Word Of The Week - June 18, 2008
Death
Greek: Thanatos
Vine's: "(a) the separation of the soul (the spiritual part of man) from the body (the material part),…(b) the separation of man from God; Adam died on the day he disobeyed God, Gen. 2:17…"
We can see from Vine's definition that death mainly applies in two senses. Physical death occurs as the body and soul separate from one another (Jas. 2:26). When this happens, the body returns to the dust and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7). This occurs once (Heb. 9:17).
There are two men who never faced physical death; Enoch and Elijah (Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5, 6; 2 Kgs. 2:11). All others have. All will, except those who are alive at the coming of Christ (1 Thes. 4:17). Even Jesus died.
Physical death is not a direct result of sin. Yes, there are people who commit sin and die because of it (sexually transmitted diseases, drunk driver going off a cliff, etc.). However, death does not come to men because of their personal sins. If so, Jesus would not have died; neither would children. Physical death comes because we no longer have access to the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24).
The other death, spiritual death, does come because of our personal sins. Again, death is a separation. When the father talked to the older son, he said the younger was "dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found" (Lk. 15:32). He had not died physical, but was separated from his father. Too, Isaiah said sin is what separates us from God (Isa. 59:1, 2).
We die spiritually when we commit sin. The reason is that God cannot have fellowship with sin (1 Jn. 1:5-10). To maintain His holiness and uphold His honor, He must separate from one in sin.
Thankfully, both types of death may be overcome. Physical death will be overcome when Jesus returns. All will be raised from the dead (Jn. 5:28, 29). Those who are in sin can find life again, in the Son (Eph. 2:1-9). One who is dead in sin can rise to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3, 4).
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