The Bible is very clear that death is not restricted to merely the physical death of the body, but the death of the spirit. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they died that very day spiritually and lost their personal relationship with God. Is the concept of spiritual death supported in the Bible? Here are the scriptures (many by Jesus Himself):
Spiritial death.... well obviously this isn't physical death.
But is it death of the soul? Or does the soul go on living after death?
Joh 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed
out of death into life.
Joh 8:51 "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will
never see death."
Joh 8:52 The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.'
I certainly agree you can be spiritually dead. Otherwise why you need the Holy Spirit?
Does only the soul of believers live eternally? Or is the souls of unbelievers eternal as well? Does hell really exist, or do unbelievers "just fade away". Is there eternal punishment as well as eternal life?
Mat 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the
eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Mat 25:46 "These will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
2Th 1:9 These will pay the penalty of
eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Mat 13:42 and will throw them into the
furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:50 and will throw them into the
furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 5:29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body,
than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Mat 5:30 "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body,
than for your whole body to go into hell.
Mat 18:8 "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be
cast into the eternal fire.
Luk 3:9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire."
If there truly is no punishment for sin... then why do I even need to be saved?
Heb 10:27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF
A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Maybe there really is a hell, a place where your soul will be tormented eternally?
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Luk 16:22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also
died and was buried.
Luk 16:23 "
In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for
I am in agony in this flame.'
Luk 16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and
you are in agony.
This is the argument of most non-believers I know. Why get saved? Why do I need a savior? Ok, so I sin, so what? After this life I just return to dust, I might as well live it up, have as much fun as possible and not worry about a penalty that will never happen.