FIRST AND SECOND DEATH, FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTION

“If you’ve been born twice you’ll only die once, but if you’ve been born only once, you will die twice.” Have you ever heard that expression? The Bible mentions two deaths and two resurrections. Everyone is born once, to a mother, when we enter this world as a baby. This is the FIRST BIRTH. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are born again. This is the SECOND BIRTH. In Revelation 20:14, we read about the SECOND DEATH. John tells us here that the SECOND DEATH is hell fire. So what about the FIRST DEATH? There are differences of opinion on this subject, so what’s the answer? The Bible doesn’t mention the FIRST DEATH by those exact words, so how can we know, without speculating, what the FIRST DEATH really is? There’s only one way. Let’s see what God says it is.

Romans 5:8 
8. But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:14
14. For the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all were dead:

Ephesians 2:5
5. Even when we were dead in sins, God has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)

We were ALL DEAD. Dead in sin. Many say, “When Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, he didn’t die that day like God said he would.” Yes, he did. He died spiritually. Adam was made in the sinless image of God. Then he sinned, and his son, Cain was born in the sinful image of Adam. He was born spiritually dead, and that condition has been passed down to all of Adam’s descendants. Since then, every person who is born on planet earth is born spiritually dead. This is the First Death. Keep reading.

Romans 5:12 
12. Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men because all have sinned:

1 Corinthians 15:22 
22. For as in Adam ALL DIE, even so, in Christ all will be made alive.

Like Adam, everyone dies physically when the body wears out or is damaged beyond repair, but the Bible refers to this as sleep. But, this verse is not referring to physical death, because the contrast is, being MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST. This death is SPIRITUAL DEATH. We are all born with a sinful nature. We are all born Spiritually Dead, and we need the sacrifice of Jesus to make us alive again. (See Ephesians 2:1-13)

What we call death, the bible refers to as sleep. That’s why Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will never die.” (John 11:26) 
When Lazarus died Jesus said, he was asleep. (John 11:11)

When they told Jairus, the synagogue ruler, that his daughter was dead, Jesus said, “she is not dead, she is sleeping.” (Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, Luke 8:52)
Now, look at these verses.

Psalm 13:3 
3. Consider and hear me, O LORD my God. Lighten mine eyes, lest I SLEEP the SLEEP of death;

1 Corinthians 15:51 
51. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all SLEEP, but we shall all be changed,

1 Thessalonians 4:14 
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, those also who SLEEP in Jesus will God bring with him.

So God’s word says that we are all DEAD in sin because of Adam. This is the FIRST DEATH. We are born again when we accept Jesus as our Savior. This is the SECOND BIRTH.

1st BIRTH ---- Born into the world.
2nd BIRTH --- Born into Christ. (Born again)
1st DEATH --- Dead in sin (Because of Adam)
2nd DEATH -- Hell Fire

Now The Resurrection

Ephesians 2:5-6 
5. Even when we were dead in sins, [God] has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) 
6. And has RAISED US UP together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Romans 6:4 
Therefore we are BURIED with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE.

Colossians 2:12 
BURIED with him in baptism, wherein also you have RISEN with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath RAISED him from the dead.

Colossians 2:13 
And being DEAD in your sins and the uncircumcised of your flesh, he has MADE YOU ALIVE together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

2 Corinthians 5:17 
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

John 11:25 
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live,

John 11:26 
And whoever lives and believes in me will never die…

Again, we are all DEAD in sin before we meet Jesus. When we are converted and baptized, we are BURIED with him, then RAISED UP or RESURRECTED as a new person. Spiritual Resurrection from Spiritual Death. This is the FIRST RESURRECTION.

DEAD, BURIED, AND RESURRECTED.

1st BIRTH --- Physical Birth (Born to a mother)
2nd BIRTH -- Spiritual Birth (Resurrection from Spiritual Death)
1st DEATH -- Spiritual Death (Born dead in sin, because of Adam)
2nd DEATH-- Physical Death (Hell Fire) Revelation 21:8

For more on 2nd death read Eternal Life Or Eternal Death

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