A Matter of Death and Life (Part 2 of 2)

Focus Keywords: Spiritual Death, Regeneration, Jesus as Judge, Eternal Life, Resurrection, Alistair Begg, Authority of Scripture, Sinfulness, Salvation by Belief

The belief that death is the great equalizer is pervasive in human culture, suggesting that everyone, regardless of wealth or intelligence, eventually meets on the same footing. However, the Bible fundamentally rejects this claim, explaining that death does not actually level the spiritual playing field. Scripture describes humanity’s natural state as one of spiritual death.

The Reality of Spiritual Death and the Need for Regeneration

The cultural idea often suggests that people live in a middle ground between truth and error, where they have the option to decide which path they will choose. The Bible corrects this view, revealing that we are already on a broad road that leads to destruction. The only pathway from the broad road to the narrow road of life is through a person: Jesus Christ.

Because we are spiritually dead—described as the “walking dead” and “dead in your trespasses and in your sins“—the process of regeneration is essential. Jesus emphasized this necessity, declaring, “Truly, truly you must be born again“.

• A Work Done By God: Regeneration is not something we do to improve our standing with God, such as fasting, going on a pilgrimage, or giving to the needy, which are deemed “easy” by comparison. Instead, it is a miracle that God has done in order to reconcile us to Himself.
• Union with Christ: Through this miracle, we are united with Christ. This union is profound: if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old is gone, and the new has come. This union ensures that believers have a hope of a resurrection and that it is “ontologically impossible” for a person who is in Christ to be lost for eternity, because “Jesus isn’t lost for eternity”.

The Challenge of True Belief

While the way to salvation is straightforward—everyone who hears and believes is saved—the nature of belief itself is often misunderstood. Some assume “believism” is easy. However, external religious activities are easier than true faith.

• Seeking God’s Glory: By nature, humanity does not believe. Jesus challenged the self-reliant and the honor-seeking, asking, “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”.
• The Authority of Scripture: True belief requires honoring Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament writings. Jesus confirmed that Moses wrote of Him, and failure to believe Moses’s writings means failure to believe Christ’s words, as the “authority of heaven is in the scriptures”.
• Acceptance through Penitence: The basis of acceptance is not performance, but penitence. To enter Christ’s school, we must come on our knees as penitents, believing that Jesus is who He said He is, and recognizing, “I need you“.

Jesus: Savior, Son of Man, and Universal Judge

Though Jesus came specifically not to condemn but to bring salvation, the ultimate authority for executing judgment has been entrusted to Him by the Father. This authority is given “because he is the son of man”.

• God’s Indifference is False: We must realize that God is not indifferent to sin or rebellion. The idea of an indifferent God who lacks interest in the well-being of humanity or who can easily pass over atrocities is deemed the “worst of all concepts”.
• The Judge in the Dock: The natural human response is to reverse the roles, putting God “in the dock” while man sits as the judge, demanding God offer a reasonable defense for permitting suffering. Until we face the reality that our sinful, rebellious hearts deserve to be punished before a holy God, the depth of God’s love will be meaningless.
• Wrath as an Outgrowth of Love: Judgment is necessary because sin is inherently destructive. God’s wrath falls on sin because it is so destructive, confirming that judgment is an “outgrowth of love”.

The Inevitable Resurrection and Eternal Judgment

The final act of judgment is certain and universal, confirming that all is not over when we die.

• Universal Call: Jesus explains the inevitability of the resurrection: “an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice“. The resurrection will involve all people, not just some.
• Resurrection to Destiny: This is not a temporary resurrection like that of Lazarus, who came out only to die again. This final resurrection will sort humanity into two distinct destinies: those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
• No Purgatory: The popular idea that “all bets are off when you’re dead” or that a neutral state like purgatory exists is a “lie of the devil” and an invention.

The good and evil “doings” mentioned by Jesus are not the cause of salvation, but the evidences of salvation. Those who truly hear Christ’s word and believe Him do not come into judgment but have already passed from death to life.

Escape Judgment: The Call to Penitence

Jesus is inescapable. Just as the prophet Amos told his people to “Prepare to meet your God,” the apostle Paul later urged people to prepare to meet the risen Christ.

• The Final Choice: We must not delay this reckoning. The instruction is clear: Run from him now and you will face him as judge then; seek him now and you will not come into judgment.
• Surrender, Not Self-Improvement: We must reject the erroneous idea that we can spend our lives trying to make ourselves fit for God’s presence. Instead, we must be humbled by the realization that what we deserve is His judgment.
• The Cross of Acceptance: Our acceptance is found at the cross of the Lord Jesus, where Christ willingly bears our punishment and takes our place. When this truth dawns, the only appropriate response is to be humbled, lay down the arms of rebellion, and join in the work of seeking others.