Life and Death
(4 min read – 465 words)
The Bible’s main theme is “life and death” (not “right and wrong”). Let’s explore it briefly.
Life and death exist in two realms – the physical and the spiritual. The spiritual realm existed first. Then, the physical followed.
All living things have life sources – where they came from and what sustains them. For example, plants came from and are sustained by dirt.
Humans have two life sources: dirt and God. Our bodies came from and are sustained by the former and our spirits from the latter. Our soul bridges our spirit and body.
The Bible defines ‘death’ as what happens when a living thing gets separated from its life source. Death is both a process and an event. For example, a plant separated from dirt will start dying and will eventually die.
Our spirit experiences death when it gets separated from its life source: God. Sin – choosing to disobey Him – initially triggers it.
If not addressed, this will eventually lead to a second death after our first – the separation of our physical bodies permanently from God. This is also by our choosing, not God’s.
Because God loves us, He hates death.
What’s the solution to death? Jesus. He came to crucify and remove our spiritual (and eventually physical) separator – sin – to reconnect us back to God as our life source. His resurrection made it permanent.
That was God’s work. What is ours? To believe it worked for us personally.
That explains spiritual life and death. But, what about life and death in the physical – the other realm in operation?
While the Bible explains spiritual life, biology explains physical life. A knowledge of both is quite helpful.
A body (including the brain) connected closely to its life source – the earth – will enjoy health and longevity. Nutrition, air, food, water, rest, recreation, physical activity, & light are each earthly elements God designed to sustain and enhance our physical lives.
However, because of the physical law of entropy, death and decay is happening around and within us. For this reason, metal and arteries both oxidize. Because of entropy, our sun and light bulbs are both aging and will eventually die out.
Regardless, for those spiritually alive, physical death is merely a door to walk through into the fullness of eternity. Something to love and loath I suppose.
In summary, making our aim to live to the full – spiritually and physically – is important. The spiritual more so because it impacts now and eternity.
Key Question: Are you connected to God through Jesus? Are you making it your goal to fully live – both physically and spiritually?
There is a third leg to this stool of life and death yet discussed. Let’s save that for another time…
Cheers friend,