Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
bearbear
Sorry, but I've never heard this theory about "stillborn" not being spiritually "born."
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In the parable, the second soil results in a plant that dies. I believe death is a metaphor for spiritual death leading to the lake of fire which is the "second death".
Revelation 21:8
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the
second death."
Notice how similar this verse describing the damned is to Paul's warning in Galatians 5:19-21 "The acts of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
I want this millennial exclusion view to be true but there are so many verses that you'd have to work very hard to explain away.
For example, how would you reconcile this view with this verse Galatians 5:24:
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
There are many people who profess the faith yet have not died to their flesh, hence they would not belong to Christ according to this verse. How can you not belong to Christ and still be saved?
Or these other ones related to life and death:
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to
death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh you will
die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
If these warnings are temporary in nature, why is Paul afraid of laboring in vain? If people who profess faith at one point in their life are eventually going to be saved, wouldn't Paul have souls saved for eternity? and hence his labor would not be in vain.
Philippians 2:16
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that
I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:2
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
Galatians 4:11
I am afraid I may have
labored over you in vain.
Jesus warned that few would be saved and that narrow is the way to life and few find it but in comparison many would say to him "Lord, Lord" but he would disown them in Matthew 7:21-23.