( 2 Tim 3: 16&17; Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), 17So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work...
The Holy spirit Breaths through the hands of a son in one sleepless night to answer a question on Life, death and sleep).
And Now>>>> lets follow through the next Line of scriptures to get a Bird's eye-view:
A. Ephesians 2: 1-3: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”.
B. Deut. 30: 19-20 "I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. 20 "Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob".
C. Luke 9:56 "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them [[from the penalty of eternal death] (Amp Bible).
D. Luke 20: 37-38 But that the dead are raised from death]--even Moses made known and showed in the passage concerning the [burning] bush, where he calls the Lord, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38. Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men are alive [whether in the body or out of it] and they are alive [not dead] unto Him [in definite relationship to Him].
E. I John 3:14 (New International Version)
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
I John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
F. John 11:11-15 "
Jesus said this and then added,
Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.
The disciples answered,
If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well. 13 Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.
Sleep
Ever wondered why the Jesus called human death "Sleep"? Seems Hilarious at first mention. When I was a baby Christian still feeding on the Milk of the Word (1 Pet.2:2), I always thought Jesus was trying to make Joke of the entire situation as serious as Human death, maybe because he was the Son of God. But when I began to Feed on the strong meat Of the Gospel (Heb 5:12-14), The Holy spirit brought me to a place of understanding as regards why Jesus used the term Sleep. One note of caution that was sounded into my ears " God is full of Joy and Laughter, but funny enough not even an iota of his word is a Joke".
(Jn 6:63--It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Jn 14:24--and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Jn 12: 49--(NIV) For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.)
The above scriptures clearly shows that not even a term in God's dictionary is a Joke word nor was mistakenly uttered. God's words are life, they are spiritual, living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb4:12)---Not one thing in the entire Bible shows that God's word is a joke--so Jesus definitely could not be making up one when he says "Sleep". What then is Life, Death and sleep.
One thing that has to be clearly ironed out here is that any human formed and born into this earth will never cease to exist: Once you have been created, you will exist for eternity: on passage to the next world, your destination will be determined by the flight and airline with which you booked your ticket while here on earth. Why? Because matter is not destroyed but passes from one form to another. Interesting fact of science.
Secondly we all have to come to the terms that Humans do not "die" as that word does not exist in God's vocabulary. Little wonder Jesus rarely used the term to describe the passing on of a man. Luke 20:38 clearly points out that "TO GOD ALL MEN ARE ALIVE".
Dan 12:2 says And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt and abhorrence. Note the Use of Words in this passage 'As many Who sleep". The bible clearly proves that what man considers as death, God considers as sleep. Jesus had to condescend Low to the use of Human vocabulary to bring to the understanding of His disciples the case about Lazarus' demise (Jn 11:11-15).
AS Believers we are not subject to the use of Human vocabulary because we are not of this world (Jn 15:19: Rom 12:2). This was the level of wisdom that operated in the apostles when they began to address the church as regards issues of Human death. Paul addressing the Church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) shows the working of divine wisdom in the use of his words and sheds more light on the issue of those who are asleep in Christ. So therefore we should talk like gods because we are(Psalm 82:6-7). Now we have clearly established the proper word to define human death as known to the World, so therefore what is Death.
Death.....
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." ( Hebrews 2:14,15).
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(2 Cor 5:21).
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man (Rom 8:3)
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.(Rom 8:6).
Let me begin from the very verse above Heb 2:14,15: Christ had to, through death, destroy him who had the power of death. Now note carefully that death itself is not destroyed but its possessor was defeated by Christ. The Bible clearly spells out that death will be the Last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor.15:26). If death itself was destroyed Christ would not have been able to defeat the possessor of its power who by then was Satan: because Christ had to "die" to defeat the possessor of the power of Death. Ever heard of falling into a pit to rescue someone who dug the same pit--Pretty much what Christ did, but he did not go to rescue but to defeat. 2 Cor 5:21 shows that Christ was made death(sin) for us--does that give you a glimpse what death is??----Death is sin. That is why the bible clearly spells out that the wages of Sin is Death: (Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord). In other words when one fills a glass with water droplets, gradually it rises from one level till it fills to the brim...Then we can say the wages of that Little drops of water or the payment of the Little water drops is a filled glass of water. That why the bible in Provs 18:21 shows us that Life--The ability to confess Jesus and accept him as your Lord and Saviour(Roms 10:9), and Death--The ability to deny Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross and continue living in perpetual bondage to sin, Is in the power of the Tongue.
1 John 3:14 says "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death". In other words, this can be re-written as " and we know that we have passed from bondage of sin into Life because we love the brethren. What is love? 1 John 4:8 answers that "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. God is love. God is Holy and Holiness requires abiding by the Law: Thus therefore we are sin-free and Holy because we Love the brethren. How? Rom 13:10 "Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." By abiding in Love we fulfill the law(Gal 5:14, John 13:34-35, Matt 5:17).
So therefore a fact is established: Faith is built up: Death is bondage to sin. We can only avoid sin by keeping the Law just Like Jesus did (Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them", Jn 13:34-35“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”).
And we are glad that we are Just Like Jesus because As He is, so are we, even now. (1 John 4:17 In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.)
Pass from death to life------->Keep the law by-------->Fulfilling the law through------>Love.
(What is Life? coming soon.)
Yours,
A Son Of God.
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