What is soul mortalism or soul sleep?

Sincerely,
Soul Searching

Dear Soul Searching,

Soul mortalism is the belief that human souls are not naturally immortal and that during the time between one’s physical death and the Judgment Day resurrection, the human soul is left in an uncomprehending state or “sleep”.  This does not at all match the Bible’s teachings.

The Bible teaches that human souls, both good and bad, wait in Hades for the Judgment.  Hades (also known as Sheol) is the place of the dead, both the good dead and the bad dead.  The word ‘Hades’ literally means ‘the unseen place’.  Within Hades, there are two areas where people wait for the final judgment.  All of the faithful who die wait in the good part of Hades called ‘Paradise’ (2 Cor 12:4, Lk 23:43).  All of the wicked who die wait in a part of Hades known only as ‘torments’ (Lk 16:23).  The story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Lk 16:19-31 shows us that both groups are fully comprehending and aware in Hades.

Scriptures like 1 Kings 8:46, Ecc 7:20, Isa 64:6-7, Psalm 14:3, Prov 20:9, Rom 3:23, 1 Jn 1:8, Rom 5:12, Isa 41:26, and Rom 3:10-12 all say that there is no one righteous, just, or without sin.  But what about Noah (Gen 7:1), Job (Job 1:1), Zacharias & Elizabeth (Lk 1:5-6), Abel (Matt 23:35), Joseph (Matt 1:19), and Cornelius (Acts 10:22)?  The Bible seems to say that these people were just and righteous.  And also verses like 2 Sam 22: 21-27, Ecc 9:1, Jas 5:16, Ps 24:3-4, Lk 6:45, Matt 13:47-48, and Jhn 5:29 seem to say that there were, and maybe are today, good people on this planet.  So what are the passages that I mentioned first talking about?

Sincerely,
Justified Confusion

Dear Justified Confusion,

The first set of verses you mentioned are addressing the fact that all of us have fallen short (Rom 3:23), and no man has a right to boast before God that he has earned his salvation (Rom 3:27).  No one is righteous without God’s help.  Abraham sinned, but God counted him as righteous because of Abraham’s faith (Gen 15:6).  Nobody is righteous based upon his or her own merits.  However, God, through Christ’s blood, reconciles the faithful to Him, so we can be righteous through faith (Col 1:20).

I have heard many interpretations and predictions on what it is thought the mark of the beast will be.  One of those thoughts is a microchip placed in your hand.  Would it be wrong to implant my dogs with microchips?  This seems to be the most effective way of keeping up with them and preventing them from getting lost, but is it wrong?

Sincerely,
Devoted Dog Breeder

Dear Devoted Dog Breeder,

The verse you are referring to is Rev 14:9.  However, take comfort – it isn’t referring to your pups.  The book of Revelation is dealing with the struggle between christians and the idolatrous nation of Rome; therefore, it can’t be referring to modern microchipping, no matter what the televangelists and pop-culture preachers say.

It is important to remember that the book of Revelation is a book written with symbolic and figurative language (Rev 1:1).  It is a vision the apostle John received on the island of Patmos that uses apocalyptic dream-like visions to teach on a real-life subject that was “soon to come to pass” and “at hand” (Rev 1:1 and Rev 1:3).  Considering John wrote the book somewhere between 65 A.D. and 100 A.D. – we are about two thousand years too late for the vision to specifically apply to us.  Today, you need to obey the Gospel in order to be in God’s light (1 Jn 1:5-6).  We recommend that you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”, so that you can feel confident about what will save your soul.  There is more to it than simply asking Jesus into your life, but it has nothing to do with unmarked hands or microchipping.

If we are saved by grace through Christ alone, and not by works, why does the Word say that at the Judgment, Christ might say to some, "Depart from me; I never knew you"  (Matt 7:23)?  It seems to suggest that after being born again, we then must do something to stay saved.  Some of them were obviously doing wonderful works in His name (Matt 7:22).  Can you help me understand?

Sincerely,
Working On An Answer

Dear Working On An Answer,

When Paul says that we are not saved by works, he is talking about perfect works (Rom 3:27).  Paul was dealing with the argument that a man could be saved by living by the law and that he didn’t need God’s grace (Rom 3:28).  We are saved by faith in God, not perfect works.  However, that doesn’t mean that what we do doesn’t matter.  James says that faith without works is dead (Jas 2:20).  The choices we make in life show who we have faith in.  We know we have faith in God when we listen to His Word (Rom 10:17) and then do our best to live by what it says (Jas 1:22).  Abraham is a perfect example of this.  Abraham was saved by faith (Rom 4:9), but we are also told that Abraham was saved by works when he offered Isaac (Jas 2:21).  God knew Abraham’s faith when Abraham lived by that faith (Gen 22:12).  Our actions do define us.  We have all sinned (Rom 3:23), and God in His grace, sent His Son to pay the price for our sins, but that doesn’t mean that how you live doesn’t matter.  Matt 7:23 is referring to those people who say that they trust the Lord but aren’t living by His Word.  Those people won’t be saved.

Are Jesus and God the same person?

Sincerely,
Recalculating

Dear Recalculating,

There are three members of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).  Each of the three is fully God and have all the powers of Deity.  Read "The Father, The Son, & The Holy Spirit" for details on their relationship one to the other.  Jesus is definitely one of the Godhead.  Jhn 1:1 and Php 2:5-9 make it clear that Jesus is Deity.