January 11
WHAT IS DEATH?
-Matthew 8:22 is perhaps one of the most informative, interesting, and profound statements that Jesus made. It states,
… But Jesus said unto him, follow me; and let the dead bury their dead … Have you ever stopped and thought about
what is really being said here? The question that must be asked is, have you ever seen someone who is physically dead bury
someone else who is physically dead? I DON’T THINK SO! So what was Jesus referring to in His statement? It becomes obvious
that Jesus was referring to spiritual and physical death. We are now able to come to the conclusion that death is first and
foremost something that is spiritual, which then leads to a death that is physical. But remember, IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST
A SPIRITUAL DEATH! We must understand that physical death is only a final manifestation of a spiritual condition in which
man finds himself in. So … What is death?
-The beautiful aspect of the Bible is that it interprets itself. So let us look to the Bible for the exact definition of
what death is. Romans 8:6 states, … FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH ... In other words, they are one in the same
thing. So what is the carnal mind? The "carnal mind" speaks of and means: the corrupt nature, the mind that we inherited from
Adam, the Adamic Nature, the sin nature, or the flesh. We must remember that the Bible does refer to man as being DEAD IN
SINS AND TRESPASSES. Understanding this will also help us to comprehend what it means "to perish", or to be found in a perished
condition. When scripture speaks of God, Who is not willing that any should perish, it is referring to this very thing ( the
carnal mind ). It is stating that God is not willing for any one of us to remain in the perished condition in which we currently
find ourselves. Once again, this perished condition in which man is born into ( subjected to by God ) is THE CARNAL MIND (
DEATH ). In essence, this is what we are BEING saved from. So what is it that saves us? THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST, OF COURSE!
We are being saved through death to HIS LIFE. This is all made possible by the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ, FOR HE IS LIFE! IN HIM WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING ( Acts 17:28 ) ... God is not willing
that any of us should remain in the perished condition of death ( the carnal mind ), but that we would be AWAKENED to His
ABUNDANT LIFE!
-ARISE, OH CHILD OF GOD!-
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