Atheist, Mark D, wrote: “Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity. Too absurd for belief, too impossible to convince, and too inconsistent for practice, it renders the heart torpid or produces only atheists or fanatics. As an engine of power, it serves the purpose of despotism, and as a means of wealth, the avarice of priests, but so far as respects the good of man in general it leads to nothing here or hereafter.”–― Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

Do you agree with Thomas Paine?

Christian response to Mark D and Thomas Paine…

“Christianity is the only coherent worldview with corresponding truth that defines origin-meaning-morality-destiny and directly answers with logical consistency, empirical adequacy, experiential relevance.” Ravi Zacharais

If Thomas Paine could testify to the World relevant to where his disembodied spirit is at this time; that is, if Thomas denied Jesus Christ as Lord at death, Thomas would beg you to not follow in his footsteps but repent of your sin and diligently seek Jesus Christ as Lord and Mediator for your sin this very second.

When emissaries of Satan like Mark D and Thomas Paine vomit their demonic rhetoric for others to internalize, this is evidence that Satan is certainly fearful of the signs of the times as he knows his influence and power over the godless, the unbeliever, the atheist, is running-out (Revelation 12:12).

It is essential that you know the purpose and Plan of our Creator in Time and Eternity so that you can make an informed decision concerning your Eternal destiny. As we near the Day of our Lord and the Great Tribulation that will come upon the Nation of Israel and the whole World, I want you to be informed as to why our God has created Time, this Universe, mankind and Hell. Please do not allow lost and deceived men like Thomas Paine and Mark D to point you to the portal to Hell without knowledge.

By inspiration and tutelage of the Holy Spirit, I have articulated God’s Plan for Time and Eternity and “why” you are here on this Planet constrained by Time; therefore, please read with diligence and make an informed decision concerning your Eternal destiny. My articles are NOT monetized and I pay for the services provided…please do not allow such concerns to prevent you from accessing information concerning God’s Plan for your life…PLEASE don’t die in spiritual ignorance!

In the Beginning God – Why? https://rickeyholtsclaw.com/2017/09/27/in-the-beginning-god-why/

Atheist Mark D stated: “We don’t know if the historical Jesus is accurately depicted in the Gospels, so when someone says that they are giving their life to Jesus Christ, what exactly do they mean? Are they devoting their life to a fictional character?”

A Christian response…

I know the historical Jesus personally through the Holy Spirit and I can testify to the truism that the same God who created matter from the Spiritual World, created Time, the Universe, the complex human genome, this very same God is fully capable of providing you with the EXACT words He desires you have so that you can know Him, so that you can understand His love for you and His Plan for Time and Eternity.

The Gospels are Truth and they articulate God’s Covenant of Grace with mankind by grace through faith in Messiah-Yeshua/Jesus and said Covenant is sealed and affirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). It is by reading and studying the written word of God and by trusting in the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, that a man, woman or child finds understanding concerning origin-meaning-morality-destiny.

Though the Heavens and this Earth will pass away as by fire, the word of God will remain forever and that Holy word, articulated in the Holy Bible, will be used to judge mankind in Eternity (2 Peter 10-13). Without Jesus Christ as Lord and Mediator for sin, mankind will NOT see life in God’s Kingdom but will suffer death in Hell (John 14:6). Why? Because God the Father will NOT permit unrepentant sin to enter His Kingdom subsequent to death of the body in Time (Revelation 21:27).

Atheist, Mark D, stated: “Speaking to FOX News Radio host Todd Starnes earlier this week, right-wing Pastor Robert Jeffress explained that Democrats who claimed to be Christian didn’t actually worship the Christian God. Nope. They worshiped the demon-god Moloch. I looked it up and Moloch is the biblical name of a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice, through fire or war. What are we to think of Baptist minister Robert Jeffress from Dallas Texas telling a national radio audience that Christian Democrats worship the demon-god Moloch?”

Reply to Mark D…

God Bless Pastor Jeffress and he is most correct and right on target in his comparison between Moloch/Molech and today’s Progressive-Democrat-Socialist Party. It is not possible that a man or woman who truly knows and loves God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, could simultaneously support and vote for a Progressive-Socialist-Democrat or support this Progressive Party of death and demonism. There is a reason why most Atheists are Progressive-Socialists and why Progressive-Socialists are overwhelming godless secularists, advocates of baby mutilation, evolutionists, nihilists, moral relativists, advocates of sexual perversion, demonically inspired atheists.

America’s Progressive-Socialist-Democrat Party is demonic in origin and Satanic in practice and policy. Only the most vile, demonic, immoral, individual can support a Political Party that…

1) Advocates for the mutilation of babies up-to-and-beyond the 9th-month of gestation. A Political Party that fights to affirm/maintain Roe v. Wade (1973), an unconstitutional SCOTUS decision responsible for the murder, mutilation, denial of the 5th/14th Amendment due process protections, of 61-million American babies subsequent to 1973. A Political Party that supports the shedding of innocent blood that has brought God’s wrath and judgment upon America and the American people. Progressive Socialism, the Democrat Party, is a most vile and loathsome form of demonism, Satanism.

2) A Political Party that advocates, supports, participates, in LGBTQ sexual perversion that defiles America in shame and immorality while supporting the demonically-based SCOTUS decision of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015); a SCOTUS decision that spits in the face of our Creator’s Covenant of Marriage between one-man/one-woman becoming one-flesh for life. A Political Party that supports/advocates sexual perversion that is destroying, killing, America’s posterity in confusion, addiction, suicide, sexual-gender confusion.

3) Advocates for open-borders that is destroying America’s sovereignty by infusing America’s municipalities with non-assimilating multiculturalism that will destroy America’s economy, America’s schools, escalating violent crime statistics Nationwide and violent gang activity with incredible amounts of illegal narcotics flowing through/over our borders via cartels along with illegal weapons smuggled into America along with unconscionable sex trafficking of women and children. A Political Party willing to deny American’s their civil rights and the Government’s duty to protect in lieu of political power at all and at any cost.

4) Advocates for the demonic, deadly, ideology of Socialism that is responsible for 100-million deaths in the last 100-years. Socialism that will destroy America’s Capitalistic Economy that is the most successful form of economic wealth/growth/progress for the masses in the history of mankind. Progressive Socialists, Millennial’s and Gen-Z brainwashed children deceived by historical revisionism and Darwin’s lies…these will be America’s demise.

Pastor Jeffress is most correct concerning the vile and demonic Progressive-Socialist-Democrat Party…the Party of Satan. Progressive Socialism will ultimately destroy America and our posterity will suffer horrifically. I explain the idiocy, vileness and Satanic nature of Progressive Socialism in more detail here: https://rickeyholtsclaw.com/2018/01/26/progressivism-satans-party-of-death/

Atheist, Mark D, stated: “I believe that a 1st century Jewish handyman is the son of the creator of the universe and my Lord and Savior. I also believe that this handyman died for my sins and rose from the dead after three days. He later ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God.” “If you had read the above paragraph without any knowledge of Christianity, you would have thought that the person quoted was crazy and in need of a good psychiatrist. But, because you were indoctrinated into the Christian faith as a child before you were able to critically think on your own, you now accept the quote without question. Religion makes the illogical logical, the unreasonable reasonable, and the irrational rational. What say you?”

Christian response to Mark D…

I disagree with Mark wholeheartedly. Though I was exposed to Christian doctrine as a young child, I never truly understood the concept of sin, atonement, or God’s Plan and purposes. It was not until I was approximately 35-yrs of age and met a 90+ year-old Messianic Jewish Priest and his entourage that Yeshua and purpose became relevant in my life.

While on vacation in Chicago some 27-years ago, I sat down with this Messianic Jewish Priest and we discussed Yeshua and life. The subject matter evolved into one of personal distress as I was asked questions that I simply could not provide adequate answers too. Out of pride, I visited a local bookstore and purchased a paraphrased copy of the “Living Bible” which reads much like a novel. I sat on a couch in that small apartment and began to read in the New Testament. Approximately half-way through the New Testament I looked up and asked…”Where has this been all my life?”

Within this paraphrased Bible I found answers to life’s most intriguing questions such as origin-meaning-morality-destiny. That cursory read of the Living Bible initiated a journey that would change my life forever. Soon, I began an exegesis of the Scriptures and included the Hebrew and Greek languages in my all-consuming study of God’s Word. It was during this journey initiated at 35-years-of-age that I found the greatest LOVE and PEACE and JOY and ASSURANCE as I acknowledged and believed in Jesus Christ-Yeshua as my personal Lord and subsequently received the most beautiful and wonderful Gift known to mankind i.e. the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.

Atheist or Agnostic, Keith Richard Mears, stated: “So, the laws, as proscribed by the magic book, the same magic book that is the literal or inspired word of a god, doesn’t apply to christians because this god wasn’t talking to them when it dictated the rules?”

Christian response…

The Law (Moral-Ceremonial-Dietary), as given the Hebrew Tribes under the Covenant of Law (Old Testament), applied in that particular dispensation where the Jews were set-apart by God and were to be Holy seeing that God would bring forth Messiah Yeshua through the Tribe of Judah via the Jewish Nation of Israel (Leviticus 20:26). As God’s chosen, the Jewish people received the dispensation of Law as they were to be Holy and representative of God’s morality-goodness-faithfulness as these Jewish Tribes lived within and traversed lands inundated by pagan tribes worshiping pagan gods.

1. The Moral Law…

Much of the “Moral Law,” as articulated within the Levitical Law, is redundant in that the Moral Law is written upon the heart of mankind at conception (Romans 2:15). The Moral Law was given or reiterated in the Levitical Law and accompanied by specific punishments for infractions so that the Jewish People would know exactly what was expected of them as God’s chosen people (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

The Moral Law also indicated the impossibility of earning righteousness through works/obedience because it is not possible for sinful man to keep The Law in perfection for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s Glory/His perfect standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). The Moral Law, as articulated within the Ten-Commandments and portions of the Levitical Law, remain in effect to this day (Matthew 5:17).

2. The Ceremonial Law and Dietary Laws…

The Levitical Law also contained ceremonial and dietary laws, all of which were fulfilled perfectly by Messiah; in fact, Messiah is the ONLY One who could and did keep the Moral-Ceremonial-Dietary Laws perfectly; therefore, Messiah-Jesus is the ONLY One possessing perfect righteousness thereby making Him the perfect sacrifice for sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It is the “Covenant of Law” (Old Testament) that was forward-looking to the “Covenant of Grace” (New Testament) as instituted by Messiah-Yeshua through His sacrificial blood. It is the ceremonial law, the blood sacrifices, that pointed to the coming Messiah who would be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. The blood of animals, bulls and goats, could not take away sin but only the blood of Messiah Yeshua was acceptable as payment for sin (Hebrews 10:4). The dietary laws were primarily given for health concerns and also to separate the Jewish people from pagan dietary traditions practiced at that time; dietary practices that our Creator deemed appalling.

3. Messiah Yeshua fulfilled The Law for us…

Messiah-Yeshua fulfilled all of The Law (Moral-Ceremonial-Dietary) perfectly and by doing so, Messiah fulfilled the Law for those who trust in Him as Lord and Savior. It is by grace (unmerited favor) through (faith-belief) in Jesus Christ-Yeshua alone as Lord and Savior that mankind finds righteousness (a right standing) with God the Father (John 14:6).

When one trusts in Jesus Christ as their Lord for the mediation of sin, that person so believing and confessing (Romans 10:9-10) receives the imputation of Messiah’s perfect righteousness (the perfect fulfillment of The Law) over their life and their sin/iniquity is forgiven forever thereby making said person acceptable to enter the Kingdom of God subsequent to death of the body; it is essential that Messiah’s perfect righteousness be imputed over one’s life if they desire to enter the Kingdom of God because NOTHING impure will ever enter God’s Kingdom (Revelation 21:27).

Conclusion…

So then, the Levitical Law does not apply to the Christian who is under Grace not Law (Romans 6:14) because salvation is not manifest by keeping The Law but only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 9:30-33).

Atheist, Mark D, stated: “Most Christians think that we are living in the last days, and in my view that is Grade A b–lsh-t! The truth of the matter is Jesus is NOT coming back. He died over 2000 years ago and, like any other dead person, he is never to return.”

Christian response to Mark…

The 2nd-Advent of Messiah-Yeshua was not possible until the rebirth of the Nation of Israel in 1948 and the capture of Jerusalem from Arab domination in 1967…an irrefutable fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy of Israel’s regathering.

“I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.” Ezekiel 34:13 (NASB)

If one studies eschatology and possesses the indwelling Holy Spirit of Truth, the signs of the Times are unmistakable/irrefutable. Even your scoffing at Jesus’ return is a sign that our Lord is preparing all things for That Day of the coming Apocalypse in Jerusalem, Israel, a nuclear war initiated by Islam-Allah v. Israel-Yeshua, that will initiate Yeshua’s Millennial Reign upon the Earth.

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” Zechariah 14:12 (KJV)

Yeshua-Messiah is returning as He has promised and if you are found living in rejection of Messiah as Lord for the mediation of your sin, you will experience unconscionable tribulation and suffering.

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22 (NASB)

“And I’m sure none of you Christians would dare defile your body that god gave you with Tattoos? Would you? Oh dear Hell it is then, sorry.”

“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28 (NASB)

A Christian response…

A Christian, in the Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ as Lord, is not condemned to Hell for tattoos nor is a Christian constrained by the Levitical Law which was given specifically to the Children of Israel in the Covenant of Law. Jesus Christ fulfilled both the ceremonial and dietary laws relevant to the Levitical Law; therefore, the Christian is free from The Law as it pertains to righteousness via a works salvation.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)

“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Galatians 2:16 (NASB)

Christians and Tattoos…

A Christian should not mark their body, not because of The Law of Moses given specifically to the Children of Israel, but because tattoos carry with them a stigma that causes others to stumble; that is, tattoos are readily identified as objective evidence of one’s compromise with the World i.e. sin. Though the Christian does NOT sin when they receive a tattoo, they do give cause to stumble (a poor example) and this is not edifying nor holy…a very poor example for those who are dying in sin without Jesus Christ as Lord and therefore look to the Christian and said Christian’s conduct as evidence of God’s holiness via obedience and purity.

Just as it is not forbidden for the Christian to consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, there is a societal stigma surrounding the consumption of alcohol that identifies one as being a servant of the World and not a faithful servant of God; therefore, it is wise and prudent that the Christian not tattoo their body or consume alcohol as to NOT place a stumbling block in the path of a fellow Christian or anyone who might look upon that individual as a Christian yet see their compromising conduct as a contradiction concerning holiness and obedience to our Lord.

The Christian is under grace through faith in Jesus Christ and NOT under Law but our freedom in Christ is NOT liberty to willfully sin against God’s moral law written upon our heart and this grace/freedom in Christ carries with it the responsibility to live in obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit and we are to be sensitive to His leading, wisdom and discernment in all things. Christians are to be Holy because God is Holy and the Christian is His representative to a lost and dying World. (1 Peter 1:16)

Mark D stated: “A Christian poster had this to say: “Obedience to God’s Will and His perfect Plan is truly the ONLY way to find lasting peace, contentment, and joy.” What he doesn’t say is where does one learn about God’s Will? I know of no document where God’s Will is conveyed, so I am at a loss as to how to be obedient. God’s will must not have been very important, because Christians believe that He gave us free will. Secondly, why is obedience to God the key to lasting peace, contentment, and joy? The poster never says, but so many Christians are unhappy because they follow church teachings, so it seems hard to believe. Thirdly, he says that God has a perfect plan, but with 30,000 children dying every day either from preventable diseases or hunger, God’s plan hardly seems perfect. What say you?”

1) God’s will and instructions relevant to obedience are found in His written word, the Bible, and in His Living Word, Jesus Christ-Yeshua as Lord. (John 1)

What is God’s will? Jesus explains…

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 (NASB)

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Happiness v. Joy in the Holy Spirit…

2) Christians are not seeking “happiness” which is contingent upon “happenings” and fluctuates with daily circumstances, but Christians seek joy and peace and contentment in our Lord which is everlasting and immutable through assurance of righteousness (a right standing) with God the Father for Eternity. There is no greater joy and peace than knowing with assurance that you are securely in a loving relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

3) The wise and prudent Christian does not follow Church doctrine but the doctrine of Christ as articulated within His Gospel (Good News). This is why the Christian is commanded to study the word of God and to show ourselves approved unto to God as a workman rightly dividing/interpreting the word of Truth through the power and tutelage of God the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 2:15).

Concerning the Holy Spirit as Teacher…

“These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:26-27 (NASB)

4) Concerning God’s Plan and starving children. Mark, you and every other atheist have been given dominion on this Earth; therefore, those children are YOUR responsibility. God has provided wisdom, knowledge, technology, science, and if you are truly concerned about these starving children around the World, it is hypocritical of you to point fingers at God when these children are YOUR responsibility. You have been given free will, go and intercede today!

Our Creator initially provided mankind with a Covenant of Provision-Peace-Sustenance but mankind rejected God and opted for narcissism and self-reliance; therefore, my admonition to Mark and the “concerned” atheists blaming God, get off your back-side and assist the Christian Churches around the World striving to feed and care for these starving children…don’t be an atheistic hypocrite.

Finally, lasting, immutable, peace and joy and contentment are only available by first trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and subsequently receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit of Promise by which the gifts and fruits of the Spirit can manifest in our lives via obedience. There is no peace or dignity or joy or life or wisdom or knowledge of Truth to be found in servitude to Satan via the lies and obfuscation that is Atheism.

Atheist, Mark D, stated: “Christians all want to go to heaven, but not one of them can tell you what they will be doing for an eternity. On the other hand, Christians claim to know a great deal about what happens when you go to hell. They say that you will be tossed into a lake of fire where you will be tormented forever. Screams and gnashing of teeth will take up most of time. Why the discrepancy? Because it is easier to sell paradise without details and a horror show with details. Christian authorities have always wanted to sell heaven and hell to believers as a way to control them. In order to make the sale, they leave heaven pretty much to one’s imagination and hell to fictionalized, detailed descriptions and potent imagery that are intended to frighten even the most hardened among us. Thoughts?”

Christian response to Mark D…

1) Concerning the faithful in Jesus Christ in Eternity…

The Holy Spirit, in His written Covenant of Grace (the Holy Bible) with mankind, does articulate the responsibilities of the redeemed in Jesus Christ when they enter the Kingdom of God subsequent to death of the body. At the point of death of the body constrained by Time, the faithful in Jesus Christ are instantaneously translated into the presence of God the Father/Jesus Christ in a disembodied spiritual state awaiting the day of the resurrection where they will receive a body fashioned like the resurrected body of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Concerning the resurrected body of the redeemed as per the Holy Spirit…

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Philippians 3:21 (KJV)

In their disembodied state, the faithful are more cognitively acute, aware, than when constrained by the sinful, corrupted body in Time. The disembodied spirit of the redeemed will not be subject to the physical laws and limitations of Time and the redeemed will see God face-to-face (1 John 3:2); there will no longer be any pain, suffering, disease, death, tears, because the old things of this Earth have passed away with the death of the body of corruption in Time (Revelation 21:4).

The overarching purpose for our life constrained by Time is to prepare for service to our God in Eternity. Eternity will be a place of responsibility and servitude to our God in accordance with our spiritual gifts and what we have done with those gifts while in our body upon this Earth; some will be judges of righteousness, others will be direct servants of the Lord, others will have the responsibilities of Kings and Priests before our Lord and we will all praise and honor our God as King, Redeemer, Lord…as it is written…

“…and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6 (NASB)

“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:10 (NASB)

“Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:3 (NASB)

…but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB)

Gotquestions.org writes: In Luke 23:43, Jesus declared, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise.” The word Jesus used for “paradise” is paradeisos which means “a park, that is, (specifically) an Eden (place of future happiness, paradise)”. Paradeisos is the Greek word taken from the Hebrew word pardes which means “a park: – forest, orchard” (Strong’s). Jesus said, “Today you shall be with me “en paradeisos,” not “en nephele” which is Greek for “in clouds.” The point is that Jesus picked and used the word for “a park.” Not just any park but “the paradise of God” or park of God (Revelation 2:7) which for us will be a place of future happiness. Does this sound like a boring place? When you think of a park, do you think of boredom?

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2) Concerning the death and punishment of the Atheist/those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord for the mediation of sin while in the Age of Grace upon this Earth and those who died rejecting God before the Covenant of Grace…

Every Atheist/unbeliever who rejects the pardon from death in sin and Hell freely offered by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, these unfaithful at the point of death of the body will be instantaneously translated in their disembodied spirit to the region Jesus Christ/the Holy Spirit refer to as Hades-Sheol/Torments; the unfaithful dead are fully cognizant, cognitively aware and interactive with the Spiritual World around them (Luke 16:19-31).

The unfaithful dead interned in Hades-Sheol/torments are apparently in agony and suffer during this period of incarceration while they await the Great White Throne Judgment that will manifest subsequent to the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:11-15; Hebrews 9:27).

NOTE: Hades-Sheol/torments is NOT Hell (The Lake of Fire).

Prior to the Great White Throne Judgment, the unfaithful will be brought out of Hades-Sheol/torments and receive a corrupt/defiled resurrected body in order to stand in the Judgment before Jesus Christ. Jesus warned about this Judgment and the destruction of the body and the soul…

Jesus said…

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 (NASB)

Controversy over the “second death” in Hell…

There is much controversy concerning the status of those who are condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment and subsequently relegated to the Lake of Fire (Hell) for Eternity. Some believe the “second death” in Hell is instantaneous while other theologians believe there is a period of suffering equivalent to the deeds done in the body in Time then a “second death” death of finality manifests. Others believe the condemned Atheist/unbeliever suffer eternally.

Having studied the subject of Hell, I believe the only beings that are tormented in Hell forever are Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet and perhaps the demons/angels that followed Satan-Lucifer in his attempted coup d’état taut in the Kingdom (Revelation 20:10). I believe the Scriptures teach that the condemned will die a death of finality in Hell (a second death), the Lake of Fire, but whether or not punishment for sin is graduated according to the depth of sin done in the body before this second death in Hell, I do not know (Revelation 20:14).

I do know that death in Hell is essential because our Creator will NOT permit the destructiveness of sin to enter His Eternal Kingdom; after all, it is because of sin introduced by Lucifer in the Kingdom that our Creator initiated the creation of Time, the Universe, mankind, Hell, in order that God could deal with the sin of Lucifer apart from the Eternal Kingdom.

“the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 (NASB)

Atheist, Mark D, comments: “A Christian woman said to her friends: “You can’t do anything without God.” Why would she think that when there is not a scrap of evidence to support her claim? Another Christian woman said: “I always put God first in my life.” I wonder what she meant by that? It is impossible to put God first in anyone’s life. You may think that people mean what they say, but oft-times when you ask them what they mean, they are hard-pressed to offer a convincing explanation. They are more parrot than human, because they repeat what they have heard many times, instead of thinking about what they are saying. Thoughts?”

Christian response to Mark D…

Mark, the answer to your question lies in the Christian doctrines of “Justification” and “Sanctification”…please allow me to explain.

When a Christian says they “always put God first in their life”…they are saying that they seek God’s will in all things. Atheists, like Mark D, cannot comprehend this statement because they are spiritually dead as the Atheist is consumed by naturalism; therefore, the truth of the Spiritual seems as foolishness to them.

Concerning the Atheist and spiritual impotence, the Holy Spirit speaks in this manner…

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB)

Atheists are blind followers of Satan; as a consequence, the Atheist cannot see the glory and honor and Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because Satan has blinded their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4). Knowledge and wisdom, the deeper truths, relevant to God’s written word only manifests via the indwelling Holy Spirit as Tutor/Teacher that is given to everyone who humbles them self and believes in their heart, confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is God who died to pay their sin-debt and that He was resurrected for their justification (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 10:8-10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 (NASB)

Justification v. Sanctification…

It is the Holy Spirit that guides the believer in sanctification subsequent to justification. At the moment a person honestly, earnestly, believes that Jesus Christ-Yeshua is God who died for them, that person becomes “justified” in the sight of God the Father who imputes the perfect, sinless, righteousness of the Son, Jesus Christ, over the life of the believer. In other words, the person who believes that Jesus is God who died to pay their sin-debt, that person so believing and confessing, is immediately deemed NOT GUILTY for sin as they are forgiven for past-present-future sin (Romans 10:8-13).

Subsequent to being Justified in the sight of God the Father by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the faithful believer receives the indwelling Holy Spirit as Guarantor/a Seal of the Covenant of Grace between God the Father/God the Son and the faithful believer (Ephesians 1:13-14). It is the Holy Spirit, subsequent to Justification, that begins the life-long process of Sanctification i.e. being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ in thought, word, behavior, deed. It is the process of “Sanctification” that one is speaking of when they say “You can’t do anything without God” – or – “I always put God first in my life” (Romans 8:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

It is by the power and influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit that one seeks daily to put God’s will “first” in their life as the faithful believer seeks to glorify God in all things concerning obedience through love (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:37)…because obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).