Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Life and Death

We think that we know what life is because we are experiencing it. In fact, that experience is life but only half of the story, as Paul Harvey would imply.

Life is actually existence. Of course inanimate objects exist, thus life is more than physical existence. There must be some type of "life blood" which distinguishes life. For plants, the lifeblood is a carbon dioxide and water solution made active by light (photons). Whereas, CO2 provides life to plants, it is fatal to animals. Animals require oxygen to live. Our waste is carbon dioxide which gives life to the plants. Thus there is interdependence between plant and animal life. They "breathe" our breath, and we eat them for nourishment. Only a small number of plants actually "eat" animal life.

To live, as the plants breathe our breath, we must breathe God's breath. His Breath is His Holy Spirit.

For human beings water is our life-blood. We also require light to live. Without light we could only exist for a short period unless we somehow adapted to darkness. Because of our flesh, we need protein to exist or our bodies would "eat" themselves.

Thus "living" is existence. However, that is only physical existence. With only half the picture, we are only "power plants" with processors which are parasites to other living things. There must be more than that but environmentalists seem to define us by the physical attributes only. Life means more than consumption and excretion. We have personalities. I believe even the animals do! Try to convince animal lovers that their pets are without personalities!

What animals don't have that human animals do are souls. God created mankind with something that animals don't have, and because of that, we were given dominion over the animal kingdom. As such, mankind is king within the animal kingdom because we are special!  Our kingship stops there but prideful people extend it beyond the animal kingdom

It seems our "flesh" is for the world. Much scripture implies that, and sacred writings say that outright (Books of Adam and Eve). In the Garden, as it will be in heaven, man had "glorified bodies". They were incorruptible meaning that they were without decay and were immortal. When Adam and Eve sinned, they did die. Like most people today, they knew little of death. Mankind fears death, even if it's just the lack of physical existence. We turn our eyes away from the inevitable!

Throughout the ages, sages have hunted for eternal life. Our flaw is that we love ourselves so much that we can't stand the thought of not existing. Even moldering in the grave is frightening enough but on top of that, we should fear forever dying. Whereas, physical death is just a sting, spiritual death is ongoing, painful, and infinite. I feared that option and chose to find something more favorable to my desires.

Spiritual life is that possibility. Adam and Eve thought only of physical death, not even understanding it fully, since it had never happened before. We have seen it many times and still don't understand it. Physical death, for years, was when the heart stopped beating. However, it's just a pump. Mortal death is when the mind dies. When it ceases to get the lifeblood, it's dead within moments. It is said that the brain dies within four to six minutes after the blood flow stops. The lack of oxygen suffocates the brain. Thus, the mind continues to function after the person is heart-dead. Think on that: the mind  finally finds out what death is for a few minutes before dying. That would be enough to scare one to death in itself!

Thus, crossover from life to death is only a moment in life. However, we all dread that moment! Right now, I have anxiety of knowing that I'm slowly dying. To circumvent that, God instilled in me hope! My hope is that there is life after death. I trust that there is because my Creator planned eternal life for those who remain faithful to Him. That provision is called grace. Since mankind disobeyed God, and always will, we deserve spiritual death. Adam and Eve were confused. They considered only the lack of physical existence. With disobedience, they did truly die right then. Their spirit died under that tree. However, grace means resurrection. God made their mortal bodies "safe" by grace until they are able to be glorified again; just like in the beginning. At that time the dust will rise from the grave from which it came, and be reformed again in the image of God. That is the second portion of life.

In heaven, humans will be just as they were in the Garden. Their flesh will be repaired to what it was at the creation! Glorification is the flesh in the presence of God. Death is not in God's presence. No person ever died in the Garden, and there will be no "dead" in heaven. Everyone there will be vibrantly alive. The Tree of Life will be there but the forbidden tree was destroyed ironically, by another tree: the Cross at Calvary! It was there that Jesus, with his heel, stepped on the head of the serpent as he was led to the cross. The Tree of Life produced saving fruit that day!

I'm reminded that I am alive by my heart's pumping. I fear that it will quit, and that death will sting me.  That fear is in my mind. God takes away that fear because I have hope. Hope is when I am truly physically alive because the Spirit Comforts my soul. Before mankind was in the flesh, they were in the Spirit. Their souls were full. Sin emptied out their souls, and unknown to our forebears, they spiritually died that day.

Because the soul cannot remain empty for man to exist, Satan fills it with iniquity. That is the soul full of sin in it's entirety. To live again, that iniquity must be removed. Just as Adam was created with his soul clean, those born again will have it laundered again. Jesus's blood on the cross did the cleansing.

With the soul cleansed, the born-again person has the soul "supplied" (pletho) with the Holy Spirit. I hesitate to say "filled" because even when sin enters again, the Holy Spirit is still there. Unfortunately, until we're glorified, sin can still enter in, although the Spirit is resident in the temple of the soul. They battle heartily for "the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mat 26:41). It is the mind's willingness that overpowers the flesh's weakness. As long as the willingness to obey is there, we are safe from the evil one.

God keeps us safe because we are willing until our hope comes true - salvation. Each day we are nearer to salvation that when we first believed (Rom 13:11)! Before rebirth, we are spiritually dead for all that we can look forward to is the grave. That thought is dismal. The second birth is when we are made alive in Christ. With trust in Jesus there is something to which to look forward. What is that? Living forever, and not in this chaotic world but but in a utopia we call heaven. We return to the Garden where Adam spiritually died; restored to the Designer's Intent.

Thus, Jesus and the apostles called death "sleep" because it's only the body which rests. The soul ascends to heaven just awaiting the day of the General Resurrection.

No one will ever really die. Everyone will suffer dying but mortal death lasts only for an instant. It's the time human beings cross over from what is seen to the unseen. It's when everyone will move from Eden to either the Garden or the wilderness outside the Gate.  It's going from the state of the living dead to the dead living. That is confusing. Let me explain. Jesus said that Lazarus was not dead but merely "asleep" (John 11:11), although he stank and had been dead for days!

Also, the little girl who died was revived by a miracle.
Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 56 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway:
When the little girl died, apparently her soul left and went to where souls go. Her spirit went into the spiritual world someplace in heaven. Like the unknown man of whom Paul spoke, this was the third heaven (2 Cor 2:2).  Sacred scripture indicates that the third heaven is where the righteous go. We call that place Paradise or Heaven. Also, in the third heaven, from the Secrets of Enoch is where the damned go as well. We find  two terribly different places that are separated by an impenetrable chasm (Luke 16:26).

Thus the soul does not sleep as some say; only the body does. The soul ascends to heaven to await the day of the General Resurrection. After death, the body is asleep but the spirit lives on. I suspect without a source, that since the soul is the container for God's Spirit, that it ascends to heaven as well. There the true "person" merely awaits a set of clean clothes - the glorified flesh, which will be made like new again, and without spot, stain, nor wrinkle!

Why do Christians belief in this stuff? It's because Jesus died and was resurrected that we know that we can be!
1 Thes 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
These passages validate that contention. Because Christ lives today, we will live too. Our hope is so strong that we already are living the life. Life without hope is not worth the living. We can make it worthwhile by being one who is born-again. 






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