Things Most Surely Believed As To - Resurrection 4

By Joseph L. Watkins

In our last paper we were considering The Lie - Satan's great lie which men have used to help build Man's Great Lie - The Indestructible Human Soul. For you see, after much time spent studying this subject over the years, I am just not sure that Satan was trying to teach that blackest of black falsehoods. Keep in view what he was working to accomplish here. He wanted both Adam and Eve dead. The earth had been his domain prior to his overthrow, now this earthling is in view to take over and this must be prevented. He was lying to Eve to get rid of her knowing that the Lord God does always honor His own word. He had said to them that on the day that they "eatest thereof they would die" - be dying, dead. Satan fully expected that end result.

But the wisdom of God detoured his plan. Yes, The Divine Law of Substitution, was brought forth. The life blood of the animal was shed (Gen. 3:21; 1 Peter 1:18-21.) So they died in the very day that they sinned, just as God said they should.

Be sure - Satan is the great enemy of God, and yes he is very crafty and deceiving. However, man is not far behind in his own evil efforts, especially in his many falsehoods concerning the immortality of the human soul and the resurrection of the dead. A thousand preachers can offer a thousand different schemes, and with very little scriptural basis to support their false systems of "philosophy and vain deceit," yet such is the only hope of the numberless, sightless multitudes.

Have you ever taken notice of what subject was holding Paul's attention at the same time he was admonishing Timothy concerning the importance of dividing the word rightly in 2 Tim. 2:15? Read down through verse 18: "But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness.  And their word will eat as a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some."  And just look around us, you will find this same falsehood is being propagated in sundry forms yet today. Even among those who make a pretense of honoring God's Truth.

A few "vain babblings" we must "shun":
--All of Adam's seed are to live again, some in heaven's bliss, the rest in hell's fire.
--All of Adam's seed are reconciled, some are saved in Christ now, the rest in time.
--All of Adam's seed are to be made alive once more - the saved to be blessed, the rest
to be judged and killed again.
--The redeemed, immortal soul will only need a body.
--The saved body members need no body.

jlw