#2 What side are you one - Life or Death

Life or Death

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

you might be asking “who would be on the side of Death?”

Let me show you haw you can be on the death side.

Proverbs 18:20–21 (NIV)

20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Our words have a lot of power.

By his word, God created everything that exists and his words are always fulfilled.

The word of God is alive and full of power. Jesus is the Word of God.

Our words affect our lives and even have power over life and death!

The mouth speaks what is in the heart. With our words we can condemn ourselves or confess Jesus as our savior.

So we need to learn to be very careful with our words.

God's commandments forbid murder. The Bible says in Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.” Anger is a form of murder.

In the sixth commandment, God sums up the value and meaning of life in two words: “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). This is the commandment that honors the life that God gives us.

Exodus 20:13 (NIV)

13 “You shall not murder.

He, as the Giver of existence, claims that no one has the right to destroy it.

Killing a human being is considered, in the Bible, a terrible offense against God.

Life is a divine gift, and He forbids the shedding of blood (Genesis 9:6).

Genesis 9:6 (NIV)

6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

It is important to mention, however, that the sixth commandment does not prohibit killing animals for food, as this was a permission given by God himself after the Flood (Genesis 9:3; Deuteronomy 12:21).

However, the killing of animals for base motives is disapproved of by the Bible.

As he ascended the Mount of Olives as the “New Moses,” Jesus introduced the people to the essence of the Law.

With a magnifying glass, He enlarged the notion of the Ten Commandments and brought the people's minds to the spirit of the Law.

Concerning the sixth commandment, He said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'Thou shalt not kill.'... But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be subject to a commandment in court; and whoever calls him a fool will be subject to hellfire” (Matthew 5:21, 22 “22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment.

Matthew 5:21–22 (NIV)

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Jesus stated that murder can be in the realm of words and emotions.

The fact that we cultivate hatred against someone already implies the transgression of the sixth commandment, as the apostle John said: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).

1 John 3:15 (NIV)

15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

May God give us the ability to respect life and love people, including our enemies.

The Greek language is rich.

It has 3 different words to describe three different aspects of life:

zōē, psuchē, bios.

The word zōē in classical Greek was used for “life in general.” There are a few examples of this meaning in the New Testament (Acts 17:25; Jas. 4:14; Rev. 16:3, but in all other instances zōē was used to designate “divine, eternal life”—the life of God (Eph. 4:18).

Ephesians 4:18 (NIV)

18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

This life resided in Christ, and He has made it available to all who believe in Him.

Human beings are born with the “natural life”—called psuchē in Greek.

Psuchē is translated “soul,” “personality,” or “life.”

Indeed, human beings have “natural life,” but they do not possess “eternal life.”

This life can be received only by believing in the one who possesses the eternal life—namely, Jesus Christ.

Human beings have another life, which is called “bios” in Greek.

Although we get the word biology from bios, it does not mean our physical body.

Rather, the Greeks used bios to denote a person’s “physical sustenance” or “livelihood.”

For example, when the widow put her one small coin into the offering box at the temple, Jesus said she gave her entire bios or “means of livelihood.”

Interestingly, all three words are used in one passage in 1 John:

We know that we have passed from death to life [zōē] because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life [zōē] abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life [psuchē] for us—and we ought to lay down our lives [psuchē] for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods [bios] and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

1 John 3:14–17 (NRSV)

14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death.

15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.

16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

As mentioned above, the word zōē in the New Testament is used to designate “the life of God.” This life resides in Christ, and He made it available to all who believe in Him (John 1:4; 1 John 3:15).

Human beings are born with the natural life or psuchē (“soul” or “personality”); so Jesus also had a soul. He gave up His soul in death so that we might have the zōē-life, the eternal life of God.

John then asks us to sacrifice our psuchē-life by giving our bios-life to those in need.

The Greek word bios or “livelihood” can also be translated as “that which is necessary to sustain our physical life.” occupation, income

A believer demonstrates that he or she has eternal life (zōē) by giving up part of their livelihood (bios) to sustain the soul and life (psuchē) of another believer.

This is the true and best manifestation of love.

The Nature of Death.

Life and death are totally under Yahweh’s sovereignty.

God is the source of all life (Ps. 36:9).

Psalm 36:9 (NIV)

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

There are no organisms anywhere who have not received their life force from him: “In his hand is the life of every creature, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).

Job 12:10 (NIV)

10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

The number of the days of our life is written in God’s book before one of them comes to be (Job 14:5; Ps. 139:16).

The Hebrew verb gāwaʿ (gava), which means “expire, breathe one’s last,” is used twenty-three times to describe death. Psalm 104:29b says, “when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.”

“If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish” (Job 34:14–15).

In the Bible, death is more than the cessation of all physiological processes.

By divine command (Ps. 90:3), the body returns to dust and the spirit goes back to God who gave it (Gen. 2:7; Eccles. 12:7).

The Origin of Death.

Unlike the ancient Mesopotamian concept, death was not originally built into human constitution. People were created for life, not for death.

They had access to both the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were told they would certainly die if they ate from the latter (Gen. 2:17).

Genesis 2:17 (NIV)

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

The New Testament broadens the term “death” to include various figurative meanings.

But the widow who lives for pleasure, says Paul, “is dead even while she lives” (1 Tim. 5:6).

1 Timothy 5:6 (NIV)

6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

People who are alive physically may be dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).

Ephesians 2:1 (NIV)

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

Even weak Christians may be considered dead (Rev. 3:1).

Revelation 3:1 (NIV)

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

In a positive sense believers may be said to be “dead to sin” (Rom. 6:1) and crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). Even becoming a disciple requires a new radical reorientation to death and a taking up of the cross daily (Matt. 16:24). In the New Testament way of thinking death is necessary for life and fruitfulness (John 12:24).

The New Testament enlarges our understanding of the origin of death.

Death passed on all men because of one man’s disobedience so that in Adam all die (Rom. 5:12–17; 1 Cor. 15:22).

The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Even the mind set on the flesh is death (Rom. 8:6).

Romans 8:6 NIV

6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

The Second Death.

The New Testament delineates a deeper, more sombre meaning to death. Death is appointed to all men, but after that comes judgment (2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27).

In death people do not live in a sort of nebulous twilight zone.

The righteous are comforted, and the wicked are tormented (Luke 16:22–25).

The final destiny of death and Hades is to be cast into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death (Rev. 20:14–15).

Revelation 20:14–15 (NIV)

14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Jesus said that we are not to fear those who can kill the body but those who can kill both body and soul in hell (Matt. 10:28).

The second death is a metaphorical term for eternal separation from the presence and glory of God (2 Thess. 1:7–10; Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14–15).

Triumph over Death.

While the New Testament makes the agony of death more intense and fearsome, it shows a greater triumph over it. It is not the second death but the death of Christ that occupies the center of attention.

Through death he destroyed the devil, who had the power over death, and emptied death of its fear (Heb. 2:14–15).

By dying Christ destroyed death and brought immortality to light (2 Tim. 1:10).

In this event we are reconciled and brought to God (Rom. 5:10).

Romans 5:10 (NIV)

10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Even at the beginning of Christ’s ministry light shone in the valley of the shadow of death (Matt. 4:16).

Now being himself loosed from the pains of death (Acts 2:24) and crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9), he has the keys of death and hell (Rev. 1:18).

Christians still die but their death is gain because they are now with Christ (2 Cor. 5:6; Phil. 1:20–21).

Philippians 1:20–21 (NIV)

20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Even death cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38–39).

In death Christians are given comfort, rest, and assurance (Luke 16:22–25; Rev. 6:9–11).

The dead are in Christ, asleep (1 Thess. 4:14), waiting for a day when death will be completely swallowed up by life (2 Cor. 5:4).

Then mortality will put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53).

1 Corinthians 15:53 (NIV)

53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

Death, the last enemy, will itself be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26).

1 Corinthians 15:26 (NIV)

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

There will be no more death or sorrow, and God will wipe all tears from all faces (Rev. 21:4).

For those who overcome and attain to the resurrection of Christ, the second death has no power (Rev. 2:11; 20:6).

Those who believe in Christ will not see death (John 8:51–52).

John 8:51–52 (NIV)

51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.