Hi Rocky,
Let me bring this email of Ray's forward, he got me to thinking about this.
I want to give credit where credit is due
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1883.0.html --------
Hi Ray, reading part 1V of lake of fire series. Im strugglin to follow your
> thought on the parable of the prodigal son. Especially where u are talking about
> death as spiritual death and then toward the end of the article you make the
> statement "it is after death that most of humanity will be saved" is this after
> physical death?Because, as far as i see all of humanity will be saved after
> 'spiritual death' I agree that all die in Adam.... Sorry Ray, there is just so
> much to process. HELP!
>
> Wesley
Dear Wesley:
Man is mortal, so all manknd will and must die eventually. Even those "who are alive and remain" unto the coming of the Lord will be changed. In that sense, their old flesh body dies.
But we must also spiritually die to ourselves WHILE WE ARE STILL ALIVE. This only happens to those who are "baptized in Christ," not baptized into water. Those who are "crucified with Christ." Those who are "begotten anew from above." Those who are made "a new creature," in the "Image of God's Son," etc. In other words only God's chosen elect few will experience these things in this life and be resurrection to immortality with a spiritual body in the first resurrection.
The rest of humanity which has died once PHYSICALLY, will be resurrected in the second resurrection in which they too will have to spiritually die to their old carnal man and be made righteous (Isa. 26:9).
God be with you,
Ray
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In 1Cor 15 Paul is talking to the
brethren, this is important because what he is saying to them is only for the elect. But you can also understand what will be for the rest by what is said.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so
in Christ all will be made alive.
v. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruit, and afterward they who are Christ's at His coming;
1Co 15:35 But someone will say, How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?
v. 36 Foolish one! What you sow
is not made alive unless it dies.
v. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow the body that is going to be, but a bare grain (perhaps of wheat or of some of the rest).
Gal 6:8 For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he sowing to the Spirit will reap
life everlasting (eonian) from the (Holy) Spirit.
So Spiritual 'life' only come from the Holy Spirit indwelling, after we die spiritually to the flesh. And who Paul is speaking to here, is the believers who have the Holy Spirit.
1Co 15:42 So also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption;
v. 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
v. 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
v. 45 And so it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul," the last Adam was a life-giving Spirit.
John 5:29 and shall come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil to the resurrection of condemnation.
So we can see what is given to those who are 'in Christ' at the resurrection, spiritual 'life' in the kingdom. That is the ultimate goal, to enter the kingdom, and to do so you must be spirit.
All must go through this process, there is no scripture that states otherwise.
What is stated is that a corrupt person, will be raised to condemnation and cannot enter the kingdom. So if one can not enter the kingdom because they are corrupt, why would they be rasied spirit? I do not believe they will be.
1Co 15:46 But not the spiritual first, but the natural; afterward the spiritual.
1Co 15:50 And I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Those raised before they have received life from the Holy Spirit, they are not yet born of Spirit. So I believe they will be raised into a physical body.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
v. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
v. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.
v. 8 The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Though there is not a scripture that I know of, that states in exact words that the rest of the dead will be raised to physical life. But all the scripture about being raised to spirit is referring to the brethren.
So it seems to have been interjected by the church that all would be raised spiritual beings, not the scripture.
This is just the way I have come to understand it
mercy, peace, and love
Kat