God does not "destroy" HIS LIFE. God "PUTS", imparts "His life" into "things" He has created and made.
When the "thing", chooses to BELIEVE in Him, He gives that "thing" forever life from Him.
When the "thing", chooses to NOT BELIEVE in Him, He withholds giving that "thing" forever life from Him.
What God destroys, are "things" He has created and made, AFTER, He departs "life from Him" out of the thing.
Gods "LIFE" returns to Him. It is the "thing" that is destroyed.
The "destruction" pertaining to a man; is his body (void of life) and his soul (void of life). Is it burned in fire? Yes. Is the man yelling oochie, ouchie, the fire, it burns, it hurts? Well? How can he? He has NO life in him. How does something with NO life in it feel or know anything? So is his body and soul destroyed? Yes. It is no longer a body or a soul. So is it (body and soul) forever in torment of flames? Yes.
While it is no longer a body or soul, It is ash.
Simply understanding - what was created in the beginning, has been here since the beginning. There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc 1:9)
Nothing disappears - but most all things, CHANGE, in appearance of what men's eyes can see.
You can SEE dust, but you can not SEE a man being made from dust.
You can SEE body's, but once a body dies and returns to dust, ALL you would see is dust, and you would no longer called it a body, yet you could know it's name.
So, body's and soul's that rejected God, become burned and become ash. The ash does not disappear, and it remains in the flames forever. It is a forever purification, as fire purifies. And everything will be purified. But not all will be WITH God.
And so, WHY is only their body and soul destroyed?
Because FOREVER LIFE, is ONLY given to a man who was living in his body (his blood),
who called on the Lord's NAME, and submitted to Him in Belief.
THEY are given a new spirit. A spirit born of Gods Seed. Spirits NEVER die. Thus, IF God had given a man, who rejected Him, a "new spirit", that "spirit would forever be alive, in flames, separated from God". Gods mercy on men who reject Him, is to NEVER give them a "new spirit", that would be ALIVE forever "separated from Him".
Angelic spirits, who rejected God, shall also be in flames, (being purified forever) and
they (unlike men) ALIVE forever, and forever separated from God. They have not the mercy of God, because they were created with knowledge of God, (unlike men who have to hear and learn).
God baptizes TWO ways. And the WAY, depends on who stand with God, and who has stood against God.
A man who CHOOSES (in his life, his blood), to stand with God, is baptized with the Holy Spirit and the receives the Seed of God, that births a man a new spirit.
A man who DOES NOT CHOOSE (in his life, his blood), to stand with God, is baptized with Fire.
Matt 3
[
11] I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Every man has the CHOICE to choose WHEN to believe, and with which baptism He desires to receive.
Because ALL will believe, and ALL will be baptized.
You advocate that men who stand against God, will be joined in habitat, with men who stand with God. THAT IS THE HERE AND NOW. And you think, that is also the future?
No friend. The future is not a co-habitation of those without God and his without his spiritual life, and those with God and his forever spiritual life.
Nothing whatsoever informs you, God gives his forever spiritual life to body's and soul's of men in hell, that rejected them, then "in hell" claim belief.
A passage in Matthew that has been interpreted as speaking of the possibility of release from "hell" (Gehenna) is:
Matt 5:25-26 . .Come to terms quickly with your adversary before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. I assure you that you won't be free again until you have paid the last penny.
Come to terms quickly with your adversary? What do you think that means?
Join your adversary? No. It means, get to getting and reject your adversary, before it is too late. Because I assure you, you WILL pay, all you own, before you are free from your adversary. What is their freedom from their adversary? BAPTISM.
With the Holy Spirit, IF they will quickly turn away from their adversary.
or... With Fire, where their adversary will have no more hold on them.
Matt 5: 25-26 is basically tell men, get on the ball, and make a decision. Because if you do not Decide, it will be decided for you. You will be dragged to the judgement of hell and baptized with fire.
You are advocating, "no hurry", "no urgency". Hey, it doesn't matter if you stand againt God (in your life, your blood), God is going to raise up your dead, blood-less body, and save you anyway. (No consideration, that God NEVER gave you a forever living spirit).
Matthew was probably written to Jews & in the opening chapter of this book he told his readers that Jesus shall save His people from their sins (1:21), i.e. His people Israel (2:6). I take that to include people like Judas Iscariot & wicked Pharisees who died in their sins.
Why do you "take" to "include", men who stand against God, as "His People" ?
Gods PEOPLE, are those who believe in Him AND are born of His Seed, divided from those who are NOT His People, rejecters of belief in Him AND not born of His Seed.
Ex 8
[
23]
And I will put a division between my people and thy people:
Luke 12
[51] Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
Gal 3
[16] Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Christ IS the Seed of God. It is ON Earth, NOT MANY, receive the Seed of God.
Abraham received Gods Seed, but not ALL of the Hebrews did, nor will ALL of the Jews, nor ALL of the Gentiles.
John 8 [
56] Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
As well, men who receive Gods Seed, rejoice and are glad.
But lest anyone think that is a licence to live sinfully, Jesus gives warnings such as those in Mt.10:28.
That nonsense is mankind's mindful nonsense. (license to sin). pfft!
Rom 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just act for all mankind for life's justifying."
It entails more than "justifying". There is that matter of sanctifying, anointing, cleansing, covering, being crucified with Christ, quickening of their spirit, being kept with Christ, and being raised by and unto Christ.
Where are dead body's of men who rejected Christ, forgiven, sanctified, their spirits quickened, given the Holy Spirit, raised up unto Christ in the clouds, and given a new body?
1 Thes 4
[
8] ... God, who hath also
given unto us his holy Spirit.
[
15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[
16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first:
[
17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Where does this speak to those NOT in Christ? And Gods Holy Spirit, NOT in a man?
You can go on and on, trying to prove, all sinners are raised and changed and forever with the Lord.
However - everyone born on this earth, is a sinner, born in sin and has committed sin.
And all on this earth, do not repent, or are given forgiveness, or are changed.
Some will defy God, Some will believe and be sanctified and given eternal life.
And each has the consequences of their choices, while they are on their earth, clearly revealed.
You attempt to use Scripture for one man and his choices, and apply it to another man and his choices. Face it.
There IS a division among men, their body's, their soul's, and their spirits.
And their choices and consequences are NOT the same.
God Bless,
SBC