1031. What Is the Meaning of Death?

What Is the Meaning of Death?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom_6:23)

The best way for us to discover the meaning of the word "death" is to consider its use in the Word of God. There are those who insist that the word "death" means cessation of existence. It is necessary for us, in combating this false statement, to see that God uses the word in an entirely different sense.

1. God's Word to Adam: "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." There is no cessation of existence here. In Romans , 5 th chapter, we read that through Adam, death passed upon all men. Certainly, through Adam, all men did not cease to exist. The word here means "separation." Adam did not cease to exist for Adam was driven from the Garden and his sin separated him from God.

2. Dead, yet walking. Eph_2:1 : "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph_4:18 : "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." "Dead in trespasses and sins." This expression means alienated from the life of God. Every man is separated from God. In order to have eternal life (not eternal existence) he must be born again. Eternal life is a life with Christ, in distinction front an existence separated from Christ.

3. "Being dead, yet speaketh" (Heb_11:4). The old Patriarchs are dead, but they have not ceased existing; for they still speak. They are merely separated from their bodies. They are physically dead.

4. Living, yet dead (see 1Ti_5:6). "She that liveeth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." This passage is final. The follower after pleasure, is dead because she is without God and without hope in the world; separated from God.

5. He tasted death for every man (see Heb_2:9). Jesus Christ did not cease to exist on the Cross. He tasted death, however, because He was separated from the Father, owing to our sins. He cried: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

6. "My son was dead but is alive again." These words were spoken of the prodigal in Luk_15:32. Certainly the prodigal son had not ceased to exist. He was dead only in the sense that he was separated from his father. He was alive again because he returned and was received to his father's presence.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR