In case anyone is interested, I found this explanation from Kat, and it's the best one so far for explaining what Ray was talking about. I've underlined the most pertinent part from Kat's post, the one to which I was inquiring about.
https://bible-truths.com/forums/index.php?topic=7307.0Hi Barbara,
Yes this is confusing when you are trying to understand the Scriptural terms and how they apply to us now. I'll just continue to bring up parts of Ray's article, if I can, to explain these different aspects.
http://bible-truths.com/lake16-D5.htm ---------------------------
"And as it is appointed unto men [Gk: 'anthropose'--human, mankind] once to die, but after this the judgment"
Now get ready for a real revelation. There are two mysteries in Heb. 9:27 when applied to God's Elect:
what and when is the "ONCE to die?"
what and when is the "after this JUDGMENT?"
We will take up the Elect's Judgment part of this verse first.
We learned that Gehenna fire, and unquenchable fire, and eonian fire, and the furnace of fire, and being salted with fire, and the lake of fire, are all the same fire, and this fire is JUDGMENT. Now then, since the lake of fire is judgment, and the lake of fire "is" also the second death, if follows that the second death also "is" judgment. THE SECOND DEATH IS JUDGMENT, AND JUDGMENT IS THE SECOND DEATH.
Had God wanted to make things easy, He could have inspirited Heb. 9:27 to read like this: "And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the SECOND death."
For that is what the second death is, JUDGMENT. Likewise then, Judgment is the SECOND death. After the ONCE to die comes the SECOND to die. Or: After the FIRST death comes the SECOND death. Simple enough when God gives us eyes to see. But there is still an enigma about this verse that we will cover a little later.
GOD'S ELECT MUST DIE THE SECOND DEATH THROUGH JUDGMENT
v
The second death is not a literal death of the physical body--neither for the Elect nor the Wicked. It is a death of the carnal mind, the heart of sin, the nature of sin. Our literal, physical flesh and blood does not die a second time. But all character flaws associated with sin must die: All believing Elect Saints of God must DIE TO THE FLESH OF THE CARNAL MIND. Death is the daily life of the Believer!
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
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So it's called the "second death" because it is the death of the carnal beast within us, usually after physical death for the world. But this is not something that happens all at once, it's a process, it's judgment through chastisement, purging and correction. For the elect it's now, as we live this life and for the rest of mankind in the LOF after the great white throne judgment at Christ's return.
Now all of mankind are born spiritually dead, until God opens their eyes, but this is not the first death. "It is appointed unto men once to die," this is the first death and it's physical death of the body for all of mankind, the many, but not the elect. So the elect must also go through a symbolic "once to die" before judgment and that is represented in baptism. The water pictures going down into the grave and burying our old self and coming up out of the water represents resurrection to a new life in Christ. Then the elect go through the "second death" during this life, being judged and dying to self, "dying daily." The elect will also go on to a physical death.
1Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment (second death) to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
mercy, peace and love
Kat
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So it seems I may be confusing the state we are in when we are born (spiritually dead) with our first death in Christ through spiritual baptism. However, it does seem like Ray believed that "the wages of sin is death" and being "baptized into (Christ's) death" is the first spiritual death. I'm not saying he is right or wrong, I'm just having a hard time making the connection.
Anyway I'll pray about it and continue searching for an answer. It's not that big of a deal really as I was mainly looking for an hopeful "sign" that maybe I've experienced this first spiritual death.