Spiritual death is separation from God — an eternal separation that Scripture calls the second death.
Physical death separates the soul and spirit from the body, but spiritual death separates a person from God forever. Les teaches that this biblical second death is the fate of those who never appropriate the work of the cross; it is not annihilation, but a total separation from the Creator.
Romans 6:23 — This verse directly connects sin with death, the same spiritual/second death Les relates to the great white throne.
Revelation 20:14 — This verse names the second death and shows it is connected to the lake of fire.
The Bible directly connects sin with death in Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 8:6 adds, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Revelation 20:14 states, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Revelation 20:15 goes on to say, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The original warning in Genesis 2:17 also connects disobedience to death: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Les consistently defines death as separation. In the physical realm, death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. In the spiritual realm, death is separation from God — not the end of existence. He connects this to Adam: the moment Adam ate, his spirit died and lost fellowship with God, while his body began to die. Les teaches that the second death at the great white throne is this same spiritual death, an eternal separation from God with no contact with Him. He also stresses that the old Adam (the old sin nature) must be put to death through faith in the cross, or it will experience the second death in the lake of fire. Because God deals with the whole person, He is concerned for the body as well as the soul and spirit; the saved will receive new bodies in eternity, while those who reject the gospel will live forever separated from God.
Les teaches that physical death is a separation of the soul and spirit from the body. Spiritual death, on the other hand, is a separation from God — an eternal separation in the spirit realm. He applies this definition directly to the second death at the great white throne.
When Adam ate in disobedience, his spirit died immediately and he lost fellowship with his Creator. His body also began to die at that moment, though he did not physically die until much later. Les describes this as the instant spiritual death that entered the human race through Adam.
Les identifies the second death with spiritual death. He connects it to Revelation 20, where those who are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. This is an eternal separation from God, not an annihilation of existence.
Yes. Adam's spirit died the moment he ate, even though his body continued to live for many years. Les also applies Romans 8:6 to show that to be continuously carnally minded — to remain in the old Adam — is spiritual death, a spiritual separation from God.
Death Defined: Separation of Body From Soul and Spirit
Les defines physical death as the separation of the soul and spirit from the body, and stresses that God is concerned with the whole person — body, soul, and spirit — because everyone will receive a new body in the eternal state.
Spiritual Death at the Great White Throne
Les teaches that the spiritual death in Romans 6:23 is the same as the second death at the great white throne — a total and eternal separation from God with no further contact with the Creator.
Old Adam Must Die Spiritually
Les explains that the old sin nature (old Adam) must die either through faith in Christ's finished work or it will experience the second death at the great white throne — an eternal doom in the lake of fire.
Spiritual Death Is More Than Physical Dying
Les clarifies that when Paul speaks of death as sin's result, he is not talking only about physical death; he is pointing to a spiritual death connected to Revelation 20.
Death as Separation in Two Realms
Les lays out the definition his teaching uses: physical death is separation of the spirit from the body, while spiritual death is eternal separation from God — and he raises the scriptural distinction between hell and the lake of fire.
Carnal Mindedness Ends in Spiritual Separation
Les applies Romans 8:6 to show that a mind controlled by the old Adam is spiritual death — not annihilation, but an eternal separation from God.
Adam's Spirit Died Immediately
Les teaches that the moment Adam ate, his spirit died and lost fellowship with his Creator, while his body began to die but did not expire until hundreds of years later.
The Ultimate Choice: God's Presence or Eternal Separation
Les explains that the gospel gives everyone the choice of eternal life in God's presence or eternal separation from Him — and that separation is the second death.
Genesis 2:17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
This verse records the original warning that disobedience would bring death, which Les ties to Adam's immediate spiritual death.
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is the key New Testament statement connecting sin to death, which Les explains includes spiritual, second-death separation.
Romans 8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
This verse shows that a mind controlled by the old Adam ends in spiritual death, not physical death alone.
Revelation 20:14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
This verse directly names the second death and connects it to the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This verse identifies those who experience the second death: everyone whose name is not in the book of life.
No. Les teaches that spiritual death is separation from God, not annihilation. It is a separation from the Creator that lasts forever unless a person is united to God by faith in the gospel.
When Adam ate in disobedience, his spirit died immediately and he lost fellowship with God. His body also began to die at that moment, though he did not physically die until hundreds of years later.
The second death is spiritual death — an eternal separation from God. Les connects it to the great white throne and the lake of fire, where those not found in the book of life are cast.
No. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of the person from God. Both are covered in Scripture and in Les's teaching.
Watch the Teaching: The Moment Death Entered the World: Genesis 3 & Romans 5 Explained