The abolition of death

It is heartbreaking to observe that billions of our planet's inhabitants today have not truly internalised the fact that death has been abolished.  To abolish means to eradicate, to stamp out, to do away completely with something or to forcibly make an end to something considered undesirable. 
Sadly, what is more common in the world is that people are fiercely obsessed with religion despite the fact that religion is devoid of life.  Let us refer to the Word of God.  In 2 Timothy 1 verse 10, we read, '...but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.'

The Lord Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel and not through religion.  Religion can be described as man's attempt to reach God in his own way and on his own terms.  The gospel, on the other hand, is God coming down to reach man with His love by giving us His Son who died in our place for our sins so that we could receive the life of God.



Considering that most people do not have a correct understanding of what death really is, let us look at:
A brief history of death:
It is interesting to point out that the Almighty God was the first person to use the word death.  In the garden as He set out before Adam the rules of engagement, He mentioned the possibility of death should man fail to play ball.  However, death was actually brought about by man.  These were the exact words of God: 'And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ''Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.''  Hence, death came about when man chose to disobey God by rebelling against His Word.  In effect, spiritual death took place immediately after man rebelled against God's Word.  Physical death was to follow several years later.



Physical death:
Man is tripartite by nature, that is, he is spirit, soul and body.  He is a spirit, he has a soul and he lives in a body.  The original plan of God was for the three parts to be together for ever.  However, due to the fall of man, the body must eventually be separated from the spirit and the soul.  Physical death then is when the spirit and the soul leave the body.  The body then has to be returned to the earth from where it was taken.  Ecclesiastes 12 v.7; Psalm 104 v.29; Genesis 3 v.19.



Spiritual death:
This is when the human spirit falls into darkness, having lost its place as the prime mover and director-general of the human life.  It is when the human spirit becomes estranged from its source who is the Almighty God.  This was what happened in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve rebelled against God's Word.  Although the couple lived for many more years after they rebelled against God's Word, the life they had was mere physical life.  Man's physical journey to the grave began as soon as he died spiritually.  Spiritual death then is essentially the separation of a human from God considering that man is a spirit.  Spiritual death is when a human being is dead in sins and trespasses. Luke 9 v. 60; Jude vs. 12 and 13; 1 Tim. 5 v.6.


Eternal death:
This is when a human is separated from God forever, never again to be reconciled to God. Rev. 20 vs. 14 and 15.  If anyone who is dead spiritually dies physically, then such a person is lost forever.  The only hope for man is to be reconciled to God through Christ by receiving spiritual life, that is, God's life into his spirit before he dies physically.  This simply means that one's spirit needs to be born again by God's Word and God's Spirit.  If anyone refuses to be born again while he or she is still physically alive, the eternal home of such a person's spirit and soul is the lake of fire. Rev. 20 vs. 14 and 15.  Hence, to a person who is spiritually alive, physical death becomes a door that leads to a higher life in God's eternal presence.



The relevant questions:
The relevant questions then for every reader of this blog to answer are:
1. Have you received God's life into your spirit?
2. Are you born again of the Word of God and of the Spirit of God?

If not, now is the time to act.



The steps to life more abundant:
1. Repentance
2. New birth
3. Living by the Word of God.