Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell

 

March 3, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/pfbid033vkjt1BDftMB1B4zm5dMpnsWy2725ccAzEpdWA7NmPHVSQujwoorSyajF5UP6JzLl

Choose who you will fear, but make sure you know the consequences.

Matthew 10
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples...
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them...
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves...
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Lord Jesus Christ was addressing His twelve disciples throughout the whole chapter. How is the warning - fear not men, but fear God - to the disciples to be understood?

Doesn't the warning PRESUPPOSE the real possibility of the disciples fearing men rather than fearing God? Otherwise, isn't the warning rendered completely irrelevant.

What is the reason the disciples are to fear God, and not men?
What is the intention of the warning to the disciples?

1. Disciples, if you fear God, and thus disobey man, this will happen:
- you will suffer the displeasure of men who is only able to kill the body; the loss will be minimal.

2. Disciples, if you fear man, and thus disobey God, this will happen:
- you will suffer the displeasure of him who is able to destroy both your soul and body in hell; the loss will be great.

I have recently heard that the effect of the warning is this:

3. Disciples, you have no need to fear men because God can destroy both their bodies and soul in hell!

What is your thought?

--------------

Robert Cook Sr.
#3 is a mischaracterisation of my position Sing! Christ is reminding ALL those gathered to hear him speak not just disciples, There was a great multitude that followed Him, They were astonished but not all disciples. the message being preached was a message of repentance to the Jews(Matthew 4:17) of that nation, hence only found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and James one reference each this warning is to the Jewish nation, the Everlasting Fire could very well be The destruction of Jerusalem. To teach that the redeemed of Christ having been PERFECTED forever perverts the justice of God! We suffer here in time for our (the elect) sins and after death we go straight to be with the Lord, Genesis 49:33, Deuteronomy 32:50.

Sing
No intention to mischaracterize your position at all. That's the way I understood what you said.

Robert Cook Sr.
I know that already about you! I meant no harm!

Sing
It is obvious that the Lord is addressing the TWELVE disciples. If there is dispute about this, then we have to settle this first.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing he is addressing the Multitude with the Disciples present also. Matthew 7:28-29, begins at 5:1 He seeing the multitudes he went up into a mountain and his disciples followed him this discourse goes on non stop til we reach Chapter 7:8 it is plain to those that understand the audience included the Disciples but was not limited to them.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing, the first time Jesus spoke these words he spoke to all hearing the reference I gave, Your question came out of Matthew 10 which is very similar to The Luke 12 account, and again Jesus is not saying if you forget who to fear you will burn in hell, but it is a comparative statement of actual encouragement by the surrounding context, of WHOM has the greater power and care for them, so not to fear the lessor man. I originally was focused only on the Matthew 5:1-7:29 reference, sorry!

[sing: v27 "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Robert, it's strange you WON'T and REFUSE to admit that Jesus was addressing His twelve disciples whom He was sending out! Prejudice debilitates!]

Sing
The Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the disciples too. It didn't matter if others were present. If you were addressing your sons, your words were intended for your sons, and not their friends who were around.

Men would waste words on redundant things, Christ Jesus doesn't. Why would He waste words warning the disciples of the real danger of hell if there was no possibility of them landing there?

Robert Cook Sr.
Again Sing, I contest your interpretation of the words "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." It is a reminder to all those hearing, That the greatest power supersedes the lessor, who is on your side is the context, the hairs of your head, the sparrows are ye not greater value than sparrows, it is a comparison, to encourage that their God is of greater power than those who only kill the body. This is the theme of Luke 12, and Matthew 10 the key is in verse 22 He that endureth to the end shall be saved, If your interpretation is true then Peter went to hell also, because he was fearful of men denied the Lord in Public. He was by the way one of those being instructed, on the events in question. Peter never mentions that he has to first go to hell then at the Resurrection will be allowed in heaven, 1 Peter 1:3-5.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing F Lau, Jesus was not warning his disciples of hell as you speak He was in a comparative sense reminding them though man may threaten you His Father has the greater power, You are trying to overthrow the perfect and complete atonement because we are complete in Him, by forcing a doctrine on a few verses that seem to imply to you that God redeemed children will still suffer beyond this life until Resurrection day, That my friend is gross error.

Sing
Robert Cook Sr: Christ's perfect and complete atonement saved His people from the lake of fire. And hell and the lake of fire are distinct. Rev 20:13-15.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing F Lau the word hell is like every other word in Scripture it must be rightly divided based on context and precept I am not denying hell exists nor am I denying the grave exists, what I am denying is that the elect will spend anytime in a place called hell that the non-elect do! Your understanding puts the elect in a place called hell!

Sing
Robert Cook Sr. Yes, that is why Christ solemnly warned His own disciples about hell and take drastic measures to avoid it; He never once warned them about the lake of fire. He redeemed them from the lake of fire. It is that simple to me.

Robert Cook Sr.
I replied to this very line of argument above 5 years ago. I know what you teach and have demonstrated why I believe you are wrong, maybe going back and reading Romans 8 the entire chapter that focuses on the axiom taught in verse 33.

Sing
Robert Cook Sr. Romans 8:33 KJV — Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

God's gracious act of justification saved a man from the lake of fire, not hell.

Deliverance from the eternal lake of fire is eternal salvation.

Deliverance from hell requires the obedience of God's children to do the will of the Father, i.e. fearing Him, the fear of man bringeth a snare, causes a man to sin against God. Pr 29:25.
Rom 8:33 doesn't help your argument.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing F Lau Sure it does. Your contention is that God holds His children guilty after physical death yet the text denies your assertion, as a matter of fact the entire chapter does. You are trying to force an intermediate state between physical death and the last day that the word of God does not support, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord"! I offered you an explanation above for the text that warns the disciples but you have now for five years ignored it for your own opinion so have at it and let God be that Judge.

Sing
Robert Cook Sr. I set plain Scriptures before you that Christ warned His own disciples to take drastic measures to avoid hell, but you want to believe that there can be no hell for God's children... as though Christ's redemptive work is to deliver His people from the temporal hell. Scriptures say Christ's work delivered His people from the eternal lake of fire, not the temporal hell.

He wasted all his solemn warning on hell on His disciples.
Stalemate, Sir Robert!

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing F Lau I agree stalemate my brother! 🙂

(The distinction between eternal salvation by grace alone from the eternal lake of fire and the temporal salvation from temporal hell conditioned upon God's children doing their Father's will makes this matter so obvious.)

Sleep in Jesus

#sleepinJesus

In a profitable conversation among saints (Malachi 3:16), the wonderful clause "sleep in Jesus" was brought up in connection with an issue.

Let's look at it; it's found here:

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 1Th 4:14

Let us self-learn by asking some relevant questions:

1. What does "sleep in Jesus" mean?
- It simply means "die in Jesus."
- John 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
-1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ("... many sleep" - their lives were cut short for abusing the holy things of God.)
- 1Co 15:51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…” (at Christ's return, those still living shall be gloriously transformed.)

2. Who sleeps in Jesus?
a. One must be in Jesus first in order to sleep in Jesus;
- One is in Jesus only by the gracious divine election in eternity, by the redemption of Christ at the cross, and by the effectual calling out of his native state of sin and death to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
- Only such in Jesus can be said to sleep in Jesus when he dies; each one for whom Jesus died and rose again sleeps in Jesus when he dies.

b. Whether they die in their mother's wombs or they die at a ripe old age; whether they ever heard and believed the gospel, when they die, they sleep in Jesus.
- They must be in Jesus first by the divine effectual call before they have the ability to hear and believe the gospel; but whether they hear and believe the gospel, when they die they sleep in Christ; whether they work out their own salvation with fear and trembling or they make shipwreck of their faith, when they die, they sleep in Jesus
- Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
- Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus...10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

3. What happens to them that sleep in Jesus?
a. When they sleep in Jesus, their bodies are subjected to death until the resurrection day, when death is swallowed up in victory. At the resurrection, death surrenders up all its captives to Christ Jesus who holds the keys of death and hell; the emptied hell shall be cast into the lake of fire; death is swallowed up in victory.
- 1Co 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

b. Their spirits enter into the temporal intermediate state, of paradise or hell, as determined by the divine judgment according to their works.
- Heb 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” There is definitely a judgment at physical death; this judgment is according to works; this judgment decides an elect's place during the intermediate state - either paradise or hell.
- Heb 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” For God’s children, Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, i.e. there shall be no more judgment dealing with sin. The second time Christ appear has to do with the consummation of their eternal salvation; it has nothing to do with judgment. The judgment concerning our eternal destiny has been perfectly dealt with by Jesus Christ.

c. A man’s place in the temporal intermediate state - whether paradise or hell - is according to his works.
- A man’s place in the eternal state, whether heaven or the lake of fire, is determined solely by whether his name was written in the Book of Life. Rev 20:15.
- If you understand this, you have adequately understood salvation by grace alone, and the distinction between eternal salvation and temporal salvation.

d. Each and every one of the redeemed by Christ that sleep in Jesus shall be awakened from their sleep; they shall be resurrected from the dead. Those that are still living at His coming shall be gloriously transformed!
- Jesus died and rose again; EVEN SO, all those for whom Jesus died and rose again SHALL also be raised again on the resurrection day at Jesus' return for His people.
- The Lord Jesus Christ holds the keys of death and hell; Christ has authority and power over death and hell. “I am he that liveth… and have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev 1:18. What comforting and assuring words!
- At the resurrection, both death (that holds captives the bodies) and hell (that holds captives the spirits) must deliver up all those that are in them unto Christ who holds the keys of death and hell. Rev 20:13.

e. "... will God bring with him":
- All that sleep in Jesus, all for whom Jesus died and rose, shall be resurrected and glorified and be brought home to heaven with Jesus.
- John 14:2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4. What's the context of "sleep in Jesus"?
- It is used in the context of the resurrection of the redeemed, even as "Jesus died and rose again."
- It says nothing about where the spirits of those that sleep in Jesus will be in the intermediate state, whether in paradise or hell. For this, we need to look at other passages of the Scriptures.

a. Jesus did solemnly warn His own disciples to take drastic measures to deal with sins to avoid ending up in hell or everlasting fire in the intermediate state.
- Matthew 5:29 "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."
- Matthew 18:8 "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."

b. Many lesser disciples have confidently dismissed these solemn warnings of Christ as a silly joke; in their minds, the thing warned is just an absolute impossibility. Why? They screamed, “Christ has perfectly and completely and effectually redeemed His people from hell.”
- If that was true, they make Christ appear foolish uttering those solemn warnings to His own disciples to take drastic measures to deal with personal sins to avoid ending up in hell when such a thing is an impossibility!
- Have they no fear of carelessly dismissing Christ’s own solemn words or impugning the Lord’s integrity?

c. Their idea betrays a serious misunderstanding:
Christ’s work of redemption has indeed secured the eternal salvation of His people from the eternal lake of fire. Unfortunately, they equate hell with the lake of fire even though they are plainly distinct.
- Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Since hell was cast into the lake of fire, how could hell be the same as the lake of fire? What has happened to common sense? Is sola scriptura just a religious shibboleth to them?

d. Both "everlasting" and "forever" are in the realm of time; there are beginning and ending points appointed by the eternal God.

Here are simple illustrations:

“everlasting ≠ eternal"
- Genesis 17:8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
- Genesis 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

The "everlasting possession" began at a specific point in time, and lasted as long as the LORD had ordained it; until then, the gates of hell (e.g. the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medeo-Persians, etc) shall not prevail against it; and then, at the appointed time, the end came. The land of Israel, the everlasting possession, was long gone, formally ended in 70AD.

"forever" ≠ eternal
Gen 13:15 "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever."
Exo 12:24 "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever.

Even so, the "forever" ordinance was made obsolete and ended by the same eternal LORD at the appointed time. Christ came and the old covenant ordinance was abolished.

That which was declared as “everlasting” and “forever” by God Himself were brought to an end by God Himself too.

5. The eternal lake of fire
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Hell or everlasting fire is temporal, not eternal; that which is everlasting lasts as long as the eternal God appoints it. At the end of time, hell shall be emptied and cast into the lake of fire; its relevance ends with time. In the timeless eternity, “everlasting” has no relevance.

Rev 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Following the general resurrection at the end of time, whosoever was not found written in the Book of life - i.e. every one bypassed in Christ’s work of eternal redemption – was cast into the lake of fire.

A man’s place in the temporal intermediate state - whether paradise or hell - is according to his works. Read the works of the two different groups in each of the three parables in Mt 25.

A man’s place in the eternal state, whether heaven or the lake of fire, is determined solely by whether his name was written in the Book of Life, and whether he is embraced in God's sovereign purpose of redemption. Rev 20:15.

If you understand this, you have adequately understood salvation by grace alone, and the distinction between temporal and eternal salvation.

May the Lord grant you an understanding of the things above.

"Be thus minded... if in anything ye be otherwise minded."

We don't have to be enemies just because we are disagreed. What make you think that the things you are hung up on are the most important issues of the precious faith once delivered to the saints?

What saith the Scriptures?

"Be thus minded... if in anything ye be otherwise minded."

Let's take to heart these wise and apt words of exhortation:

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."  Philippians 3:15 KJT

Let me comment on the Scriptures above; let those wise and apt words find a lodging place in our hearts.

These are wise words to guide us as we progress and develop in our spiritual life. At any point in our spiritual journey, there will be those who are a little behind us and there will be those who are ahead of us; we will never see eye to eye in everything. There will always be things that we are "otherwise minded" - with those behind us as well as with those ahead of us. We trust that all three parties are progressing, though at various paces; those behind may even overtake those in front of them, etc.; growing in the grace (practices) and the knowledge (doctrine) of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Pet 3:18.

Imagine each time when a church member is "otherwise minded" when he heard something new to him and is disagreeable and just decided to resign from the church for his tender conscience's sake. It looks like he has learned everything there is for him to learn from the Scriptures. What will happen? It would be a life of constantly changing churches in pursuit of THE church where he can agree with everything - as if there is such a church! May God have mercy on such a soul. 

But the Apostle Paul exhorts and appeals to as many as who think themselves perfect, i.e. mature, "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded..." "Be thus minded" points back to what has been said in the previous verses, i.e. don't have the mentality that one has arrived, but the mindset that presses on to learn and understand the issues that we are "otherwise minded." Search the Scriptures concerning the things we are "otherwise minded"; God shall reveal even this unto you. That's the assurance to all who are still teachable!

Immature (opposite of the "perfect") people choose their own way - resign from the church in haste because of their conviction and conscience. Apostle Paul's wise words exhort us: be patient, give space for our wise God and Father to do His work... search the Scriptures, and ask for light and understanding... "God shall reveal even this unto you."

Imagine the SDC members had made haste to resign from the church when they first heard NEW THINGS (actually old ancient truths that were lost, neglected, or repudiated) from the pulpit, things condemned as heretical by both the Calvinists and the Arminians.. e.g. justification by Christ's faithfulness, immediate/direct regeneration, 5 distinct facets of salvation, the distinction between eternal and temporal salvation, the distinction between immediate regeneration and instrumental conversion, eternal and incarnational sonship of Christ, the significance of 70AD, etc.

I am still a student of God's word; I do study and expect to learn truths that may have been overlooked and neglected, or ignored or rejected by many who name the name of Christ. Anyone has the liberty to disagree with me, but reason with me with the Scriptures wide open before us; I would be most thankful for such kindness. I'm still capable of learning what is there in the Scriptures. I cling to the wonderful promise, "God shall reveal even this unto you."

2Ti 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

My blog "Things New and Old" is taken from this text: "Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." Mat 13:52.

I'm determined to be a faithful scribe/householder in Christ's church - bringing forth both things new and old from the Scriptures.

I gladly admit and own that I am not infallible, and I'm not exempted from doctrinal errors; the Lord has helped me to right not a few errors that I had been sincerely fed with in earlier days; I put this disclaimer first before saying the following.

I do think church members can do with a wee bit of humility to consider seriously the teachings shown to them by their pastors/teachers from the Scriptures and don't just react childishly. If he had been bringing forth just the same OLD things, where would all of them be today? Stunted spiritual babes stuck with the elementary? But oh, now you have grown up somewhat, and have become bold! It’s time to teach your own pastors/teachers! Thank you, open the Scriptures and I will learn from you. I will be really grateful.

May the Lord bless each one richly. A hearty amen, and again I say, Amen, heartily.

2Timothy 2:7

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."

A Question on Intermediate State, the Resurrection, and the Eternal State

 Don't Stop Questioning!

An inquisitive soul inquired...
Q: Pastor, can you share the bible verse that says that God resurrect the elect from the intermediate hell first before the rest are thrown into the lake of fire?

=========

I understand the essence of your question to be the sequence of events, indicated by your "first" and "before"; it's about the chronology of two closely related events.

The general resurrection and the last judgment are two distinct events; the resurrection will happen first, and only then, the judgment. Simultaneously, the transformation of all the living shall take place. 

So the resurrection of all those in the intermediate state of hell [there are elect and the non-elect in hell, other elects are in the paradise] will happen FIRST BEFORE the judgment of all the non-elect – i.e. all whose names were not written in the book of life – shall take place; they, being bypassed in the redemption, shall be cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 20
11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Please note a few things about the above verses:

- “A great white throne”: this indicates the judgment throne at Christ’s return.

- “the bookS were opened”: the books by which the dead shall be judged out of those things; non-elect shall be justly judged by their works/deeds recorded in these books.

- “another book was opened”: this book has all the names of the elect whom God has given to Christ.

- “they WERE judged every man (every one of them) according to their works”: this speaks of all the dead that are delivered up by death and hell; it explains why they were in hell; everyone in them WAS judged according to their works. A man’s place in the intermediate hell is determined by his works.

- A man’s place in the lake of fire (his eternal destiny) or heaven is determined solely by whether his name was written in the book of life. See verse 15.

- “death and hell [already EMPTIED] were then cast into the lake of fire”: Why? Hell is NOT eternal; it shall be emptied during the resurrection, and no one will be left in it after the general resurrection, at the end of time.

- the lake of fire is eternal; the resurrected non-elect, those whose names were not written in the book of life, bypassed in the redemption by Christ, shall be cast into the lake of fire.

Why were death and hell NOT cast directly into the lake of fire BEFORE delivering up all the dead that were in them? Why would Christ, who holds the keys of death and hell, require both death and hell to deliver up the dead (their bodies in death, and their spirits in hell) if there were no elect in them?

The fact that Christ solemnly and constantly warned His own disciples (to take drastic actions to avoid hell is conclusive proof that God’s children can end up in hell – a temporal place, thus related to temporal judgment in the intermediate state. Though they carelessly, despite all the solemn warnings, landed themselves in hell, hell must surrender them to Christ for their resurrection unto glory.

Matthew 5
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Matthew 18
8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

Mark 9
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

The Devil must be so gleeful that he has so successfully deceived so many Christians to dismiss Christ's solemn warnings to the disciples on the intermediate state of hell; so many can't make the biblical distinction between the everlasting hell (which lasts as long as time lasts) and the eternal lake of fire (which will come into effect at the end of time).  

Heb 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

For God’s children, Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, i.e. there shall be no more judgment dealing with sin. The second time Christ appear has to do with the consummation of their eternal salvation; it has nothing to do with judgment. The judgment concerning our eternal destiny has been perfectly dealt with by Jesus Christ.

Heb 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
There is definitely a judgment after physical death; this judgment is according to our works; this judgment decides a man's place during the intermediate state - either paradise or hell. 

I hope the above somewhat answers your good question.

Please feel free to ask if you have further questions. 

p/s
Let's look at the broad picture:

1. At the resurrection, the spirits and bodies of the dead are reunited.
- death must deliver up the bodies that are in it; hell must deliver up spirits that are in it.
- The Lord Jesus Christ holds the keys of death and hell; Christ has authority and power over death and hell. “I am he that liveth… and have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev 1:18
- At the resurrection, both death and hell must deliver up all those that are in them unto Christ who holds the keys of death and hell. Rev 20:13.

2. At Christ's second coming, there will be those who are still living and those who have died.
- the elect that is living shall be transformed and glorified.
- the spirits of the elect who have died are either in paradise or in hell; their bodies are under the power of death.
- The spirits of God’s children that are in paradise shall accompany Christ in His coming. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."  1Th 4:14. “… them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” at Christ’s return.
- These spirits who shall accompany Christ at His return shall be united with their resurrected bodies.
- The spirits of God’s elect who are in hell shall be delivered up to be united with their resurrected bodies and be glorified.

A Deep Question

A Brother asked a deep question:

I was reminded this morning of a statement made by Pastor: God provides the righteous & wicked sustenance of water & food BUT  eternal salvation to only those He gives to our Lord Jesus Christ. Often one would ask why give lives to those whose ending are in the lake of fires since He knows from eternity? How would you answer such 'logic'? Hopefully keep us praying & meditating on this before the church starts a new bible study topic of Job.

=========

Q: Why give lives to those whose endings are in the lake of fire since He knew from eternity?

I didn’t mean to overlook these parts of the inquiries.

Here are some thoughts:

i. God is good and righteous in all His ways, whether in His office as the Creator, the Governor, and Upholder of all His creation and creatures, and the Redeemer – i.e. His work of creation, providence, and redemption.
- His moral creatures who observe and obey the Creator’s laws are blessed; He is good and righteous.
- His redeemed children, freely by Divine grace, who do the Father’s will are blessed in this life; He is good and righteous.

ii. Let us retrace our steps way back in time, and beyond time…
- When the Triune God decreed the creation of man in eternity (before time began; all divine decrees were made in eternity even though they were executed in time), the whole human race was represented by their federal head Adam; Adam was decreed to be the representative head of the whole human race.
- In time, the creation of man was executed, i.e. on the sixth day of the creation week. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with Adam (as the representative head of the whole human race), upon the condition of perfect obedience (which Adam was completely capable of, having been created very good): forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death (physical death, and eternal death in the lake of fire mentioned; the separation of body and spirit, and the permanent separation from God, the fountain of all blessings.

iii. God the Creator entered into a covenant of life with the whole human race represented by Adam.

This covenant of life was made in the context of the following:
- Adam and his wife were made perfectly upright and righteous, i.e. very good. They were perfectly capable of willing and rendering perfect obedience to the Creator God.
- Adam and his wife were placed in the garden of Eden, the most perfect, conducive environment unto obedience.
- The condition of the covenant of life was simple, refrain from eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge good and evil. I have said many times from the pulpit that the tree is just like any other tree; it is not poisonous or toxic.  Not eating of it as the LORD God had commanded is to acknowledge that the LORD God is both the Creator and Ruler and the Sole Arbiter of what is good and evil; eating it is the rejection of and defiance against the LORD God as their Creator and Ruler and the Sole Arbiter of what is good and evil, declaring man as autonomous, the source of what’s good and evil, man declaring himself god!
- This prohibition was preceded by this exceedingly glorious liberty, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.”

iv. Everything, absolutely everything was exceedingly in the favour of Adam and the whole human race represented by him in the covenant of life the LORD God so graciously entered with him and his race.
- Everything was SO FAVOURABLE to Adam and his whole race to confirm themselves in the covenant of life and continue their perfect sinless life in the natural paradise and creation pronounced by the LORD God as “very good.”
- BUT ALAS… he blew it and damned himself and brought his whole race into ruin. What was the ruin?
- “… for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Please note, it does not say, “… thou shalt die” but “thou shalt SURELY die.” Please note too that the serpent didn’t say, “Ye shall not die” but “ye shall not SURELY die.”
- The emphatic and intensive adverb “surely” conveys the severity and intensity of the death intended. It is intended to convey. “in dying, thou shalt surely die.” Simply put – eternal separation from God, i.e. lake of fire.
- “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom 6:23.

v. With the background above, we may be able to respond to the question “Why give lives to those whose endings are in the lake of fires since He knows from eternity?”
- Why give lives to those whose endings are in the lake of fire?
- All the human lives that the LORD God had decreed, and were represented and embraced in Adam in the covenant of life, to CONTINUE to enjoy the natural life of perfect bliss in this perfect world of God’s creation.
- Each and every life in the human race was placed in the perfect sinless “very good” world, with the covenant of life to confirm themselves to continue in such perfect bliss in the “very good” world. That was how it began. Their probation period was in the most favourable and conducive environment.
- So, it was man’s own doing that they end up in the lake of fire; but wicked men would want to blame the LORD God, just like Adam blamed the LORD God for giving him the woman whom he had rejoicingly owned earlier as “bones of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.”

BUT by God’s abundant mercy, He did not let every one of Adam’s race end up in the lake of fire. It would have been perfectly just and righteous of the LORD God to leave the whole human race to its just desert. But wicked men are blind to their own faults but always find faults with the LORD God.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- “wages” is something justly EARNED, and must be rendered. A place in the lake of fire is justly earned.
- “free gift of God” – this is a free gift indeed, completely, wholly, truly unmerited, and instead bestowed unto the most ill-deserving rebels.

Why would men who love not God in this life want to be with God in heaven in the next and whine about the lake of fire is a good question? (assuming they do believe in the things presupposed in the question!)

I hope the above helps.

Keep asking.