Three kinds of death

After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah went. (2 Kings 1:1–4)

In the Bible, there are three kinds of death. One is the physical death, usually first thought of for this word;

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) 

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

As my hubby often says, we are all terminal. This thought helps us make decisions in daily life. For instance, the accumulation of useless stuff is meaningless because we cannot take it with us. Unless our stuff has meaning for the time we are here, or can be helpful for others, possessing it has no meaning. Pragmatic thinking comes from recognizing this kind of death.

This physical death is the separation of the soul from the body yet the second one is of greater significance, spiritual death. This is the separation of the soul from God. In Genesis 2:17, God tells Adam that in the day he eats of the forbidden fruit he will “surely die.” Adam does fall, but his physical death does not happen at that point. However, he is separated from God. Because of that sin, all who have not been redeemed and regenerated are alienated from God by sin. 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1–7)

By faith in Jesus Christ, anyone who is dead in sin passes from that death into spiritual life, a life that is no longer lived apart from God. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The third death mentioned is really the second one. It is eternal death or eternal separation from God after physical death. This is true for those who reject God’s gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. They remain eternally separate from the One who loves them and died for them.

Jesus, You died for a brief time and then were raised from the dead because You didn’t want me to remain separated from You. I shake my head in amazed wonder at the sacrifice You made for me and millions more. How utterly wonderful that Christians cannot be killed! I will live forever with You. 

 

 

To Live is Christ — without regrets

This saddest words in the world could be, “Oh, I wish I had . . . “?

Parents of wayward children wish they had been more lenient, or stricter. Owners of businesses that fail wish they had hired more (or less) employees, or did more (or less) advertising. Investors wish they had (or had not) bought a certain stock. The downturns in life often make us wish we had made different choices.

Christians have one advantage in this. God promises to guide us through our lives. This means that if He wants certain choices to be made, He has a way of making that known to us. Whether I read something in His Word, or am advised by a godly person, or just ‘know it’ in my heart, God makes sure that I know what He wants me to do. However, He does leave the choice of doing it up to me. This is a test of my faith and of my love for Him.

The Word of God clearly states that these choices are important. James 4:17 says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” This isn’t about merely missing an opportunity or making a mistake. If God lets me know what He wants me to do, then anything short of obedience is far more than the wrong choice. It is sin, and sin is serious stuff.

Sin separates us from God. How can One who is pure and holy have anything to do with sinners? He cannot. Further, He says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “The soul that sins must die” (Ezekiel 18:4). This death is beyond physical death. It is separation from God forever. It is spending eternity in a place that is everything that God is not. Eternal death is eternal darkness with continual hunger and the sense of continual shame and torment. It is forever being without security and assurance. It is guilt that never ends.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ have been rescued from this eternal damnation. Because Jesus died for our sin and took our punishment, God can offer forgiveness and eternal life. Although I was lost in sin, God is merciful. Because of the sacrifice of His Son on my behalf, I am no longer under the condemnation of my sin.

That being said, sin is still a weighty matter. Disobeying God is not a light thing but serious. Jesus died that I might be set free from the power of sin as well as its penalty. Blatant disobedience makes mockery of this wonderful gift, particularly when I am fully aware of what He wants me to do.

Reflecting on my Christian life, there have been times when I thought I knew His will and was wrong. Other times I didn’t hear Him tell me what to do and went ahead without waiting for His direction and guidance. Each time I messed up and fell into sin. Each time, after confessing my sin, He has been faithful and just to forgive my sin (1 John 1:9). Yet, like anyone who makes a wrong choice and regrets it, I have too often said, “I wish I had. . . .”

I am thankful that the Lord forgives those times that I disobey Him. I am thankful that one day, He will wipe all the tears from my eyes. His mercy and grace are wonderful. However, it is far better to do what He says — and live without regret.

Eternity = Knowing God

According to an article I recently read, people believe two major lies. The first is a lie about God; the second a lie about themselves.

The writer said that these lies take various forms, but as long as a person keeps believing them, the end result is eternal separation from God. In the Bible, this is the second death.

I’ve heard people say they don’t want eternal life. They think it would be boring. I’ve heard others say they are not worried about judgment because they have been a good person, much better than Hitler or even some of their neighbors. Others think that when you die the first time, you are dead, like a dog. And still others think that they will come back and get another chance to do it better. These ideas, and many more, fit into one or the other or both of those two categories.

How can I be so sure? In myself, what do I know? I’m just going by what Jesus says. Since He claimed to be God the Son, lived a sinless life, died willingly “for the sins of the world,” then rose from the dead, and was seen by over 500 witnesses, I’m banking on His word over the notions of every other person. He has the credentials.

He says we are sinners and can neither earn or deserve eternal life, contrary to the lie that assumes we are okay without Him. He also defined eternal life in an odd way. Most people think of eternity in terms of time, that it is endless, and something that happens to only those favored by God, but Jesus says eternity belongs to everyone.

In John 5:28-29, He says, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

For those who say, “Ah ha, it is about doing good and all good people get to go,” I must add that Jesus defined the necessary good work that pleases God in John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Scripture is clear; those who believe are able to life a life of doing what pleases God, not because we are good, but because we have Jesus. He said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

Back to the eternal life thing. It is not a description of time as much as it is a description of where each person is after they die. Everyone is resurrected. Some have eternal life, some go to an eternal death. Eternal death is similar to spiritual death; both deaths are about separation from God. Apart from God, life is merely physical. He gives it meaning, and He determines where it is spent.

Eternal life is also about who that life is spent with. Jesus also said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Eternal life is about fully knowing God. We can know Him here through faith in His Son, but our knowledge is incomplete. Only after I die and see Him face to face will I “know even as I am known.”

As that writer suggests, we know so little now about God and ourselves. For one thing, even people who believe in God and His Word still struggle with those two big lies.

Jesus promises that I will be set free from all those struggles on that day when I am ushered into His presence. However, there is so much to God than my mind can fully grasp, even as I am finally set free from sin and the limitations of this life. Because God is so incredible, to fully know Him will require an eternity.