A lesson of 2 deaths and two births

2. The First Birth
We as humans are born into this world as a baby. Even though life for us
actually begins at conception, we focus on the day of our birth. When we
physically come forth from the womb.

3. The First Birth
Babies inside their mothers womb are surrounded by water called
embryonic fluid. Prior to birth this water bag burst giving meaning to “my
water broke” This is the first birth Jesus speaks of.
John 3:3-6 Jesus answered
and said unto him, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when
he is old? can he enter the
second time into his mother's
womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and
that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit.

4. The First Birth
Jesus talks about two births here. The first birth is a physical birth. The second birth is a
spiritual birth. Notice he says…” That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Two separate but important events in a persons life.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Many Christians incorrectly believe that the above verse is referring to a water
baptism followed by a filling of the spirit that is necessary for salvation. Nothing
could be further from the truth. To do that would take this verse totally out of
context with the rest of the passage.
Jesus tells Nicodemus you must be born again. The worn again is the Greek word
anothen which means from above. Jesus is telling Nicodemus you must have a
heavenly birth. He misunderstands and says how can I enter the womb again.

5. The First Birth
Because Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus explains further. He tells Nicodemus that a
person who has a physical birth by water through the womb must have a second birth a
spiritual birth ( from above) in order to be able to enter into heaven.
Now you ask…what happens to babies who die during pregnancy such as in abortions.
Well they never have had a physical birth they do no need a spiritual birth. They go
straight into the arms of Jesus. Remember life begins at conception not birth. Those
guilty of aborting babies are guilty of murder in Gods eyes. They will be held
accountable for that one day.
Ok so we see here that Jesus is talking about two separate births, both physical and
spiritual having nothing to do with water baptism. Ok what is this second birth, from
above, a spiritual birth?

6. The Second Birth
In John 3:3 Jesus tells Nicodemus you must be born again. The King James version did a
poor job translating the Greek word anothen. Anothen means from above. Every person
who has ever been born must have a second birth from above. A heavenly birth or
spiritual birth by the power of the holy spirit.
This passage has nothing to do with water baptism.
How can a person get this spiritual birth from above?
In John 3 Jesus is talking to Nicodemus. He tells Nicodemus he must have a spiritual
birth. He goes on to say that no man has ever ascended to heaven, but that Christ came
down from heaven and must be lifted up (on the cross). And that man must believe this
in order to gain access to heaven. Look at the whole passage not just part.
We’ll do this on the next page.

7. The Second Birth
John 3
1) There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2) The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a
teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God
be with him.
3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the
second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9) Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

8. The Second Birth
10) Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not
these things?
11) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have
seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12) If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell
you of heavenly things?
13) And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,
even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: (speaking of his death on the cross)
15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(Believeth = Faith=Life)
16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.
18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.

9. The Second Birth
So what did Jesus tell Nicodemus?
He said this… Nicodemus you must have a heavenly spiritual birth. By believing that I am
Jesus sent from heaven to the earth to die on the cross to bring salvation to those who
believe that this is the truth. This is called faith.
Jesus essentially is saying to Nicodemus that if he would believe the he was the Christ
sent by God the father for the purpose of redeeming mankind from sin then he would
have a second birth. A spiritual birth from above.
Now I want you to notice here Jesus himself said this to Nicodemus. Nowhere does
Jesus say that you must be baptized to get this second birth. Jesus said you must have
faith in me period.
The apostle Paul confirms this in Eph2:8-9 “ 8For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man
should boast.

10. The Second Birth
1 John 5
1) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that
loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (born from above)
2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his
commandments.
3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his
commandments are not grievous.
4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith.
5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of
God?
The apostle John, who was Christ’s closest friend in life and who lived longer than the
other apostles by some 40 years says here again as he said in the gospel of John that
faith is all that is necessary for this second birth.
This is exactly what Jesus told Nicodemus.

11. The First Death
What is death? Death is a separation, separation of
the body and spirit, separation of God and man.
Mankind was intended to live forever. Had sin not
entered in Adam and Eve would be here still today.
As a result of sin Adam and Eve were separated from
God and kicked out of the garden, and they physically
died. Guess what they still dead been death for
1000’s of years. Are at least their bodies are in the
grave. Their spirit is in heaven now in presence of
God. Again death is simply a seperation.

12. The First Death
The first death is when we who are alive physically die. Every one who has ever been
physically born through a woman's womb will one day die unless the Lord comes first.
This physical death means that the heart stops pumping, the blood stops flowing, the
lungs stop breathing and the brain stops functioning. This is physical death, also known
as the first death.
Now understand this, since Adam and Eve were created ever living person both saved
by their faith and those who died in unbelief all die this first death. The body goes into
the ground and the spirit of the person goes ether directly to heaven or directly to hell.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are
at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by
sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to
be present with the Lord.
No such a place as purgatory. When a Christian dies he immediately goes to be with
the Lord. When the lost die they go directly to hell. See My Lesson on Hell

13. Paradise
Great Gulf
Hades
Old testament saints
Old testament lost New testament saints
New testament lost
Old testament saints could not go to
heaven until Jesus died and his
blood covered their sins.

14. Paradise
Hades
Old testament lost
New testament saints
New testament lost
After the crucifixtion the saints
of the old testament were
covered by the blood and
could be carried to heaven.
Now Hell is
bigger for more
people going
there.
Isaiah 5:14Therefore hell hath
enlarged herself, and
opened her mouth without
measure: and their glory,
and their multitude, and
their pomp, and he that
rejoiceth, shall descend into
it.

15. Revelation 20
1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit
and a great chain in his hand.
2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,
and bound him a thousand years,
3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him,
that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4And I saw thrones, and they (saved dead here) sat upon them, and judgment was
given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither
his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (these are the Christians
who died )
5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. (These are the lost)
(The first resurrection is when Christians who died are alive again with new bodies
which takes place at the time of the rapture)
The First Death

16. (Luke 16:22-24) 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. (This was immediate no delay)
24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame.
The Lost spirit goes directly to hell and torment and pain. The saved spirit goes directly
to be with the Lord. This is where they will remain until the time of judgment. At the
rapture the saved souls in heaven will be given new bodies and rewards based on their
faithfulness. The lost dead will not be raised again until after the 1000 year reign of
Christ on earth.
The First Death

17. Rev 20:4-5
4And I saw thrones, and they (saved) sat upon them, and judgment (rewards) was given
unto them: and I saw the souls (saved after the rapture) of them that were beheaded for
the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (these are the Christians who
died )
5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is
the first resurrection. (These are the lost)
(The first resurrection is when Christians who died are alive again with new bodies which
takes place at the time of the rapture)
The lost dead do not get new bodies until after the 1000 years and the great white
throne judgment.
The First Death

18. The First Death
So when Christians die they go to be in the presence of the Lord now in heaven.
However when the rapture takes place ( catching up) All the saved dead in heaven will
be reunited with a new body and rewards will be given to them based on their
faithfulness.
1st Corinthians 15:52-54
52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead (saved dead) shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.
Here it is talking about Christian dead , for the lost there is no victory only defeat.
The Christian dead arise receive new incorruptible bodies.

19. The First Death
1 Corinthians 3
11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble;
13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire.
When the saved are raised with new bodies following the rapture they will be judged
according to their faithfulness. Many Christians will be embarrassed because they
wont have anything left but they still in heaven.

20. The Second Death
11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and
the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12And I saw the dead (lost dead here only), small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The white throne judgment takes place after the 1000 years is over. Satan will be
loosed for a short time to round up any people living through the 1000 reign of
Christ.. These people have not died the first death yet. Many will follow Satan now.
Just because Satan was bound for 1000 yrs. man still has a sinful nature.

21. The Second Death
Remember
Born Twice Die Once Born Once Die Twice!
At the white throne judgment all the lost dead will be given new bodies as well. Notice
they stand before the throne. After their judgment they are cast alive into the pit.
This is the second death and burning in the pit they do not die but suffer pain and
torment forever. This is worse than death. The second death is to be permanently
separated from God for eternity. Spending eternity in Hell.
Notice all people will be judged one day.
The saved will be judged according to their faithfulness and rewarded.
The lost will be judged by their works and punished 1000 years later.
All of mankind was created to live eternally as God, Christ and the angels are. You will
live forever, question is where will you spend eternity.

22. Re-Cap
• First Birth – Physical
• Second Birth – Spiritual
• First Death – separation of body and spirit
• Second Death – separation of God and person
Remember
Born Twice Die Once Born Once Die Twice!