Dale Ratzlaff says that SDA’s belief in “soul sleep” after death denies the believer’s born-again reality of new life in Christ.
If new life in Christ equips us to live on immediately after death, how then do the unsaved who die also keep on living, according to Dale—since they have no life in Jesus? By Dale’s own reasoning, they should be nonexistent. Actually, the Bible teaches in 1 Cor. 15 (verses 22-23 and 51-54), and in other NT verses, that those who die will sleep until a later resurrection.
Jo commented on 26-Aug-2009 02:35 PM
I'm confused....what is "soul sleep" and what does that have to do with being "born again"
I'm confused....what is "soul sleep" and what does that have to do with being "born again"
Martin answering commented on 29-Aug-2009 06:37 PM
Adventists don’t deny the existence of the spirit. We just point out from the NT that the words “spirit” and “breath” come from the same Greek word, pneuma, from where we get “pneumonia.” In John 3, the same word is translated “wind” (verse 8). # John 3 does not say that our spirit is reborn. It says that WE are reborn by the Holy Spirit. # And you can’t compare what happens to our spirit (breath) at death with what happened to Jesus, since the Bible calls Him a unique “life-giving spirit (breath)” (1 Cor. 15:45).” Jesus came forth with the life inherent within Himself; we don’t. He must resurrect us. The Bible says that without the resurrection, “then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Cor. 15:16-18). # Going to heaven at death is not our blessed hope; we must wait for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). # Floating away at death is taught nowhere in Scripture; it’s a heresy from the ancient Greeks to which Life Assurance Ministries has fallen prey. The New Testament, by contrast, equates our physical death with sleep (John 11; 1 Cor 15), not disembodied existence. # The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is just that, a parable. Otherwise we must believe that the unregenerate go to hellfire at death. But without being reborn by Christ’s life-giving Spirit, where do the lost get the ability to live in hell for eternity? Please answer that question. You seem to have some inconsistency here. You said “a spirit that has not been reborn in Christ will not live on with Christ after death.” So please explain: Where do the un-reborn get the life to spend eternity in hell? And do you really believe that the lost go to hell at death?
Adventists don’t deny the existence of the spirit. We just point out from the NT that the words “spirit” and “breath” come from the same Greek word, pneuma, from where we get “pneumonia.” In John 3, the same word is translated “wind” (verse 8). # John 3 does not say that our spirit is reborn. It says that WE are reborn by the Holy Spirit. # And you can’t compare what happens to our spirit (breath) at death with what happened to Jesus, since the Bible calls Him a unique “life-giving spirit (breath)” (1 Cor. 15:45).” Jesus came forth with the life inherent within Himself; we don’t. He must resurrect us. The Bible says that without the resurrection, “then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Cor. 15:16-18). # Going to heaven at death is not our blessed hope; we must wait for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). # Floating away at death is taught nowhere in Scripture; it’s a heresy from the ancient Greeks to which Life Assurance Ministries has fallen prey. The New Testament, by contrast, equates our physical death with sleep (John 11; 1 Cor 15), not disembodied existence. # The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is just that, a parable. Otherwise we must believe that the unregenerate go to hellfire at death. But without being reborn by Christ’s life-giving Spirit, where do the lost get the ability to live in hell for eternity? Please answer that question. You seem to have some inconsistency here. You said “a spirit that has not been reborn in Christ will not live on with Christ after death.” So please explain: Where do the un-reborn get the life to spend eternity in hell? And do you really believe that the lost go to hell at death?
Martin answering Jo commented on 30-Aug-2009 05:40 PM
"Soul sleep" is a term used to describe those, like Adventists, who believe that death is a sleep. It has nothing to do with belief in being born again, despite the attempts by some to say that those who believe that death is a sleep deny the born-again life we have in Jesus. 1 John 5:11-12 says that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Adventists believe that we do have eternal life now in Christ, and if we fall asleep in death Jesus will wake us up at His coming with the life we have in Him.
"Soul sleep" is a term used to describe those, like Adventists, who believe that death is a sleep. It has nothing to do with belief in being born again, despite the attempts by some to say that those who believe that death is a sleep deny the born-again life we have in Jesus. 1 John 5:11-12 says that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Adventists believe that we do have eternal life now in Christ, and if we fall asleep in death Jesus will wake us up at His coming with the life we have in Him.
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Because you equate physical death with ceasing to exist. This misunderstanding of scripture makes what Dale says seem nonsensical. I guess this would also make you have to take the position that Jesus used error to teach truth in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. You deny the existence of the spirit. Did Jesus cease to exist in the grave? The Bible says that the spirit is reborn in John 3. Breath isn't reborn. The Bible uses the same word for Holy Spirit as our spirit. Lost people still have a spirit, but a spirit that has not been reborn in Christ will not live on with Christ after death. Bodies sleep in the dust. My body is just a tent. The spirit returns to God upon death of the body.