truth will set you free” and everything makes perfect sense when you have a purely biblical grasp of these issues. If you feel it’s getting too complicated, however, just skip down to the final two sections (starting with Tying It All Together).
Let’s start with the fact that Scripture plainly states what happens to animals when they die:
13Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
the end of those who are pleased with their lot.
14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.
15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.
Psalm 49:13-15 (NRSV)
Many Christians today are either ignorant of the nature of Sheol (which is Hades in the Greek) or have a faulty grasp of the topic due to unbiblical religious teachings. What is Sheol? Sheol is “the world of the dead,” as scholar James Strong defined it, which corresponds to the scriptural definition as the “assembly of the dead” or “realm of the dead” (see Proverbs 21:16, Isaiah 14:9, 14:15, Ezekiel 31:15, 31:17 and 32:21, 32:27). The verses from Ezekiel, by the way, are the LORD Himself speaking, which means God Himself defines Sheol as “the realm of the dead.” It’s not the realm of the living, but rather the realm of the dead.
In other words, Sheol is the graveyard of dead souls where the immaterial DNA of lifeless souls is stored. For clear proof of this straight from the Holy Scriptures go here. Remember, God’s written Word is the blueprint for authentic Christianity and therefore it reveals what is true and what is not true in regard to spiritual matters. This is why Paul said “do not go beyond what is written” when it comes to Christian beliefs (1 Corinthians 4:1-6). That’s what we’re doing here — finding answers to our topic based on what the Scriptures actually say and not mindlessly embracing religious myths or quaint sectarian theories.
Since Sheol is where soulish remains are stored until potential resurrection at a future date, we are left with two obvious questions:
- Do the immaterial remains of animals go to Sheol when they die?
- Do animals have souls?
The answer to both of these questions is yes. If you find this doubtful, see for yourself what God’s Word has to say on both subjects…
Sheol: A Place Where Sheep Go?
Let’s return to that enlightening passage from the Psalms written by the sons of Korah:
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
the end of those who are pleased with their lot.
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of
Sheol,
for he will receive me.
Psalm 49:13-15 (NRSV)
The text refers to those who trust in themselves rather than God, which verse 13 describes as the “foolhardy.” A ‘fool’ in the Bible is synonymous with a wicked person since “fool” denotes someone who is morally deficient; that is, someone who rejects God’s existence, authority, wisdom & discipline and embraces evil desires (see Proverbs 1:7, 5:22-23 and Psalm 14:1).
Since this passage is definitely referring to ungodly people you would think that the King James translators would have translated sheol as “hell,” which would be in line with their misleading policy of translating the word as “hell” when the passage referred to wicked people, and as “grave” when it referred to righteous people. The reason they did this was to support their religious belief that the unredeemed immediately went to a fiery torture chamber when they died whereas redeemed people went somewhere else. Yet, notice how the King James Bible renders verse 14:
Like sheep they are laid in the grave [sheol];
death shall feed on them;
and the upright shall have dominion over them in the
morning;
and their beauty shall consume in the grave
from their dwelling.
Psalm 49:14 (KJV)
The passage is contextually referring to ungodly people yet the King James translators mysteriously chose not to render sheol as “hell,” which was their usual practice. Why? Obviously because the verse plainly says that wicked people are appointed for Sheol LIKE SHEEP! Of course everyone knows that sheep don’t go to a place of roasting conscious torture when they die. You don’t have to be a scholar to realize this. Hence, despite their desire to render sheol as “hell” in line with their standard practice they had no choice but to translate it as “the grave” in this case.
This passage coincides with Jeremiah 12:3, which also likens ungodly people to sheep that are to be slaughtered: “Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter.” Note clearly that it says they are to be butchered and slaughtered (which is in harmony with the biblical axiom that “the wages of sin is death”), not tortured in some fiery nether realm until their resurrection thousands of years hence, as some ludicrously teach.
At this point, two questions crop up: Do sheep really go to Sheol as Psalm 49:14 says? And, if so, does this mean they have souls since, biblically speaking, Sheol is the “world of the dead” where dead souls are specifically laid to rest after physical death?
Do Animals Have Souls? Do They Go to Sheol When They Die?
The answer to both questions, believe it or not, is yes. Sheep and other animals are described in terms of being “living souls” in the Bible and, when they die, their non-physical essence is indeed laid to rest in Sheol. This may sound odd at first since due to people being indoctrinated by unbiblical concepts, but let’s observe what the God-breathed Scriptures have to say on the subject.
The word “soul” in the Bible is translated from the Hebrew word nephesh (neh-FESH), which corresponds to the Greek psuche (soo-KHAY).*
* Compare Genesis 2:7 with 1 Corinthians 15:45 for verification.
The creation text, Genesis 2:7, states that God breathed into the body of the first man the breath of life and he “became a living soul.” As such, the passage plainly shows that human beings are “living souls.” This explains why redeemed people who physically die during the future Tribulation period are described as conscious living “souls” in Heaven in Revelation 6:9-11. It’s obvious in Genesis 2:7 that what makes people living souls as opposed to dead souls is God’s breath of life. Without this “breath of life” the human soul is a dead soul.
This is where the concept of Sheol comes into play: When a person physically dies the Bible teaches that the breath of life (i.e. spirit) returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, Job 34:14-15 & Psalm 146:3-4). What happens to a soul when God’s breath of life returns to the Creator and the soul is no longer a living soul? In other words, where are dead souls laid to rest? In Sheol! Remember, as the Bible and James Strong define it, Sheol is “the realm of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16, Ezekiel 31:15, 31:17 & 32:21, 32:27). It’s not the realm of the living — the realm of conscious beings — no, it’s the realm of the dead. And souls who are no longer animated by God’s spiritual breath of life are dead. That’s why they are placed in Sheol because, again, Sheol is the realm of the dead.
We know from the Scriptures that every human soul will ultimately be resurrected from Sheol. Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the time of Christ’s Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation (Matthew 19:28). All other unredeemed souls will ultimately be resurrected at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, which will take place immediately following the millennial reign of Christ on Earth; this resurrection includes every spiritually un-regenerated soul that’s ever existed throughout history (Revelation 20:11-15).
Genuine believers don’t have to worry about going to Sheol, of course, because they’ve been spiritually born-again of the imperishable seed of Christ and possess eternal life in their spirits (1 Peter 1:23 & 1 John 5:12-13); hence, when authentic Christians physically die they are ushered into the presence of the LORD as shown in the aforementioned Revelation 6:9-11, as well as Philippians 1:20-24 and other passages (2 Corinthians 5:8) — death holds no black pall over the blood-washed, spiritually reborn Christian for to “be with Christ… is better by far”! This topic is fully covered here.
Why am I emphasizing all this? Because it’s important here to understand that Sheol is the holding place of dead souls. It is where God stores the soulish remains of every human being that has ever existed, their immaterial DNA, if you will. This is obviously necessary so that every person can be resurrected at the appropriate time.
Incidentally, this is what makes the “second death” so horrifying: Everyone will ultimately be resurrected from Sheol, but no one will ever be resurrected from the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:14-15). This “second death” is an “everlasting destruction” so utterly complete and final that no one will ever be resurrected from it; it is literally a total obliteration of soul and body wherein one’s spiritual DNA is wiped out of existence (Matthew 10:28 & Hebrews 10:26-27, 10:31). You can read scriptural details here.
By the way, the fact that everyone will ultimately be resurrected from Sheol, which is the first death, but no one will be resurrected from the second death explains why souls in Sheol are repeatedly described as “sleeping” (e.g. Psalm 13:3 & Matthew 9:23-26). Unredeemed people who suffer the first death (physical death) are, figuratively speaking, “sleeping” because they will one day be “awoken,” that is, resurrected. By contrast, those who suffer the second death are never described as sleeping because they will never be “awoken” or resurrected. In other words, the first death is temporary, but the second death is everlasting — there’s no hope of resurrection from the second death (Revelation 20:11-15).
With the above scriptural facts in mind, let’s return to the questions of whether or not animals have souls and whether or not they go to Sheol when they physically die. The Bible describes animals in terms of being “living souls” just as well as humans. The Hebrew and Greek words for soul — nephesh and psuche — are repeatedly used in reference to animals in the Bible. For example:
So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature (nephesh), that was its name.
Genesis 2:19 (NRSV)
As you can see, land animals and birds are described in the Bible as “living creatures.” The word “creature” in this verse is nephesh, the Hebrew word for “soul.” Water animals are also described in the Bible as “living creatures” (Genesis 1:20-21); this includes Revelation 8:9 where the Greek word for “soul” — psuche — is used. My point is that animals are described in the God-breathed Scriptures as “living souls” just as people are. The reason most people don’t realize this is because English translations generally don’t translate nephesh and psuche as “soul” when the text refers to animals, as shown above in Genesis 2:19.
Why would Bible translators refuse to translate nephesh and psuche as “soul” when the terms apply to animals? No doubt because they wanted to draw a distinction between animals and human beings; after all, people are created in the image of God, beasts are not. Yet the original God-breathed Scriptures used the very same Hebrew and Greek word for both, shouldn’t we? If God Himself doesn’t have a problem with it, why should we?
Of course the real reason many translators refrain from translating nephesh and psuche as “soul” when these words apply to animals is that doing so would be counterproductive to the doctrine of the “immortal soul.” This doctrine maintains that souls, once created, can never be de-created — even unredeemed souls. Hence, the immortal soul doctrine is one of the chief pillars for the eternal roasting torture doctrine.
This pillar might be damaged if people discovered that animals are described in the Bible as “living souls” just as well as people; after all, even the uneducated public might question the notion that animals possess immortal souls and roasting in a nether realm for eternity. To solve this dilemma, English Bible translators decided to translate nephesh and psuche as “creature(s)” or “thing(s)” when the terms applied to beasts. This is another example of religionists attempting to cover-up the scriptural truth in order to perpetuate false beliefs.
The King James translators were so careful in this matter that there’s only one passage where nephesh is translated as “soul” in reference to animals; and the only reason they did so in this case was because of the curious wording of the passage. Witness for yourself:
And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul (nephesh) of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves [oxen], and of the asses, and of the sheep.”
Numbers 31:28 (KJV)
As you can see, “soul” (nephesh) in this verse applies equally to people, oxen, donkeys and sheep; the translators couldn’t very well render it as “creatures” or “things” since the list includes people as well as animals. They therefore had no choice but to translate nephesh as “soul.” (Let’s remember that the King James Version is a word-for-word translation so the translators couldn’t very well omit the word).
An obvious question crops up at this point: If both humans and animals are described as “living souls” in the Bible, what is the essential difference between them? The difference is that human beings are created in the very image of God whilst animals are not (Genesis 1:27). This not only means that people have the same general form of God (head, face, torso, legs, arms*), but also that human beings possess a spiritual dimension to their make-up that is aware of God & the spiritual realm, and Christians even possess the capacity to know and commune with God because of spiritual rebirth through Christ.
* Don’t believe for a second that God is some formless cloud being. Yes, the LORD is spiritual in nature, as Jesus said (John 4:24), but the Bible indicates that He definitely has a central presence that is human-like in form (e.g. Ezekiel 1:25-28 & Revelation 1:14-16). Some may respond: “But isn’t God omnipresent?” Yes, the Creator is omnipresent in the sense that the Almighty knows what’s going on everywhere at the same time and can do innumerable things simultaneously, but this does not mean that God’s being lacks a central presence and form.
Animals, of course, lack these characteristics. Yes, they have a spirit but only in the sense of a “breath of life,” an animating spiritual life-force from the Almighty. Animals are, of course, awesome creations of God, but they are on a far lower plane than people. They are instinct-oriented and therefore lack any consciousness of good or evil and have limited reasoning capabilities. They don’t have a God-consciousness (spirit) or a sin-consciousness (flesh). Many animals can be trained to respond to certain words and do various tasks or tricks, but not much more. They cannot build cities, learn complex languages, understand algebra, create and appreciate art or worship God. Human beings, on the other hand, are souls of the highest order created in God’s image and that’s why the Creator gave humankind authority over all animals (see Genesis 1:28 and 9:1-3). This is evidenced by the fact that people have zoos for animals and not vice versa.
Okay, so it’s clear in the Bible that animals are “souls,” but does this mean that their soulish essence goes to Sheol when they die? Evidently, according to Psalm 49:14:
Like sheep they [the foolhardy] are appointed
for Sheol;
Psalm 49:14 (NRSV)
The psalmist is essentially saying that fools under Old Covenant law will prematurely die just as surely as sheep slated to be slaughtered. Note that the psalmist plainly states that sheep “are appointed for Sheol.” There’s no reason we shouldn’t take this statement literally: When sheep die their souls go to Sheol. Remember, Sheol is simply “the world of the dead” or the “well of souls” — the space in the spiritual realm where dead souls are stored until their potential resurrection in the far-flung future. Is there any reason why God wouldn’t store the soulish remains of animals there as well as humans? After all, where else would the LORD store them? Especially considering the strong possibility that God will resurrect some or all of them in the perpetual age-to-come. We assume, of course, that there’s a separate compartment in Sheol for animal souls, just as pet cemeteries are separate from human cemeteries in the physical world.
Incidentally, the fact the Bible teaches that dead animal souls go to Sheol when they die is further proof that Sheol is not a burial plot in the ground because sheep and other animals are not ordinarily thus buried. The Hebrew word qeber denotes the physical grave where bodies are buried while Sheol refers to the ‘graveyard’ in the spirit realm where dead souls are housed.
Tying It All Together
So 1. animals have souls in the biblical sense, and 2. they go to Sheol when they die. This makes perfect sense when you have a biblical understanding of the nature of Sheol rather than a religious understanding. Sheol is the graveyard of dead souls where the immaterial DNA of lifeless souls is stored. As such, God can resurrect these life-forms when and if he deems fit. This includes the souls of animals.
Animal souls are, of course, stored in a separate compartment of Sheol than humans, just as pet cemeteries on Earth are separate from human graveyards.
In a previous section we saw that the Bible speaks of “the final restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21), which refers to the LORD restoring everything in creation to its original condition. The Greek word for ‘all things’ is pas (pass), which means “all, the whole, every kind of.” So God is going to restore all creation to its original condition, as he originally intended it to be. Revelation 21:5 adds an interesting insight in that God will be “making everything new” and not making new things. Chew on that.
Of course, the LORD won’t restore those condemned to the lake of fire, which includes damned human beings, the devil and his filthy angels and anything else cast into the lake of fire, such as death and Hades:
13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:13-15
I bring this up because those who adhere to the doctrine of universal restoration — i.e. universalists — believe that everything thrown into the lake of fire will be purged of evil and restored. If this is so, why did Christ use the example of weeds thrown into fire in reference to damned people who will suffer the second death (Matthew 13:40)? Are weeds restored when they’re cast into fire or do they burn up? What about Jesus’ example of a king’s enemies brought before him and executed in front of him from Luke 19:27? Does this example leave any room for his executed enemies being restored?
Revelation 20:14 (above) shows that death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. Does this mean that they’ll be eliminated forever in the coming eternal age or that they’ll be restored? If the latter is true, will death — the grim reaper — be restored and become a friendly reaper? Will Hades morph from a dungeon-like pit where dead souls are housed into a beautiful park where people frolic in paradise?
The answers are obvious: Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire to be exterminated from existence forever, just as crying and pain will be eliminated (Revelation 21:4).
The reason we’re exploring this topic is because people naturally wonder about their beloved pets and animals. Will they ever see them again? Will they be reunited with them in the New Heavens and New Earth? While the Scriptures don’t directly address the question, the answer is obvious based on the passages we’ve looked at and others. For instance, how could it be the “restoration of all things” if one’s beloved pets are omitted? If Jesus said we are to ask and receive so our joy might be complete on this imperfect Earth (John 16:24), how much more so on the New Earth, which will be perfect? Doesn’t the Bible say that those who delight themselves in the LORD will receive the desires of their hearts (Psalm 37:4)? If this is so in this wicked age, how much more so in the righteous age to come? Really, it’s just common sense.
Will the LORD resurrect all animal souls in Sheol or just some? Again, the question isn’t addressed in the Bible, but we can use common sense in deducing a plausible answer: Why would God create new animals when he can just resurrect ones already created over the course of Earth’s history? Of course, the resurrected animals will be perfected when they’re resurrected — restored to their original design — like straw-eating lions and snakes that are no longer poisonous. This would, again, be part of the “restoration of all things.” How would it truly be a universal restoration of creation if innocent animals are omitted? And how is it that “creation waits in eager expectation” (Romans 8:19) if large quantities of creation — living creatures — aren’t included?
Someone might understandably argue that there wouldn’t be enough space on Earth to resurrect every animal that has died since the fall of creation. However, since astronomers estimate there are at least one hundred billion galaxies in the universe (!) and therefore incalculable planets with Earth-like environments this won’t be a problem whatsoever. Another thing to consider is that there will likely be much more land area on the New Earth in light of Revelation 21:1, that is, if we take it literally (currently 71% of the Earth’s surface is water).
If God doesn’t resurrect all the animals then obviously the dead souls of the ones that aren’t resurrected will still be in Sheol (Hades) when it’s cast into the lake of fire. In short, the soulish remains of these animals will be wiped out of existence at this time.
Do Pets Go to Heaven?
You’ll notice that I didn’t say anything about “pets going to heaven.” That’s because such a statement isn’t biblically accurate. For one thing, the Bible doesn’t describe the eternal age to come as “heaven” but rather as the “new heavens and new earth,” which is “the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). ‘Heaven’ technically refers to the spiritual realm where God’s throne is located. Of course many Christians refer to the eternal age-to-come as “heaven,” but this is erroneous terminology that can be traced back to Augustine’s false doctrine of amillennialism.
But do the souls of animals go to Heaven when they die like the souls of spiritually-regenerated believers in the New Testament era? We don’t see any evidence of this in the Bible, but we do see evidence of animal souls going to Sheol, as noted. As such, your dead pets aren’t likely hanging out in Heaven awaiting your coming, but they will be resurrected in the coming age of the New Heavens and New Earth, if that’s your desire. And why wouldn’t it be?
A certain prophet, however, insists that your beloved pets are indeed in Heaven and will be awaiting your arrival there during the “intermediate state” between physical death and bodily resurrection. Is this true? I suppose it could be, at least in some cases, but the LORD would have to arrange this beforehand based on your desire to see your pet again.
Whatever the case, you will see your beloved animals again in eternity. Praise the Lord!
Related Topics:
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
The Three Realms—Heaven, Earth and the Underworld
Sheol / Hades: The “Intermediate State” of the Unsaved Dead
Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers
Hell (Human Damnation) — Questions and Answers
What Does It Mean to Be “BAPTIZED WITH FIRE”?
What did John the Baptist mean when he said regarding Christ: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”? Let’s read the statement in its fuller context as that will reveal its meaning:
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:7-12
The corrupt religious leaders of Israel went out to observe John’s ministry of baptizing repentant people in the Jordan River. When the fiery prophet saw them he frankly called them “vipers” and encouraged them to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” ( Verses 7-8). He followed this up with: “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (verse 10), which is an obvious reference to human damnation (Matthew 13:40).
John then explained that, while he baptized people with water for repentance, the Messiah “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (verse 11) followed by: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (verse 12).
This shows that the Lord will do one of two things with people when they ultimately stand before him to be evaluated or judged:
- Gather them into his “barn” like a valuable crop of wheat, which is a reference to eternal life in the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
- Burn them up like chaff in fire, which is a reference to being cast into the lake of fire and suffering the “second death” (Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 10:28 & Hebrews 10:26-27,31).
The Greek word for ‘baptize’ means “to immerse.” Thus those judged to be worthless chaff will be immersed in fire when they’re cast into the lake of fire wherein they’ll suffer “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The fact that the LORD will do one of two things with people based on their wise or foolish choices is crystal clear in James’ simple proclamation:
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy.
This reveals the good news for the humbly penitent and the bad news for the incorrigibly corrupt (John 3:16 & Romans 6:23). Make sure you’re amongst the former and not the latter. And be encouraged: No matter how far a person is from God, it’s only one step to reconciliation and eternal life through the awesome gospel of Christ.
By the way, did you notice that John plainly said the chaff would be burned up in the fire? The Greek word used is katakaió (kat-ah-KAH-ee-oh), a compound word meaning “burn up, consume entirely,” which corresponds to this crystal clear passage:
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
For details on human damnation go here.
‘What About Believers Being Baptized With the Fire of the Holy Spirit?’
A minister could certainly make the case that believers can be imbued with the fire of God via fanning into flame the gift of the Spirit (à la 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Acts 2:3 & Hebrews 12:29); however, the context of Matthew 3:11 proves that John the Baptist on this occasion was talking about Christ baptizing (1) the “wheat” with the Holy Spirit and (2) the worthless “chaff” with the fires of Gehenna (Matthew 3:12). The former refers to believers and the latter to impenitent unbelievers. Bear in mind that the Greek word for ‘fire’ in verse 11 is the same word in verse 12, pur.
This conclusion corresponds to the common sense rules of Bible interpretation, specifically Context is King.
So Christians can preach on being anointed with the fire of the Holy Spirit all they want, but they can’t use Matthew 3:11-12 — or the parallel Luke 3:16-17 — as support texts because that’s not what they’re talking about.
Related Topics:
Hell (Human Damnation) — Questions and Answers
Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers
Understanding Christ’s LORDSHIP in the Believer’s Life
Being an Heir to the Kingdom of God, Inheriting It and Seeing It
The question we want to answer is this:
What is the difference between being an heir to the kingdom of God, entering it and seeing it?
The ‘kingdom of God’ literally refers to “the rule of the LORD” or “spiritual reign of God” (and is synonymous with the kingdom of Heaven). This could apply to the reign of God in the individual believer’s life, which would be determined by how much they’re seeking God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33 & Luke 17:21).
Yet it also relates to the worldwide Church and an assembly/sect of believers, assuming it’s genuine (Matthew 16:18-19), with the understanding that Christ is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:21 & 5:23) and the Church is the forerunner in this fallen world to the coming Kingdom of God.
Speaking of which, the kingdom of God ultimately applies to the eternal age of the New Heavens & New Earth (2 Peter 3:13 & Matthew 26:29).
Spiritually regenerated believers are heirs to this eternal kingdom and coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, 4:7 & Ephesians 3:6).
Being an heir to the kingdom and actually inheriting it are obviously linked, but it’s possible to be an heir who ends up not inheriting the kingdom; that is, not entering it. While eternal security is true as the believer continues in faith (John 10:27-30 & Colossians 1:23), it’s possible for a believer to lose their faith and not enter the kingdom (2 Timothy 2:12 & Luke 8:13). So eternal security is true, but unconditional eternal security is not.
As for seeing the kingdom of God, this could refer to “looking forward to the New Heaven and New Earth” while serving the Lord in this mundane world (2 Peter 3:13), but it could also refer to the day one actually inherits the kingdom and sees it firsthand.
Related Topics:
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers
Kingdom of God — What Does it Mean?
When Pastors Fail to Correct Their Relatives in the Church
Have you ever experienced a situation at an assembly where the pastor refuses to genuinely correct a carnal individual because they’re related? For instance, Carol & I were part of a ministry years ago where a pathological liar ran around the church gossiping & slandering, yet was tolerated because she was related to the pastor and favored. It goes without saying that this caused constant problems in that fellowship.
I call this the “Eli Syndrome” based on the biblical account of Eli, the priest of Shiloh, and his tolerance of his wicked sons, who served (themselves) at the Tabernacle. Accounts like this are chronicled in the Old Testament as warnings to us so that we don’t commit the same folly (1 Corinthians 10:11). Let’s read the account:
12Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. 13Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt…
22Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good. 25If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.*
1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25
* Don’t stumble over the peculiar phrasing of the second part of verse 25. The punishment of Eli’s sons was due to their own rebellion. Writers in the Old Testament simply categorized events as falling under the LORD’s sovereign control, even disobedience.
Eli’s two sons were “in the ministry” but are described as wicked men who had no regard for the LORD and even fornicated with the young women who served at the Tabernacle (verses 12, 17 & 22)! Although Eli rebuked his beloved offspring at one point it’s clear that his heart wasn’t in it, so to speak, and the sons continued in their wicked ways without consequence (verses 22-25).
How do we explain this? Eli loved his sons, as any parent, but he foolishly only loved them with soft, gentle love. This was a huge mistake and ultimately resulted in God’s judgment, which entailed the premature death of both sons, as well as the capture of the Ark of the Covenant, Eli’s own death, the death of his daughter-in-law and the departure of God’s anointing from Eli’s direct bloodline. You can read this in 1 Samuel 4:11 and 4:18-22.
As far as the departure of God’s anointing goes, Eli’s orphaned grandson was given the name Ichabod, which means “no glory” or “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:21). This shows that God’s glory will depart from any ministry that allows the Eli Syndrome! Needless to say, if you are a minister and don’t want God’s anointing to leave your ministry, do not permit the Eli Syndrome!
This tragedy could have been avoided if only Eli would’ve been willing to love his sons with the necessary tough love, which would involve more than just a half-hearted verbal correction. It would mean a stern public rebuke and removal from the ministry altogether until they humbly repented and proved themselves. Loving his sons solely with gentle love resulted in their deaths whereas implementing tough love would have saved them.
Are you getting this? Tough love would have literally saved their lives, not to mention Eli’s ministry. It goes without saying that tough love is sometimes necessary. It’s a good thing, not bad.
Interestingly, Eli’s protégé, Samuel, also fell prey to the “Eli Syndrome”: He foolishly appointed his two ungodly sons as judges in Israel in his old age (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Why didn’t he seek out two godly people to serve as Israel’s leaders? Because the Eli Syndrome causes otherwise God-fearing ministers to turn a blind eye to the glaring sins of their kin.
You’ll occasionally see evidence of this Eli Syndrome in today’s churches. A pastor will grant status to some undeserving kin, usually children, grandchildren or siblings, which doesn’t necessarily have to be an official position. The pastor will then tend to condone the relatives’ carnal actions, making excuses for them, etc. As long as you get along with these relatives you’ll have the pastor’s favor, but if you dare take a stand against any fleshliness you’ll be blacklisted one way or another and eventually forced to leave.
Like Eli, the pastor may offer a weak verbal correction for appearances’ sake while the relatives continue to wreak havoc, overtly or covertly. There’s only one sad end to the Eli Syndrome: The corruption of the ministry as sin works like yeast through the dough of the fellowship and the inevitable departure of God’s presence and anointing (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). If only the pastor would implement tough love!
What Was Wrong With Taking RAW Meat Rather Than BOILED Meat?
For those interested, I wanted to include an explanation of the curious transgression of Eli’s sons chronicled in 1 Samuel 2:12-15. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were subordinate priests at the Tabernacle in Shiloh and they committed three violations of the Law in this situation:
- They took what was not theirs. The priests were due the breast and a thigh of each fellowship offering, as observed in Leviticus 7:34 & 10:14-15, but Eli’s sons took for themselves whatever a huge 3-pronged fork would collect from the boiling pot.
- They took for themselves before they gave the LORD his portion — before the fat was burned on the altar (Leviticus 7:25 & 7:31).
- They demanded raw meat so that they could roast it slowly rather than boiling it quickly as the sacrificial law prescribed. By doing so, they mocked the LORD’s instructions at the first Passover to cook and eat food quickly before escaping Egypt (Exodus 12:11).
Eli’s sons were not only depriving God’s people of their portions of the peace offerings, worse, they were depriving the LORD of his portion of the sacrifices.
This article is also a chapter in…
You can purchase the print book here for only $7.38 (175 pages)
Or get the Kindle eBook here for only 99¢
Related Topics:
What is GLORY in the sense of God’s (Shekinah) GLORY?
Does Walking in AGAPE LOVE Mean You should be a DOORMAT to Abuse?
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
What Does Love “Always Protects” Mean?
Turning the Cheek — What it Means and Doesn’t Mean
Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Can a Person “Sell Their Soul” to the Devil?
You’ve no doubt seen a movie or read a story about a person selling his/her soul to the devil, like Ghost Rider or Faust. In these tales the individual makes a deal with the devil (or some lesser demon) by offering his/her soul in exchange for some extraordinary benefits, but there’s always a downside and a dire eternal price.
While these stories are fantastical, can a person in real-life sell his/her soul to satan? What’s the Bible say? Let’s start with the unpopular truth that…
In a Sense, the Devil ALREADY Owns the Souls (Lives) of Unbelievers
I realize that’s a pretty radical statement, but consider the biblical evidence: Some kind of lawful transference of power took place after Adam & Eve’s fall in Eden (Genesis 3) and this explains why the Bible says “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” who “leads the whole world astray” (1 John 5:19 & Revelation 12:9). How can this be? Simple: Satan possesses legal authority over physical creation. How else would he be able to tempt Christ with the offer of “all the kingdoms of the world” if they weren’t legally his to give? See Matthew 4:8-9.
The English Standard Version translates 1 John 5:19 as “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” The Greek word for ‘world’ in this verse is kosmos, which refers to the Earth or Universe. In short, the devil is legally in control of physical creation and therefore calls the shots, which is why the Scriptures refer to him as “the god of this world” who is able to blind the minds of those who don’t believe (2 Corinthians 4:4). Some translations render this as “the god of this age” since the Greek word for ‘age’ is not kosmos, but rather aión, which is where we get the English eon, aka an age. This shows that Satan’s dictatorship is limited to “this present evil age” and is not forever (Galatians 1:4).
Believers of course are looking forward to the eternal age of the New Heavens and New Earth where “there will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (2 Peter 3:13 & Revelation 21:1-4).
Getting back to our primordial parents, since Adam & Eve willingly believed and obeyed the word of satan over the Word of God they became slaves to a new master through the acquisition of a sinful nature, which is the satanic nature. Everyone born from the seed of Adam — meaning the entire human race — was born with that same satanic nature. This of course doesn’t mean that unredeemed people don’t have a capacity for good (since they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not just evil); yet their spirit is dead-to-God and in dire need of regeneration in order to reconnect with the LORD and attain eternal life (John 3:3, 3:6 & 3:16). This state is what theologians call spiritual death.
This explains why Christ frankly told a group of conservative religious leaders of Israel that the devil was their spiritual father (John 8:44). It also explains why the Messiah commissioned Paul to turn unbelievers “from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).
You see? Unbelievers are already children of the devil in a spiritual sense and thus under satan’s blinding power to some degree, whether they realize it or not. The awesome message of Christ is all about transferring people from the kingdom of darkness & death to the kingdom of light & life (Colossians 1:13 & John 3:36).
While this is true…
People “Sell” their Souls (Lives) to the Devil Depending on How Much They Live Out of Their Flesh
I realize that sounds like an extreme statement, but it’s based on these factors:
- The Hebrew & Greek words for ‘soul’ refer to the person’s life.
- Since the flesh or sinful nature is the satanic nature, the more an individual lives out of their flesh the more they produce the works of the devil on Earth.
The first point can be observed in this verse where the two Greek words for ‘life’ are used:
“The man who loves his life (psuche) will lose it, while the man who hates his life (psuche) in this world will keep it for eternal life (zoe).”
We see here two kinds of “life”:
What is the difference between zoe “life” and psuche “life”? Generally speaking, psuche refers to the individual life, that is, the living being itself, whereas zoe refers to the life of that being (Vine 368). Psuche of course is where we get the English words psyche and psychology. In other words, it has to do with the unique mind, being or disposition of the individual.
Now let’s relate this to Jesus’ statement in John 12:25 above: Psuche refers to the person himself — his very soul or being — and zoe in this context refers to the perpetual life of the person in the coming age. This explains why psuche is often translated as “soul” or “being,” such as in Christ’s statement here:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The Lord was talking about what the Bible calls the “second death,” which is the everlasting destruction of soul and body in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15, Hebrews 10:26-27, 10:31, Luke 19:27 & 2 Thessalonians 1:9). The point is that that psuche in this context refers to the inward life of the person — as opposed to the outer person, the body — which is the conventional understanding of ‘soul.’ *
* In some contexts psuche refers to the whole person, inner and outer, like 1 Peter 3:20 where ‘people’ is psuche in the Greek. It’s similar with the Hebrew nephesh. For details see this article on human nature.
With this understanding, the more a person chooses to live out of his or her flesh — the sinful nature — the more they’ll produce the works of that destructive, satanic nature as opposed to the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). Since the works of the flesh correspond to the character traits of the devil, the person who decides to live out of that nature produces the devil’s works in whatever situation they are involved. In short, they give legs to satan on Earth.
For instance, I was involved with a fellowship for several years where the granddaughter of the pastor would regularly lie about congregation members, which is gossip/slander. In essence, she gave legs to the devil in that assembly and understandably caused many needless problems. She unfortunately maintained the favor of the pastor because of her familial status, which is the foolish ‘Eli Syndrome’ (1 Samuel 2:12-25).
Closing Word
People don’t literally sell their souls to the devil in real-life, although I’m sure some satanists do so in their buffoonish goat-sucking rituals. However, people can “sell their souls” to the devil simply by living out of their sinful natures because the flesh is the satanic nature and thus people who choose to live out of this nature produce the evil works of that nature and in essence give legs to satan, creating carnal havoc in whatever situation they’re involved, whether in the neighborhood, friendship, school, marriage, work or ministry.
Eli’s sons are one example in Scripture (1 Samuel 2:12-25), but there are many others, like the so-called prophetess ‘Jezebel’ at the assembly of Thyatira (Revelation 2:20-24).
The key to not “selling your soul (your life) to the devil” in this manner is to simply walk in the spirit rather than the flesh. Those who do so will produce the fruit of the spirit, which are the character traits of God (Galatians 5:16 & 5:19-23).
Related Topics:
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
Why is this World so Messed Up?
Religion vs. Christianity (video)
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
What Is Spiritual Death?
Spiritual death simply means that the spirit of a person is dead to God, that is, the capacity of their spirit to unite them with God is dead because they lack eternal life. The only life they have is the temporal life inherited from the perishable seed of Adam. Christianity is all about reversing this tragic condition through spiritual rebirth via the imperishable seed of Christ, the second Adam. Consider the scriptural evidence for this…
The strongest proof that the born-again believer is spiritually alive to the LORD — and, by extension, the non-believer is spiritually dead to God — can be observed here:
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Romans 8:9-10
This suggests that the spirit of an unbeliever is dead in some manner, which is spiritual death. Paul says in verse 10, “if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin.” Just as the body of a believer is not literally dead (yet) neither is the spirit of the unbeliever literally dead.
Exactly how the human spirit of the unredeemed person is dead is explained elsewhere by Paul:
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
This reveals that the unbeliever is not one with the Lord in spirit. In other words, he/she is dead to God.
Being dead to God like this is due to lacking eternal life (zoe). Acts 17:25 plainly says that God gives all people life (zoe), yet this is the temporal life (zoe) given them thru Adam. Eternal life (zoe), by contrast, is only available thru Christ (John 3:16, John 3:36, 2 Timothy 1:10 & 1 Corinthians 15:22).
The unbeliever who is alive on Earth has yet to suffer physical death and the second death. The latter takes place when an unredeemed person is discarded in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). As such, he or she only has two deaths to experience — physical death and the second death. The unbeliever is already spiritually dead because this condition was passed on to them via Adam. As such, Paul described the Ephesians and Colossians as “dead in transgressions” or “dead in their sins” before their spiritual rebirth (Ephesians 2:5 & Colossians 2:13). Since they hadn’t yet experienced physical death or the second death, Paul was referring to the state of spiritual death.
Elsewhere Christ spoke of the condition of spiritual death, which is a present state in the unredeemed (John 5:24), as did John (1 John 3:14).
The concept of spiritual death is first detailed in Scripture in the book of Genesis:
16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die [tamut muth]”
Genesis 2:17 (NIV)
‘Certainly die’ in verse 17 is translated from two forms of the Hebrew word for death, muth (you can read the original Hebrew text here). A more literal translation of the verse would be: “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, dying, you will die” (which is basically how the Young’s Literal Translation renders it). In other words, the very day Adam sinned part of his being died, leading to his eventual demise.
The Hebrew word muth always indicates that something has died or will die. It does not mean “separation” as some claim. If God meant to warn Adam that he would “separate” He would have used the Hebrew word badal. So what died? Adam’s immortal nature. In other words, he lost his eternal life.
So spiritual death simply means that the human spirit is dead to God because it lacks eternal life. If the human spirit is dead to God it is impossible to have a relationship with the Creator because the human spirit is the facet of human nature that “connects” with the LORD. As Jesus said: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). If a person is spiritually dead it is impossible to know and worship God in spirit and truth. Why? Because they’re spiritually dead to the Creator. Because they’re spiritually dead to God they are separate from him, but ‘dead’ doesn’t mean “separation”; rather separation from the LORD is the result of being spiritually dead to God. Are you following?
This can be observed in the fact that Adam & Eve hid from the LORD immediately after suffering spiritual death. This condition robbed humanity of guilt-free access into the presence of God and the precious communion thereof.
Paul also spoke of spiritual death when he said: “Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died” (Romans 7:9). This alludes to the age of accountability, which is the age that the LORD holds people accountable to sin. Have you ever run into a family where the parents are heavily involved in sin, like drugs & crime or sexual immorality, but their kids are bright-eyed & bushy-tailed? Regardless of the moral degeneracy of their parents, the kids have the sparkle of life in their eyes! It’s incredible. Why is this? Because they’re spiritually alive.
The condition of spiritual death is passed on from Adam to everyone born into this world (Romans 5:12). Thus anyone past the age of accountability will only experience two deaths — physical death and the second death. Another way to put it is that spiritual death results in two inevitable deaths — physical death and the second death, which is eternal death, aka literal everlasting destruction (Matthew 10:28, Hebrews 10:26-27, 10:31, Luke 19:27 & 2 Thessalonians 1:9). Thankfully, no one has to suffer the second death and that’s what makes the gospel of Christ such good news (Romans 6:23).
“Original Sin” and Spiritual Death
To understand the condition of spiritual death it is necessary to grasp — as already noted — that it is the spiritual side of human nature that actually “connects” with God. “Original sin” is the reason this capacity does not exist with those who are spiritually dead. The doctrine of original sin of course suggests that humanity’s fallen nature — our inclination to commit sin and the corresponding alienation with our Creator — was naturally passed on to all of us by our primeval parents, Adam and Eve. You can read scriptural details about the fall of man here.
In order for a person’s spirit to unite with God he or she needs to be spiritually regenerated. This explains why Jesus taught that our spirit must be “born again” for us to “see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 & 3:6). Other key passages on the necessity of spiritual rebirth include Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 3:9 and James 1:18. Those who are spiritually reborn “cross over from death to life” (John 5:24 & 1 John 3:14). In other words, they transfer from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life.
The “second death,” by contrast, is a future event entailing the complete destruction of soul and body in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The condition of spiritual death ultimately results in the second death, which is an absolute death (Matthew 10:28 & Hebrews 10:26-27).
I want to stress again that the awesome message of Christ is all about fixing the condition of spiritual death and its repercussions by redeeming humanity through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:6 & John 3:16).
That’s the quickie answer to the question. For those interested in technical details, we now go deeper into the Scriptures, which should clear some things up. Repetition is implemented on key points in order to hammer them home, not to annoy you.
Technical Details on Spiritual Death
The word ‘spiritual’ in this context signifies the human spirit. So ‘spiritual death’ refers to the human spirit dying in some manner.
“Death” is translated from the Greek word thanatos (THAY-nah-tohs), which simply means “death, physical or spiritual,” — the express opposite of life according to Romans 8:38-39. Contrary to what some ministers insist, thanatos does not mean “separation.” Whenever thanatos is used in Scripture, it indicates that something has died, that is, something has ceased to exist. Let’s consider the three types of death denoted in the Bible and determine what dies or ceases to exist in each case:
Physical Death
Physical death always refers to dying physically and therefore, at the very least, a person ceasing to exist in the physical realm. A good example of thanatos used in this context is Acts 23:29 wherein a Roman Commander observed that Paul hadn’t committed any offense worthy of death or imprisonment. If Paul was executed he would’ve ceased to exist in the physical realm. He’d leave behind a lifeless shell, of course, but his conscious life would no longer exist on our earthly plane (James 2:26).
The equivalent Hebrew word for death is maveth (MAW-veth). For proof, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 combines quotes from Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 where the Hebrew maveth is supplanted with the Greek thanatos. Notice how Maveth is used in reference to the death of animals in the Old Testament:
Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: as one dies (maveth) so dies (maveth) the other.
Ecclesiastes 3:19
As dead (maveth) flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Ecclesiastes 10:1
Animals that experience death (thanatos/maveth) cease to exist in any kind of conscious sense, although they leave behind a lifeless shell. This is physical death.
Spiritual Death
Spiritual death means the human spirit has died in some manner. Just as life ceases to exist in a body that is dead, so eternal life ceases to exist in the human spirit that is dead to God. A person who is spiritually dead only has temporal life whereas the person who is spiritually alive has eternal life.
For plain evidence of this, the Bible says point blank that eternal life and immortality are only available to people through the message of Christ:
…our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
The Greek word for “life” is zoe. Paul is speaking of eternal life (zoe) here since (1) he links it to immortality, (2) eternal life is made available through the gospel of Christ and (3) people already have temporal life apart from the gospel.
Speaking of which, the only kind of life (zoe) that unredeemed people possess is the temporal life (zoe) inherited from Adam, which God gives to all people (Acts 17:25). Read that again: God gives all people zoe. In other words, every unredeemed person on Earth is born of the perishable seed of Adam and thus has life (zoe), yet this is temporal life (zoe). To acquire eternal life (zoe) the individual must be born again of the imperishable seed of Christ, the second Adam. This is what the gospel of Christ is all about:
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
This helps us to understand why Christ said we must be “born again” to see the kingdom of God in John 3:3, 3:6. He goes on to say: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). Please notice that Jesus does not say “whoever believes in him shall not have eternal existence but have eternal life.” Such a reading renders the text baffling, to say the least. Rather he says “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Furthermore, John 3 goes on to say: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (3:36). Whoever rejects Christ will not see any kind of life at all — not even the temporal life they currently possess.
By the way, did you notice the two polar opposite fates noted in the first passage above: “in Adam all die” but “in Christ all will be made alive”?
Eternal Death
The condition of spiritual death — if not fixed — naturally results in eternal death, which is absolute death, the destruction of soul and body (the inner and outer man) in the lake of fire, which is God’s celestial garbage dump (Matthew 10:28, Hebrews 10:26-27, 10:31, Luke 19:27 & 2 Thessalonians 1:9). The Bible calls this eternal death the “second death” because it takes place after the first death, physical death, when souls are resurrected from Hades/Sheol on Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15). You can read biblical details about the “second death” here.
More on Spiritual Death
Let’s return to the biblical example of a person who experienced spiritual death and the repercussions thereof. I’m referring to Adam, the first man.*
* In the Hebrew, adam (aw-DAWM) simply means “a human being (an individual or the species)” (Strong 8) or “the man” (Genesis 2:7 & 2:20).
Adam was of course spiritually alive when God created him and therefore possessed eternal life and hence could commune intimately with his Creator in the paradisal Garden of Eden. The LORD blessed this first man with the gift of eternal life when he created him; in short, Adam had immortality.
There was, however, a condition to maintaining this immortality as God clearly instructed Adam that if he sinned he would “surely die”:
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
The Hebrew word translated as “die” in this passage is muth (mooth) which means “to die” or “kill” (Strong 63) and is repeatedly used in the Old Testament simply in reference to physical death, including the death of animals:
The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;
Exodus 7:18a
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”
Exodus 14:11a
If Adam never sinned he would’ve never died. Yet he did sin, and the instant that he did part of him died — his immortal nature. We know this because the aging process started that very day culminating in his death many years later (Genesis 5:5). God foretold Adam’s death immediately after Adam’s fall, “For dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19c).
This helps us to understand why muth — “die” — is actually used twice consecutively in Genesis 2:17 (two forms of the word, anyway). As noted earlier, a more literal translation of this verse would be: “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, dying, you will die” (which is basically how the Young’s Literal Translation renders it). In other words, the very day Adam sinned part of his being died, leading to his eventual demise.
The Hebrew word muth always indicates that something has died or will die. It does not mean “separation” as some claim. If God meant to warn Adam that he would “separate” He would have used the Hebrew word badal (baw-DAL). The death of Adam’s immortal nature was the consequence of spiritual death.
Spiritual death, again, simply means that the human spirit is dead to God because it lacks eternal life. If the human spirit is dead to God it is impossible to have a relationship with the Creator because the human spirit is the facet of human nature that “connects” with the LORD. As Jesus said: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). If a person is spiritually dead it is impossible to know and worship God in spirit and truth. Why? Because they’re spiritually dead to the Creator. Because they’re spiritually dead to God they are separate from him, but ‘dead’ doesn’t mean “separation”; rather separation from the LORD is the result of being spiritually dead to God.
How Did Spiritually Dead Saints in the Old Testament Have a Relationship with God?
This raises a question: What about Old Testament saints, like Moses and David, who were technically spiritually dead, but obviously had a relationship with the LORD? How was this possible? The answer is that they had a covenant with God, which is a relational contract. But their covenant was an inferior one because it failed to provide spiritual rebirth wherein the person literally becomes the temple of God with the Holy Spirit living within him or her (1 Corinthians 6:19). This is not to say that the Holy Spirit didn’t come upon certain individuals in the Old Covenant and anoint them, etc.
This is one of the main reasons the New Covenant is referred to as a “superior” covenant (Hebrews 8:6) and, furthermore, explains what Jesus meant when he said that there was no one greater on Earth than John the Baptist at the time, but the least person in the kingdom of God is greater than him (Matthew 11:11). How could the least in the kingdom of heaven — the Church — possibly be greater than John the Baptist? Because of spiritual rebirth and the fact that believers are the temple of God in the New Covenant and not some structure as in the old covenant; that is, the tent Tabernacle or Temple.
Getting back to Adam, the immediate spiritual death of Adam & Eve is evident by the fact that they hid from God and were afraid of Him (Genesis 3:8-10). Their relationship with the LORD severely changed when they sinned as they were no longer “united with the Lord in spirit” and thus their pure communion died. Humanity has been hiding from God ever since. This is spiritual death — being dead to the Creator.
Like Adam & Eve, we’ve tried to cover up our sin with the fig leaves of religion in the thousands of years since, but religion can never solve the problem of spiritual death, including quasi-Christian religion. That’s why Jesus, the second Adam, taught that we need to be spiritually regenerated to have a relationship with God (John 3:3 & 3:6).
So the LORD originally created human beings with eternal life (zoe), but it was conditional. Unfortunately our primeval parents failed to live by this condition and consequently passed on the curse of sin and death to us all. Thankfully, there’s redemption through Jesus Christ (John 3:16 & 3:36).
Speaking of the Messiah, Jesus is spoken of as the “second Adam” in Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 15:45-49 & Romans 5:12-19). Like the first Adam, he was spiritually alive, but experienced spiritual death even though, unlike Adam, he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). When did Christ experience spiritual death? When he was “made sin” during his crucifixion wherein he suffered God’s wrath in our place, which is the aforementioned substitutionary death (2 Corinthians 5:21 & 1 Peter 2:24). This explains why the Lord yelled out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He was experiencing the result of spiritual death — separation from God, which is alienation.
‘But I Thought ‘Death’ Meant “Separation From God”?’
“Death” and “separation” are two completely different words in both Hebrew and Greek, just as they are in English; these words have different meanings.
The Hebrew badal (baw-DAL) and the Greek chorizo (koh-RID-zoh) are two Old and New Testament words for “separation” (see, for example, Isaiah 59:2 and Romans 8:35 & 8:39). If the wages of sin is not really death, but rather separation, then God would have used these Hebrew and Greek words to describe the ultimate wages of sin. For example, Romans 6:23 would read, “For the wages of sin is separation (chorizo)” and Ezekiel 18:4 would read, “The soul who sins will separate (badal).” But does the Bible teach this anywhere? No, “the wages of sin is death” and “the soul who sins will die” (NASB).
It is true, as previously noted, that one of the results of sin is separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). This is the consequence of spiritual death, which — as we’ve seen — simply means that one’s spirit is dead to God. Those who are spiritually dead cannot have a relationship with the LORD because God is spirit, and those who worship and know the Almighty can only do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). That’s why Christ taught that we need to have a spiritual rebirth in order to know God (John 3:3 & 3:6). I realize I’m being repetitive here, but repeating key points is effective in driving them home. The apostles practiced this, so I’m in good company (Philippians 3:1 & 2 Peter 1:12).
The Messiah experienced spiritual death when he bore our sins as he was crucified. He even cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He also experienced severe suffering when he was crucified. While it was horrible for Christ to experience this separation and suffering, it ended in death. The penalty Jesus paid for our sins was separation from God, temporary suffering, followed by death. This was an example of the second death to all humanity. Those who are already separated from God due to spiritual death and reject the LORD’s offer of reconciliation thru Christ can likewise expect suffering that ends in death on Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15 & Matthew 10:28).
For more scriptural evidence that ‘death’ does not mean “separation” see this article.
The Human Spirit is NOT a Separate Entity
This is a peripheral matter, but it’s important enough to note because some readers might get the impression that the human spirit is a separate entity to the individual in question. This is not so. A human being is not made up of 2-3 separate entities, but rather is one person with two contrasting natures, spirit and flesh. This can be observed in many passages, like:
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)
I say then: Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)
Since there is no capitalization in the biblical Greek translators must determine if “spirit” should be capitalized in reference to the Holy Spirit or not capitalized in reference to the human spirit. In the verse from Matthew translators unanimously agree that ‘spirit’ should be uncapitalized since it’s clearly a reference to the human spirit. In the Galatians passage most translations capitalize ‘spirit,’ but some don’t, like the Douay-Rheims Bible. The latter makes sense since — as with the Matthew verse — the Galatians passage is plainly speaking of the contrast between our two natures, spirit and flesh, and therefore “spirit” should not be capitalized. (This can be observed in other such texts, like Romans 8:5-6).
In a way it makes no significant difference since the believer’s born-again human spirit is indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16); as such, ‘spirit’ can be capitalized or not capitalized. The exception would be the verse in Matthew (above) since the people Jesus was talking to didn’t yet have the indwelling Spirit. Are you following?
The point is that the human being consists of spirit, mind and flesh. The mind is the soul, which has the power of volition. In other words the mind is the personality caught between the two contrasting natures, spirit and flesh, which can be observed in this passage:
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6 (NRSV)
As you can see, the mind of a person is the seat of disposition, which has the power of volition and therefore chooses to live according to the spiritual nature or the fleshly nature. These two conflicting natures constantly send impulses or desires to the mind and the person chooses which nature to feed and live out of. Whichever proclivity you choose will determine if you’re a spiritual person or a carnal person.
The point is that, while the human spirit and flesh are two opposite natures, they are not two separate personalities. People only possess one personality but are caught in a war between two natures.
Here is a diagram of human nature which will help you to visualize these things (click to enlarge):
As you can see, the human spirit is a person’s “godly nature” whereas the flesh is the “sinful nature.” One’s mind & heart are caught between these two conflicting inclinations.
The human spirit is the individual’s “godly nature” because it relates to the spiritual breath of life that proceeds from the LORD, which animates the soul (Genesis 2:7 & Psalm 104:29b-30). The human spirit is naturally where the conscience is located because it’s the “godly nature.” The flesh, by contrast, is the sinful nature because it’s the satanic nature. You can read more about how humankind inherited a satanic nature here.
All of this helps us to understand statements like “it is the human spirit that connects the person to God.” Again, the human spirit is not a separate entity with its own will, but rather is the person’s spritual nature, the part of him/her that inclines towards what is good, godly and productive. For scriptural details on human nature see this article.
Related Topics:
Religion vs. Christianity (video)
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
What is the “Age of Accountability”?
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
Death — Does it Mean “Separation” as Religionists Claim? (No)