Results of the Immortal Soul Doctrine

The Bible says, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). This means that no one except God lives forever under one’s own power.

Amazingly, Satan has deceived many people into believing the opposite!

In the Garden of Eden, Satan told the first recorded lie to Eve, saying that, even if she sinned, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). And he has worked hard ever since to get as many as possible to swallow the same deception.

His great success has opened the door for him to, sadly, convince millions that sinners will live forever in eternal misery in the fires of hell. This is just one result of believing the erroneous immortal soul doctrine. Where else does this lie lead?

It Leads People to Hate or Disbelieve God
The immortal soul deception allows Satan to present God as a revengeful tyrant—one who plunges those who do not please Him into eternal suffering as He looks on with satisfaction. Satan knew that this image of God would inspire many people to hate Him, refuse a relationship with Him, and be lost forever.

But Satan knew that he wouldn’t be able to get everyone to hate God. He knew that some would still see Him as loving and kind. If he could get these people to believe that God’s intended punishment for sin is eternal torment in hellfire, they would refuse to believe that a loving God would allow any consequence for sin, such as the actual consequence—death (Romans 6:23). This would demotivate them from cultivating a relationship with God, causing them to be lost as well.

Whether by getting people to hate God or to disbelieve Him, Satan is using the false doctrine of the immortal soul to secure the destruction of many.

It Leads to a Lack of Trust in the Bible
The false doctrine of the immortal soul leads others to regard the Bible as an uninspired book. Knowing the truth that a loving and just God will not burn people forever, but thinking that the Bible teaches this, they look on God’s Word as teaching many good things, but they cannot in good faith love it and rely upon it. Because the Bible points to Christ (John 5:39), and because knowing Christ is eternal life (John 17:3), they lose out on a relationship with Him, and on eternal life.

It Leads to Atheism
Belief in the doctrine of the immortal soul leads still others to atheism. They ponder, If God is loving and just, why would He endlessly torture people in retribution for less than a hundred years of sin? The harsh injustice of it creates an irreconcilable dilemma in their mind about God’s character. The only solution they perceive is the devil’s suggestion that such an inconsistent God cannot exist.

It Leads to Insanity
Some people have refused to let God abide in them, resulting in a weak and susceptible mind. Satan points out their sins to them and convinces them that they will burn forever and ever as a result. Not needing their body to be consumed by fire to consume their mind with fear, the enemy keeps them in a cycle of sin, shame, and dread of never-ending retribution in hell. If they continue giving Satan permission to mentally manipulate them, they will eventually experience the result of living outside the reality of God’s love and justice—insanity.

Truth Will Set You Free
Believing the false doctrine of the immortal soul certainly leads to places we don’t want to go! Can we avoid these disastrous results? If so, how?

God knew that Satan would try every false doctrine imaginable in his quest to destroy mankind. So God caused His word to be written out as the Bible. In His Word, we find the antidote for every disease-ridden falsehood that Satan peddles. In the Bible we find truth.

Interpreting the Bible accurately gives us a truer picture of God, which protects us from the dangerous results of false doctrines. We find hope and healing in God’s Word, even for those far down the road of error. Mark chapter 5 tells the story of a man who had believed a lie so long that the enemy had taken over his mind. Although he was unable to even speak for himself, Jesus read his thoughts and his desire to be set free, cast the demon out of him, and restored him to reality.

Jesus said, “I am … the truth” (John 14:6). Jesus Christ is ultimate truth, and He has the power and is longing for our permission to set us free. If you have been taken in by Satan’s lie that the human soul is immortal, Jesus is waiting to set you free. If you have been led to hate or disbelieve God, Jesus is waiting to set you free. If you have lost your trust in the Bible, Jesus is waiting to set you free. Even if you have been led into atheism or have given in to the enemy’s manipulation, Jesus truly is waiting to set you free.

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Visit TruthAboutDeath.com for more Bible-based study resources on what happens when you die and the afterlife.

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