WE must not confound the immortality of the soul with eternal life in Christ. God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. He did not make man like the beasts which perish, nor necessarily to die; though with a body capable of dying. It was by sin that death entered the world and gained power over our bodies, but the death which destroys our mortal bodies touches not our immortal souls. All men have immortal souls by virtue of their creation, but none have eternal life save such as have received Christ.
Whether we receive everlasting life, or not, every man will live forever. Whether we die with or without Christ, our bodies will rise again. This frail tabernacle, though laid down to moulder in the dust, will be made alive, and will be once more the temple of the soul. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:2222For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22).) In Adam, who sinned, and whose sin brought death into the world, the vast multitudes of the human race die. In Christ, who willingly died for sinners, and who rose again, those who have life in Him will live again in resurrection, and not only them, for “The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth.” (John 5:2828Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (John 5:28).) Good or bad, all will be awakened from their death sleep.
The awakening will not be at the same period of time: “Every man in his own order;” “Christ the first fruits.” He rose first. Following His resurrection will be that of His people, those who have life in Him, “afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” Following after the resurrection of Christ’s people will be the kingdom and the great judgment, “then, the end.” (1 Cor. 15:2424Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24).) None will be left in the graves, “all that are in the graves... shall come forth.” The first resurrection will be that of life: “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life.” The last will be that of judgment, “they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:2929And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29).)
There is no mingling of the two classes who will rise again, no union between the two periods of resurrection. All men’s souls are immortal, all men’s bodies will rise again; those who have life in Christ will rise at the first resurrection, those who have not life will rise at the second resurrection. “He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” “Blessed and holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection.” (Rev. 20:66Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6).) “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” (v. 5.)
Man’s is an eternal destiny. Death ends his career on earth, but he dies not with the death of his body. Death is but the close of the first stage of his journey, and he himself travels onwards. The tent is taken down, while the tenant removes elsewhere. Man’s life on earth is but the brief preface of the book of his endless history in eternity. Consider, then, these solemn words, “After death!” What an opening out is there in them. Death comes to many, as we read in the book of Job, as the King of Terrors; but the terrors of “after death” are unutterably more awful than those of death itself. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).) That judgment is more terrible than death. Once a criminal in the condemned cell, on his last night, was visited by some of his old companions. The man’s tremendous courage was well-known, but his companions found him with the sweat of agony upon him, and as they upbraided him for his weakness, he answered, “It is not dying that I fear, but at eight o’clock tomorrow morning I must stand before God.” It is sins which make “after death” so fearful a contemplation to the sinner.
Now the Father “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)), and “we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hash done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:1010For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10).) And if we do not in this lifetime find Christ as our Life, we must, after death, stand before Him as our Judge. Soon, very soon, the current religious notion will give place to the great reality of having to meet the Son of God.
The Lord sets Himself before us, spiritually dead as we are, as the Life-giver, and as the Judge. He is the Life-giver now, He will be the Judge hereafter. He sits upon the right hand of God in heaven, and God’s throne is now a throne of grace. He is the Life-giver to dead sinners, but He will sit upon the great white throne, and judge according to their works those who died in their sins.
Now it is the day of grace, now there is life for the spiritually dead who hear the words of the Son of God. Those who hear Him honor Him, and shall not come into judgment. All religion without faith in the words of the Son of God is dishonor to Him, and all righteousnesses without Christ are as filthy rags. Thus does the Lord speak to us as the Life-Giver, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).)
It may seem a very simple thing to hear the words of the Son of God, but alas there are but few who listen. The man of the world is much too occupied with earthly things, and the religious man too full of the sound of his own creeds to hear the words of Jesus. Let us inquire of ourselves if we have ever, for one brief quarter of an hour, been alone with God, desirous only to hear the words of life? Have we ever taken the place of hearing? That is, have we given up every preconceived notion, to sit down in the presence of the word, and to obey it alone.
The Son of God speaks, and the believer depends absolutely upon the word. God has said in His word that eternal life is his who hears His Son, and the believer does not question God. He may not feel within him as he would desire, but the word of his God is sufficient. He knows that he has passed from death into life, that he shall not come into judgment, for the Lord has spoken. He knows that he has everlasting life, his Lord’s word is sufficient. Let us each inquire, have we honored the Son by hearing His words? Heaven and earth will pass away, but not one jot or tittle of His words till all be fulfilled.
It is not honoring the Son of God to put experience or efforts in any way instead of absolute faith in His own words. Nay, to do so is to sin against Him. And if we believe not we shall die in our sins. And when the day of judgment comes, we shall have to answer before the great white throne not only for each and every sin done in this life, but for the crowning sin of unbelief, which fixes the doom of all to whom the Lord speaks in this day of grace, and who will not hear.