Pt. 8- The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine? Continued

...

 

In short, if the doctrine of the immortality of the soul be the truth, the Bible doctrine of the judgment cannot be the truth.

 

And the time has now come when a choice must be made between them.

 

As for us, we choose the Bible, with all its doctrine, and with all that that choice involves.

 

That we do not misrepresent the popular doctrine of the immortality of the soul when we say that it puts men into heaven or hell at death, can be proved by anyone who will consult the hymn books, or the papers of the religious denominations that believe that doctrine, or listen to the average funeral discourse or revival sermon.

 

But that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment is not all. By virtue of that doctrine, men have usurped the seat of the Judge of all, and have arrogated to themselves the prerogative of reading into heaven whomsoever they see fit.

 

How often we read that such and such a person is in heaven! But what right has any man to say who is worthy of a place in that bright world? Who knows the heart?-None but God alone. He alone it is who pronounces upon the worthiness of men "to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead," and when men take upon themselves to read into heaven this man or that man, they are simply usurping the awful prerogative of the Most High. And only for belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, no man would ever think of it.

 

We repeat: It is God alone to whom belongs the right to pronounce that decision. He will pronounce it in every case, but it will be in the judgment; not at death, but at the resurrection of the dead, and before the assembled universe, and by the voice of the glorious Son of God, who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sins in his own blood; for he "hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." John 5:27-29. Any doctrine that will lead men to thus usurp the prerogative of the Judge of all the earth, cannot be the truth. This is exactly what the doctrine of the immortality of the soul does, therefore it cannot be the truth; and as it is subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment, it is not only not the truth, but the belief of it is subversive of the truth.

 

God created man upon the earth, and gave him dominion over all upon it. He made him, not as the angels, but lower than they-inferior to the angels. Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2:7, margin. God made man upright, but through the deception of Satan he turned to crooked ways-he sinned. And although God had put all things in subjection under him, and "left nothing" that was not "put under him," yet now, says Paul, we see not all things put under him. Heb. 2:8. Through sin he has been deprived of his glory, and honor, and dominion, which God gave him, and which the Lord intended that he should forever enjoy. This sin was brought upon him by Satan, and, hard upon sin, death followed.

 

But when man had thus sold himself under sin, God gave by promise, and in the "fullness of time" he gave in fact, his only-begotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." When man had so sold himself under sin, under the curse, God gave his dear Son to redeem him from sin, from the curse, and from all condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:1. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree." Gal. 3:13. "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5:21. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:3, 4.

 

(End Excerpt)

 

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

BY A. T. JONES.

 

((My Thoughts))

 

Do you know the heart of anyone? We like to think we do. How often we are found mistaken though? Divorce courts are filled with men and women who have been betrayed by someone they never imagined would betray them. They are filled with people who thought that they knew the heart of someone else only to be proven wrong, terribly, heartbreakingly wrong.  Not only are divorce courts filled with the betrayed, many homes are filled with the betrayed who choose to remain with those that have betrayed them - and they do this for many reasons and it's not our place to judge. 

 

Why am I asking about knowing the heart of others?

To make it perfectly clear that we can't know another person's heart.

 

Try as we might, we just are not capable of knowing. Too often through life we are proven wrong when time and time again a supposed good person turns out to be deplorable.

 

The facades we see of one another are just that, coverings hiding the truth. People perceive us as they choose to do so. The opposite is quite often true as well, someone you believe is awful turns out to secretly have a heart of gold, but again, we just don't know the heart of a single person.

 

Psa 44:21  Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. 

 

1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 

 

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

 

Job 34:21  For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. 

 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

 

Our God knows our hearts, He knows all of us and because He is the only one who can know us so completely ONLY HE CAN JUDGE OUR ETERNAL CONDITION.

 

Why do we suppose we have the right to deem someone unworthy of heaven, or anyone worthy of heaven? We don't really KNOW them. We like to think we do. Our hearts ache when someone we love dies and we want to imagine only good for them, but it is NOT our place to give them punishment or eternal glory. How arrogant we are to even assume we have that kind of power.

 

Satan has worked his evil deception so that it appears to be good! Satan has convinced the world of the immortality of the soul and of immediate judgment after death with the reward or punishment instantly following. Satan has wormed his way into the very fabric of our lives so that we believe, and tell others quite often, that so and so is in heaven having a heavenly birthday, Christmas, Easter, and oh how great when so and so can meet up with their loved ones when they die too.

 

Satan wants us to believe that we will join our loved ones who have preceded us to heaven. As soon as we are caught in that deception we have ROBBED GOD of His right to judge each and every person's eternal status. Yes, ROBBED GOD! Something you wouldn't dream of doing or even think of doing and yet unknowingly you are doing just that and you scream out your innocence to such evil. You say you didn’t know, you didn't understand! And yet, right now, if you are reading this and believe in the immortality of the soul and life right after death, you are ROBBING GOD, and you are still refusing to let go of your cherished belief because to do so would make your whole world turn upside-down. You'd have to stand out as someone who is bucking the system, someone who is turning their backs on long held truths, going against the grain, upsetting the status quo and so on. You don’t want truth, you want the comfort of Satan's deceptions that he's made so perfectly that they will deceive all but the very elect.

 

If you are thinking it just doesn't matter, then think again, because it matters- eternally.

 

God HELP us! God you know our hearts, search them and see if there is any evil in them, if there is any wicked way in us, please GOD lead us in the way everlasting, YOUR WAY not ours and most certainly not Satan's! It may be very hard, but You, oh God, you have the power, the glory and the honor! Save us from ourselves! Save us from Satan's deceptions- ALL OF THEM! Do for us all that we cannot do! Save us!

 

All through Your love and mercy, Your grace and beauty, Your wonder and majesty! All in You now and forever!!!!!!! In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Your uniquely begotten Son!  Amen.

 

 

Pt. 7- The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine? Continued

 III. THE JUDGMENT

Pt. 7- The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine? Continued

The judgment is one of the certainties of Bible doctrine. Time and again Jesus sets before us the awful scenes and the all-important decisions of the judgment.

"I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt. 12:36.

"The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." Luke 11:31, 32.

In the parable of the wheat and tares, in the parable of the marriage of the king's son (Matt. 22:1-14), in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), in fact, in all his teaching, the judgment was made prominent.

In Matt. 25:31-46, he sets before us a view of the very judgment itself. (((Take time to read all of this, it is the Word of God we are studying.))))

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The Old Testament as well as the New tells of the judgment. Solomon says:

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his

commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:13, 14.

Daniel says: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Dan. 7:9, 10.

Isaiah, David, Job, and other prophets speak of this, as well as Solomon and Daniel. Even "Enoch, the seventh from Adam," prophesied of this, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude 14, This is not a judgment that is constantly going on during men's lives and completed at their death, so that then their reward is given, whether for good or ill. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27. Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come" (Acts 24:25), not judgment already come, nor constantly going on. There is a time appointed for the judgment

"Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Acts 17:31.

"As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;" "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." Rom. 2:12, 16.

And again: "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10.

It is not that alone that he has done in his direct personal acts for which he must account; he must answer for the fruit of his doings. "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jer. 17:10.

The time when men shall receive for that which they have done, whether it be good or bad, is at the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the end of the world.

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."

"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." Rev. 11:15, 18.

Again we quote the words of Jude:

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14,

With this agree exactly the words of Christ:

"Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.

And Paul, in his charge to Timothy, and to all ministers of Christ, says:

"I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick [living] and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word." 2 Tim. 4:1, 2.

Peter also says:

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:9.

More texts might be given on these points, but these are sufficient. From these it is plain

(1) that there is a time "appointed" for the judgment;

(2) that this is after death;

(3) that it is the time of reward to all, for good or evil;

(4) that this is called the "day of judgment;"

(5) that it is at the appearing and kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ;

(6) that then, and not till then, it is that the righteous receive their reward;

(7) and that the "unjust" are "reserved" until that time to be punished, and are not punished before that great day of judgment.

Yet, however plain all this may be, it is equally plain that there is not one of these propositions that the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul does not tend to subvert. For if, at death, righteous men enter immediately into their reward, and the unrighteous go immediately to the place of punishment, then where is there any possible room for the judgment (unless, perhaps, the absurd idea be adopted that men should spend hundreds or thousands of years in happiness or misery, and then be brought to the judgment to see whether they be worthy of that which they have enjoyed or suffered!!)?

For if at death men enter immediately into their reward or punishment, as the case may be, then it follows, if there be any judgment at all, that instead of there being a time "appointed" "after this" for judgment, there must necessarily be a judgment constantly going on in the life of each individual, and that that judgment closes at his death, and that he in consequence of judgment passed enters then upon his destiny, whether for good or for ill.

It can be seen at a glance that such a view is utterly subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment. If such be the truth, then there can be no such thing as a day of judgment when the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, because all are judged as fast as they die; there can be no such thing as Christ judging the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, because all the dead have been judged when they died; there can be no such thing as the "time of the dead that they should be judged" when the seventh angel sounds, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, for all the dead will have been judged before the seventh angel shall have sounded; and there can be no such thing as reserving "the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished," because by this theory they are sent to punishment as soon as they die.

In short, if the doctrine of the immortality of the soul be the truth, the Bible doctrine of the judgment cannot be the truth.

(End Excerpt)

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

BY A. T. JONES.

((My Thoughts))

Do you believe the Bible?

Every single one of your beliefs that you follow as a Christian should be backed up by the Bible- every one of them. The Bible only is the inspired word of God and if anyone tells you different they are among those who are following traditions of men.

Can men and women be inspired by God today? Yes. However, all the inspiration that men and women today are given and have been given since God's word was put together as led by the Holy Spirit, will only expound on the already established truths without changing them- without adding or taking away from them.

The Bible tells us that those led by Satan would think to change times and laws, yet so many dismiss this as if it's unimportant. A change here, another change there, a tiny tweak of change only to make things better, right? That sort of belief will only cause you to be among the deceived. You will happily go about believing you are a true Christ follower unconcerned with changes and such, because you know in your heart you love God and Jesus and that's all you think matters. You will think that, and so will millions of others think that right up until the very moment Christ utters the words for you to get away from Him, that He doesn't know you.

We have to have the testimony of Jesus and follow the commandments of God. We must believe the word of God above all the words any man may speak.

May the Lord Jesus our Savior, through the Holy Spirit guide us ONLY to truth! Open our eyes no matter how painful it might be for us to see the truth. Please, let us know only truth, we do NOT want to be deceived, please! All through Your amazing love, Your mercy, Your grace! Now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!