Some Die Once – Many Die Twice [Part 28]
In Part 28 of our series of Blog Posts from our upcoming book titled “One Way or Another Your Eternal Destination is Guaranteed” the question today looks at: “Did Jesus Die for Nothing? and The Second Resurrection”
If we could be “good enough” to keep all the Ten Commandments, we could boast that we would not need the Savior. However, no one has been that totally righteous other than Christ Jesus Himself. It would be bragging to say, “I do not need the Savior—I can save myself by being good enough.”
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law [doing works to save one’s self], then Christ died in vain [died for nothing]. Galatians 2:21
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Romans 3:27
For by grace you have been [and are] saved through faith [belief]; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works [trying to be good enough], lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship [He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Psalm 23:3], created in Christ Jesus for good works [We do not do good works to save ourselves—we do good works because we are saved.], which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
Are You Perfect?
James, a half brother of Jesus, wrote the Epistle (Letter) of James in the Bible. The Book of James was inspired, like all the Scriptures, by the Holy Spirit. Part of what he wrote relates to a person who thinks he can be perfectly righteous—holy—by wrongly believing he can be totally obedient by keeping all the commands (except one):
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10
Did Jesus Die for Nothing?
No. Since not one of us could do it, only Jesus could keep the whole law for us. The requirement for each of us to get to heaven is for us to be absolutely righteous—totally holy. We are only justified by God—to be as His righteous self—for Him to see us as also being righteous: if we believe that Jesus is our righteousness. He was and is righteous for those who believe it is so.
The Second Resurrection
All the unfaithful souls awaiting judgment in Hades will be resurrected to face the Lord Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne, not just those who rejected the gospel of grace during the Church Age, but all the unbelieving will face the Lord Jesus and be judged and sentenced to a second death. This results in being cast into the lake of fire. OT names we might be familiar with such as Cain, Balaam, Ahab, Jezebel, and Athaliah, among others, will likely be among this group. The judgment is God’s.
Conclusion:
It is encouraging for us to be aware of the three parts of the First Resurrection:
- The Savior Himself,
- all who believed the truth before the Rapture, and
- the ones who will come to believe during the Tribulation.
None of those OT saints whom we’ll see in the Kingdom even knew who Jesus Christ was in their time alive on earth. But they were all, by their faith, justified by the just God. Jesus the Person was not preached as the Christ, the long waited-for Messiah, until 2,000 years ago.
The Second Resurrection
The second resurrection has to do with the second death: The first death of the nonbeliever did not result in the nonexistence of the soul. Therefore, the unfaithful souls who lived in all the B.C. years and those who died in the 2,000 years Church Age A.D. years without having accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior will be raised to face Him and be judged by Him at the Great White Throne. The names of the unfaithful will not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life; and they will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal suffering. All souls will be resurrected, but only few, compared to the total number of souls, will be part of the first resurrection. The majority will be of the second resurrection:
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me [offended God]: for their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence [shall be despised] to all flesh. Isaiah 66:24
The LORD has made all [people and things] for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. Proverbs 16:4
“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the LORD GOD. “Therefore turn and live.”
Summary
Why anyone would not want to be a part of the First Resurrection escapes all reasoning. The NIV tells us in Proverbs 12:5: A wise man listens to advice.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15
Next Blog Post on November 06, 2025: “The Coming of the Lord”
Pray that people will come to the saving knowledge of the Truth before it’s too late, and love their children to teach them the Truth.
Thank you for reading and God bless you!
Blog Posts Related to this Topic:
What is a Believer? What is an Unbeliever?
The Decision – Is it only for Self?
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How to Receive Eternal Life Posts
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Resources:
Check Out these Interesting Resources:
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Inc.
Gospel Folio Press – William MacDonald – Believers Bible Commentary
Warren Henderson Publishing
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version, unless stated otherwise. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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