PERISH
By default, we are born in spiritual destruction. The influence of Satan, sin, disease, and death came into the world because of the fall of the first parents. Jesus had spiritually redeemed us. However, if we voluntarily reject his salvation, we will perish for eternity. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). So, keeping our faith is necessary for salvation and those who reject it will end up in eternal destruction. The Greek word for perish is “apollumi” which means “to lose.”
The expulsion of first parents from paradise was a temporary removal with the promise of retrieval through a savior. That is why Jesus came in search of the lost sheep (Mt 15:24). Just like the fall of the first parents was a free-will decision, our acceptance of salvation through repentance also is a free-will choice we make. If we opt not, we are losing our chance for rescue and willfully accepting our final and everlasting destruction. So, our ultimate destruction is not from God, but by our own selection.
Here are examples of choice in favor of saving or perishing: Careless parents might destroy the life of a child. A lazy student might opt for a less quality adult life. A patient who denies taking medication or required surgery for terminal illness is accepting his own immediate death. A driver disregarding the traffic signal can lead to accident and even death. In each of these examples, there is an external support to guide for a better life. Jesus is that guide and final rescuer for regaining our sonship with God.
REFLECTION
The Satan who misled the first parents and Cain are still active in the world until the second coming of Christ. He even tempted Jesus. Jesus taught us to pray for escape from the temptations of the world. Jesus warned us: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many” (Mt 7:13).