Spiritual Death or an Eternity With Jesus
by Willie Keys
Death is a subject that most people would prefer not to discuss, although it is certainly a part of life. The ironic thing about life and death, is that they are closely connected. The moment you take your first breath of life is also your first breath toward death. You might ask why someone would choose death as a subject for a church newsletter article. The simple answer is that death will always be a part of our lives whether we like it or not. It has been the “elephant in the room” since Adam and Eve sinned by being disobedient to God when they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Let’s look at death from two perspectives. All will have to experience Physical Death (first death) unless one is living when Jesus’ second coming becomes a reality. The saints that are alive upon Jesus’ return to earth will not experience physical death. This leads me to the second death called Spiritual Death. Spiritual death is separation from God which eliminates the possibility of living an eternity with God and Jesus in heaven. This results in eternity in hell with all the people who never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior before their physical death.
Now, how does one prevent spiritual death? Preventing spiritual death is a free gift from God. God, by sending his Son (Jesus) to die on the cross for our sins, has given us the opportunity to choose a life with him in heaven or an eternity in hell. Jesus’ vicarious death and shedding of his blood as the sacrificial lamb reconciled us back to God.
Folks, here is the deal, not to experience spiritual death is a simple but serious undertaking. To inherit the Kingdom of heaven and rid oneself of a spiritual death is free. You can’t work for it, buy it or bargain for it. You simply have to accept Jesus as your Lord, Savior and God’s Son with your heart, mind and soul. Once you’ve done that, the Holy Spirit will become part of your eternal being. That process is called receiving God’s Salvation, and spiritual death is no longer part of your DNA. Hence, “You don’t have to do anything, but you have to do something.” Romans 10:9-10 makes this statement perfectly clear:
Romans 10:9-10 says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
What is salvation? I can help you with that too:
Salvation: In Christianity, salvation (also called deliverance or redemption) is the "saving of human beings from sin and its consequences, which includes death and separation from God" by Christ's death and resurrection, and the justification following this salvation. By the way, your salvation is secure when you take the leap of faith and love in Jesus Christ.
Our salvation is closely tied to our sanctification. As believers, our sanctification is God’s light in us that shows others that we are his children. This is demonstrated in how we live, choosing to live our lives in Godly ways rather than the ways of the world.
Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleansed us from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God.
Man’s Role: Our role is both a passive and active role in sanctification. The passive role is we depend on God to sanctify us, and the active role is that we strive to obey God and take steps that will increase our sanctification.
Passive Role:
1. Romans 6:13: Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
2. Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Active Role:
1. Romans 8:13: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
2. Philippians 2:12-13: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
3. So what are the ways in which we grow in holiness, maturity and obedience? Reading and meditating on the Word of God, praying, corporate worshipping, witnessing, fellowshipping with other Christians and invoking self-discipline or self-control.
What Sanctification Affects:
1. Our Intellect:
a. Colossians 3:9-10: Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
b. Philippians 1:9-11: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. “Abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.”
c. Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
· More than just head knowledge, but also growth in wisdom and knowledge.
2. Our Emotions:
a. Galatians 5:22-26: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
· We will find it increasingly true that we do not love the things of the world but delight to do God’s will.
3. Our Will:
a. Our decision-making grows in sanctification as our will becomes more and more conformed to the will of our heavenly Father.
4. Our Spirit:
a. 2 Corinthians 7:1: Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
5. Our Physical Bodies:
a. 1 Thessalonians 5:23: May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
· We do not let sin reign in our bodies, nor allow our bodies to participate in any way in immorality, but we treat our bodies with care and will recognize that they are the means by which the Holy Spirit works through us in this life.
Motives for Obedience:
1. A desire for a deeper walk with God
2. A desire to do what God commands, simply because his commands are righteous, and we delight in doing what is right
3. A desire to avoid God’s displeasure and discipline on our lives
4. Our love of God and faith in Jesus is the overarching motive to the obedience to God, the father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
Food for thought:
You and only you can make the decision on whether you want to avoid spiritual death, which is an eternity separated from God in hell or the other choice, which is eternity with God in heaven. I caution you; this is a decision that must be made before your physical death. Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one. Nobody knows the time, place or circumstances when physical death will come. My question to you: Do you know where your final home will be when that first death becomes a reality?
Author Bio
Willie Keys serves as the Senior Adult Minister at Council Road. For the first 47 years of his life, he only existed in this world. He knew of God, but he had never known him. In December 1999, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. That decision has been the best one of his life. God is transforming his life to this day. He has come to the realization that it’s not about him but all about God. The ultimate conclusion is that he is a work in progress. God continues to mold him every day of his life. His future is secure because he has eternity with God.