Scripture presents the lake of fire as eternal because it is described with the same unqualified duration language used for God’s own life and for the believer’s eternal destiny. Jesus stated, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46). The parallelism is decisive. The same adjective modifies both destinies. If eternal life is unending, eternal punishment must be unending as well. Any attempt to limit the duration of the punishment logically undermines the permanence of life. Scripture gives no contextual indicator that the term shifts meaning within the same sentence.
Category: Death
All Babies Go to Heaven When They Die
The belief that all babies and young children go to heaven highlights the age of accountability, when individuals can be held responsible for moral decisions. This doctrine asserts that those incapable of understanding sin or making choices, including infants and the mentally impaired, are graciously covered by God's grace and welcomed into heaven.
When Jesus was Forsaken by the Father
Jesus, in His humanity, experienced a judicial separation from God the Father for three hours while bearing the punishment for our sins on the cross. Jesus’ judicial separation from the Father was necessary for Him to atone for humanity’s sins.
The Value of Jesus’ Death for God and Christians
Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross has both infinite and eternal value for both God the Father as well as those trust in Christ as their Savior. From the divine perspective, Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and this because He went to the cross as the Father directed (John 6:68; 12:27; cf., 26:39, 42), and died in our place (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4), “the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18), and we are redeemed “with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:19).
Jesus Died Twice on the Cross
This article discusses the significance of Jesus experiencing spiritual and physical death on the cross to atone for humanity's sins. It explains that spiritual death means separation from God in time, and how Jesus bore both types of death to fully represent and redeem humanity. The separation from God was temporary and necessary for atonement.
Who Crucified Jesus?
Who crucified Jesus? According to the testimony of Scripture, Jesus’ death on the cross was the result of: 1) God the Father who sent Him, 2) Jesus who willingly went to the cross, 3), Satan who worked through others to help crucify Him, 4) unbelieving Jews, and 5) unbelieving Gentiles.
Theological Implications of Jesus’ Resurrection for Salvation
Jesus’ resurrection is an essential element in soteriology. In fact, every writer of the NT assumes that Jesus was resurrected from the grave and treat it as an event that took place in time and space. Paul wrote that Jesus “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:4), that He was “the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Cor 15:20), and that “having been raised from the dead, is never to die again” (Rom 6:9).
Jesus’ Substitutionary Atonement in Salvation
Jesus’ atonement for sins is the basis for reconciliation, because God has judged our sins in the Person of Christ who died on the cross in our place. The death of Christ has forever satisfied God’s righteous demands for our sin and it is on this basis that He can accept sinners into heaven. The blood of Christ is the only coin in the heavenly realm that God accepts as payment for our sin-debt, and Christ paid our sin debt in full.
Beyond the Fragrance: The Enduring Legacy of a Good Name
Solomon wrote, “A good name is better than a good perfume, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth” (Eccl 7:1). A good name speaks of a good character, and a good character is more desirable than a good perfume. The death of the righteous is like the setting of the sun on a beautiful day, with bright rays shining through the clouds and lighting the sky on fire for all to enjoy and revel in its glory.
Life, Death, and Eternity
God has life in Himself and creates life. Jeremiah said, “the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10). Jesus declared, “the Father has life in Himself” (John 5:26). And the apostle Paul stated, “for in Him we live and move and exist” (Act 17:28). This teaching, … Continue reading Life, Death, and Eternity
When Christians Die
When Christians die, they go straight to heaven, and there they will live forever. God must let them in. He does not have a choice in the matter. The Lord has integrity, and He promised that whoever believes in Jesus as Savior will be forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7) and have eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28). He made the provision for salvation, and He will honor His Word. In fact, God is bound to His Word, for “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18; cf. Tit 1:2). By faith, we trust Him when He promises to do something (Heb 11:6). We believe He speaks truthfully and will keep His Word.
A Christian View of Death
Once, when I was working in jail ministry, I met a Christian man who told me about his older brother’s death. The incident, he said, had occurred several years earlier. He and his brother were drinking and arguing one afternoon when a fist fight erupted and the older brother fell backwards onto a … Continue reading A Christian View of Death
Seven Kinds of Death in Scripture
Throughout Scripture, death means separation, and at times it means inability to produce. It does not mean cessation or annihilation of life. Death is first mentioned in Genesis where God promised Adam he would die if he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:16-17). When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he … Continue reading Seven Kinds of Death in Scripture
The Sin that Leads to Death
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God will give life to him-- to those who commit sin that doesn't bring death. There is sin that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin … Continue reading The Sin that Leads to Death
Heaven Belongs to Little Children
Heaven belongs to little children. Jesus' disciples did not always understand this, and on one occasion they tried to prevent children from coming to Him for prayer (Matt. 19:13). But Jesus corrected them saying, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs … Continue reading Heaven Belongs to Little Children
The Vanity of Man as Mortal – Isaac Watts
The Vanity of Man as Mortal Teach me the measure of my days,Thou Maker of my frame;I would survey life’s narrow space,And learn how frail I am. A span is all that we can boast,An inch or two of time;Man is but vanity and dustIn all his flower and prime. See the vain race of mortals moveLike … Continue reading The Vanity of Man as Mortal – Isaac Watts
The Biblical Resurrections
Death is not the final victor in life. God created the soul to be forever united with the body. Therefore, God will resurrect (Grk. anastasis) each body that has died and will reunite it with every human soul. It is necessary to distinguish between resuscitation and resurrection. There were times when God raised, or resuscitated, a person back to life, but that person was subject to death, and eventually died again (John 12:9-10). When a person is resurrected, they never die, but live forever (John 11:25-26).
Only What’s Done for Christ Will Last
God knows the frailty of every man, “He is mindful that we are but dust” (Psa 103:14). David courageously asked the Lord, “make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my … Continue reading Only What’s Done for Christ Will Last
The House of Mourning
“The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl 7:4).