2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Job 8:1-11:20 ESV, 1 Corinthians 15:1-28 ESV, Psalm 38:1-22 ESV, Proverbs 21:28-29 ESV
Daily Verse: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21 ESV)
THANATOS (2288): “Death, has the basic meaning of separation of the soul (the spiritual part of man) from the body (the material part), the latter ceasing to function and turning to dust. Death is the opposite of life; it never denotes non-existence. As a spiritual life is conscious existence in communion with God, spiritual death is conscious existence in separation from God. Death, in whichever of the above-mentioned senses it is used, is always in scripture, viewed as the penal consequence of sin and since sinners alone are subject to death it was as the Bearer of sin that the Lord Jesus submitted thereto on the Cross. And while the physical death of the Lord Jesus was of the essence of His sacrifice, it was not the whole. The darkness symbolized, and His cry expressed, the fact that He was left alone in the universe, He was forsaken.”[i]
Separation of soul.
Death means your soul separates from your physical form. When one dies physically, they still exist spiritually. Sinning takes us away from God; spiritual death occurs when we choose to live life following our flesh instead of the Creator’s direction. Thus, the penalty for sin equals death.
When we consciously decide to unite our souls with Jesus, we become spiritually alive. Death no longer holds its sting because Christ’s actions overcame our sin. We can’t help but sin; we need a Savior. Jesus does the job willingly.
Physically, when Christ died on the cross, He paid the price we couldn’t. Spiritually, when God forsook His Son, Jesus experienced separation from the Father, alone in the universe. Resurrection day united Father and Son. Placing faith in Jesus means accepting His love into our lives and understanding that we can’t do what Christ did for us.
Spiritual life.
Christ binds us to God and gives us eternal spiritual life. Never will we experience what Jesus did alone in the universe. When our physical body dies, our spiritual one will live with Jesus in heaven.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3 ESV)
Place your faith in Jesus and experience life to the fullest with the Savior. Death doesn’t separate us from Christ’s love; nothing can.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 113) Thomas Nelson
