This is why I have decided not to engage in this discussion any longer. I'm virtually certain and will not be convinced that soul sleep and annhilationism are are true. But I think many who subscribe to these doctrines do so because the alternative thought is too awful to contemplate, especially to those who have loved ones that they may fear are lost. Some of which may have died. I see no value in giving them pain even though I think they are wrong.
Can't really see how this is a Salvation issue to those that are already saved, so itr may be better to leave them alone on thios issue.
Great post. The battle begins among those who are in such a discussion anywhere at all in my opinion? Is that they can go through the Bible and find those verses that support their idea about soul sleep and annihilationism. Typically singular verses are used for that purpose so as to omit the full context of the teaching.
That which says for instance, and fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell. That's from Matthew 10. Besides Paul's writing in 1 Corinthians 15, there's this as pertains to the idea of "soul sleep". The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. Found in Matthew 27.
It is much like the salvation issue. Is it eternal? Of course because God said it was and it is therefore not up for real debate. Are we always in God's grace and eternal salvation even if we fall into disbelief at some point due to being overwhelmed in life and feeling God abandoned us? Yes. God's word tells us that. No one shall ever remove us from Christ's hand. No one pertains to us as well. We can't leave his hand because God knew we would enter there before this world came to exist.
But people who argue for thousands of pages and count hundreds of posts to their credit that we can stop being saved think like a human. Not like God. We can be bad and leave the salvation club and God will let us fall back to where we were. Which is not Biblical.
I think the conflict among people arise when we start to think God thins as we do. That he's as insincere as we are in keeping his word when He gives it. That God turns His back on people when they turn their back on Him.
In the end God will know who those whom He called to his son are. And those who thought God was not as good as His word shall be called to account for that too. Not to present their case before Him for thousands of pages and hundreds of posts. But for once and for eternity.
What Christian argues they're not secure in Christ? How does someone live their life doing God's will when they're not sure God knows they're there.